Narrative Therapy in Chicago
At Tides Mental Health, narrative therapy in Chicago starts from a simple shift: the problem you're facing is separate from who you are. Instead of treating you as the problem, we treat the problem as something outside you, something you can examine, question, and respond to differently.
You're the expert on your own life. We bring clinical structure, not a verdict on who you are.
Book Free ConsultationYour Story Isn't Finished
A lot of people arrive in therapy having already decided what the story means: that they're the anxious one, the difficult one, the one who always ruins things. Those conclusions usually got written a long time ago, often by circumstances that had little to do with who you actually are.
Narrative therapy doesn't erase the hard chapters. It just refuses to let them be the whole book.
What Narrative Therapy Actually Rests On
Developed in the 1980s by Michael White and David Epston, narrative therapy is built on a small number of core ideas that shape everything else.
You Are Not the Problem
Externalizing the problem lets you examine it from the outside instead of carrying it as part of your identity.
You're the Expert
You hold the deepest knowledge of your own life. Your therapist brings structure and skill in service of that, not instead of it.
Stories Shape Experience
The narrative you carry about yourself influences what feels possible. Examining that story is the actual work.
Unique Outcomes
Your therapist looks for the moments the problem didn't win, small exceptions that point toward real strengths.
Re-Authoring
Together you build a fuller, more accurate story grounded in your actual values and capability, not just the problem.
Non-Pathologizing
This work stays free of labels that reduce you to a diagnosis rather than a person with a specific problem to work through.
Where This Approach Helps
Anxiety & Depression
Separate yourself from anxious or depressive thoughts while building a stronger story of resilience and self-trust.
Trauma & Grief
Reframe difficult experiences and losses within a larger story that includes your survival and capacity for meaning.
Identity Exploration
Especially useful for LGBTQIA+ individuals, teens, and young adults exploring values and a more authentic sense of self.
Relationships & Family
See how a problem is shaping a relationship, and help everyone involved separate the problem from each other.
Getting Started
Free 15-Minute Consultation
Tell us what's been on your mind. No pressure to have the "story" figured out yet.
Get Matched with a Therapist
Our intake team connects you with someone trained specifically in narrative approaches.
Your First Session
Your therapist builds rapport and starts exploring your story with curiosity, not judgment.
Why Choose Tides for Narrative Therapy
Specialized Training
Our clinicians have advanced training in narrative techniques and collaborative therapeutic relationships.
Cultural Humility
A team representing a range of backgrounds, since culture and identity shape every story differently.
In-Person or Virtual
Come to our Chicago office, convenient for River North and the North Side, or our Wilmette office, or join from anywhere in Illinois.
Integrative Approach
We combine narrative work with CBT, DBT, and mindfulness-based approaches whenever it serves your goals.
What to Expect
Your therapist focuses on building rapport and understanding what brought you in, with no pressure to share more than feels comfortable this early.
Together, you practice separating yourself from the problem, giving it its own name and shape so you can examine it rather than experience it as part of who you are.
Your therapist looks with you for the moments the problem didn't fully win, evidence of strengths the dominant story may have overshadowed.
Over time, you build a fuller story that includes both the hard parts and your actual capability, and check in regularly on whether it's holding up in daily life.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a collaborative approach that treats you as the expert on your own life, not defined by your struggles. Instead of locating the problem inside you, it treats the problem as something separate you can examine and respond to.
Adults working through anxiety, depression, or a sense of stagnation, along with teens exploring identity and families untangling conflict, often find this approach helpful for seeing their situation with fresh eyes.
Yes. It's often integrated with CBT, DBT, mindfulness-based work, or trauma-informed care, depending on what would help most alongside the storytelling work.
No. Externalizing the problem doesn't minimize it. It just separates the problem from your identity, so you can respond to it strategically instead of experiencing it as a fixed part of who you are.
We accept BCBS PPO, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, and Medicare, along with private pay options. Our intake team confirms your specific benefits before your first session.
About Tides Mental Health
Tides Mental Health is a Chicago-based practice providing inclusive, evidence-based mental health care for individuals, couples, and families. From our Chicago and Wilmette offices, our licensed clinical therapists offer both in-person and secure telehealth options. New clients start with a free 15-minute consultation before committing to a full intake appointment.
You Are Not Your Problems
Start with a free 15-minute consultation. Bring whatever chapter you're in right now, that's exactly where this work begins.
Book Free Consultation