Narrative Therapy

My training at San Diego State University focused extensively on the Narrative Therapy approach, as did the practice I did as a trainee therapist within the program.

I have graduate-level education in narrative therapy, and have utilized techniques associated with this modality throughout my professional career.

I utilize narrative therapy in combination with multicultural intersectional feminist theory to examine my clients' life stories with the new context of their adult lives. Reexamining and reframing stories from our lives, and discovering how they have contributed to our current negative self beliefs can help us to gain confidence and self-compassion for who we are today.

Notice what words you use to describe your world. Practice using reframing. Look at past times when you were successful. How did you cope?

Narrative therapy is a type of therapy that focuses on the stories that people tell about their lives. This approach can be helpful for gay men, who often have unique and complex stories to tell about their lives. For many gay men, coming out is a pivotal moment that can shape their entire narrative. In narrative therapy, therapists can help gay men to make sense of their coming out experience and to develop a more positive story about themselves.

I embrace each of the stories we choose to lead. Sometimes, our stories can shift from ones that are enjoyable to ones of survival. I am here to help you get your life back on track and slay the monsters in your way.

Lucy Cotter, MFT, has a wholehearted commitment to narrative therapy and a passion for helping individuals and couples find freedom from old stories. As co-founder of the Narrative Counseling Center in Los Angeles, I have spent years dedicated to narrative practices that look at how stories get constructed and how people can get the upper hand in creating new stories for their lives.

I am excited to be a participant in the 2023-2024 certificate program in Narrative Therapy through the Narrative Therapy Initiative (NTI)! I have been studying narrative therapy practices and find them to be a gentle and healing practice! As they say in Narrative Therapy, "The person is not the problem. The PROBLEM is the problem." This resonates with my whole-person view of therapy and the systems and environments that impact us, both negatively and positively.

Explores significant events/"stories" that occur over time in one's life. Acknowledges how these "stories" may have shaped a person's identity. Challenges 'problematic stories/narratives' one carries of self which inhibit growth and limit one's sense of internal peace. Focuses on not labeling or viewing oneself as "broken". Aims to allow one to get some distance from their preconceived narratives in order to re-assess their perspective and messaging surrounding it.

I have studied extensively through this lens which prizes the client's experience of their own world over the therapist's, offering the client maximum respect and agency. Narrative therapy is particularly helpful at not pathologizing or labeling a client as the problem, rather, the problem is simply the problem. Narrative therapy lets the client develop new stories about their lives and discard stories that no longer serve them.

Engaged in narrative therapy training, facilitating experiential groups, and working towards certification.

Narrative therapy allows people to explore the experiences of their lives and the meanings they have placed on those experiences. It is a respectful, non-blaming approach that centers people as the experts in their own lives. Narrative therapy sees people as separate from their problems and behaviors, allowing clients to examine their choices from a healthy and helpful distance.

I use Narrative techniques to help clients' map the impact of challenges, identify unique outcomes, gain insight into their complex identities, and use that insight to re-author their personal narratives.

Utilizing narrative therapy not only makes the client the expert in telling their story, but it also gives them the opportunity to rewrite their story as many times as they need to; until they get it right.

I am a firm believer in the power of the stories that we tell about ourselves and our experiences. These stories inform our worldview, how we interact with others, and how we view ourselves. I am passionate about working with clients who have experienced trauma and the various ways that it can manifest (anxiety, depression, etc). Using exploration, reflection, and evaluation, I aim to help clients uncover their strengths, develop coping skills, and discover outside supports.

Completed 3 day training on topic of narrative therapy and implements narrative therapy skills and tools into work with clients on a regular basis

Using narrative therapy, I provide a supportive space for you to explore your experiences and rewrite your story. We'll collaboratively examine the narratives that shape your life, empowering you to reclaim agency and discover new perspectives. Together, we'll cultivate resilience and foster growth in alignment with your values and goals.

Helps you to rewrite your story to fit who you are today and who you want to be in the future!