How Narrative Therapy Helps with Grief

When you're grieving, it can feel like your loss has become your entire identity.

The pain is so overwhelming that it's hard to remember who you were before, or imagine who you might become after. This is where narrative therapy has become one of my most powerful tools as a grief coach.

Narrative therapy works because it helps you reclaim your story. Instead of being defined by your loss, you learn to see grief as one chapter in a much larger book—your life. This approach recognizes that you are not your grief; you are a complex, multifaceted person who is experiencing grief.

In my practice, I guide clients to externalize their grief—to see it as something they're experiencing rather than something they are.

This small shift creates crucial space for healing. When you can say, “I’m struggling with grief,” you open the door to compassion and possibility.

One of my clients recently shared a deeply meaningful story that beautifully captures the heart of narrative work. She decided to create a special experience with her family—something that symbolized love, connection, and continuity even in the midst of loss. Together, they spent an afternoon planting a small garden filled with her loved one’s favorite flowers. It wasn’t about recreating the past; it was about cultivating something new that would continue to grow, season after season—a living reminder of love that endures.

This act of choosing to shape her story—rather than letting loss define it—is a powerful turning point. It shows how narrative therapy can help us reclaim agency and meaning, even in painful circumstances. Through intentional acts like this, we can honor our loved ones, strengthen our bonds, and reimagine our lives with compassion and purpose.

Narrative therapy also honors the continuing bond with those we’ve lost.

Rather than “moving on” or “getting over” grief, it invites you to decide how their story continues to be part of yours. You become the author of this integration, choosing which memories to carry forward and what legacy means to you.

What I love most about this approach is how it empowers you. You’re not a passive victim of grief—you’re an active participant in your healing journey. Together, we explore the dominant narratives that may be limiting you (“I should be over this by now”) and discover alternative stories that are truer and more life-giving.

Your grief is valid, and your story matters. Narrative therapy helps you honor both while gently guiding you toward a future where joy and sorrow can coexist—where you can remember your loved one while still fully living your own precious life.