NET
Narrative Exposure Therapy
The aim of NET is to put traumatic experiences into context.
I will help you to create and express a clear narrative of your life, concentrating mainly on your traumatic events but also incorporating positive events.
This will help you to fill in details of patchy memories. In doing so, traumatic memories are refined and understood.
Reflecting on the narrative of your life can help you understand when specific thinking and behavioural patters first emerged, which can cultivate a feeling of personal identity.
NET incorporates the theory of dual representation of traumatic memories, which hypothesises that a client’s autobiographical memory is divided into two categories: “hot” and “cold” memories. “Hot” memories refer to emotional and sensory moments, while “cold” memories tend to be more structured and logical. For example, a “hot” memory might be pain, fear, and bright lights, while a “cold” memory associated with the same event could be, “I was in tremendous pain while in the hospital for emergency surgery last week.”
NET explicitly focuses on recognising and creating an account or testament of what happened, in a way that serves to recapture your self-respect and acknowledge your human rights.
