Using the power of storytelling, NET therapy provides a means of addressing past traumatic experiences. The process involves creating a chronological narrative of life events, that encompasses all life events, both negative and positive
NET is unique in its focus on recognising and creating an account of what happened in your life in a way that serves to recapture your self-respect. This approach has been proven to be effective in the treatment of PTSD, earning a recommendation from the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a treatment for PTSD and pre-trial therapy.
The first step is to carry out a comprehensive assessment to get an understanding of your history, symptoms, and specific needs. This includes evaluating the severity of trauma and its impact on your mental health.
If we decide that NET is the right for you, the next stage will be to build a timeline that maps significant events in your life from birth to the present day. There will be focus on traumatic events, but we will also map significant positive experiences. From this, we will decide how many sessions will be needed to complete the treatment.
Each session will last approximately 90 minutes. During these sessions, I will guide you to share emotions, thoughts, sensory details and physiological responses related to the events on your timeline, and we will work together to process events. Together, we make sense of your experiences, identifying patters and impacts on thoughts and behaviours. I ensure you stay grounded in the present by linking emotions and physical responses to chronological details such as time and place.
The therapy concludes with the creation of a coherent life narrative in the broader context of life experience, providing a sense of closure and empowerment. Many clients often report a greater sense of control over their lives and an enhanced ability to cope with future stressors.
Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) is a valuable therapeutic approach for individuals struggling with addiction, especially when their substance use is linked to past traumatic events. NET helps individuals process and integrates traumatic memories, which can be a significant underlying factor in addictive behaviours.
