Empowering Narratives

Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) is a short-term, trauma-focused intervention developed for individuals exposed to multiple traumatic events, including refugees and survivors of war and organized violence. It is grounded in principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy and testimonial therapy. NET helps adults reconstruct a coherent narrative of their life by integrating fragmented traumatic memories through structured exposure within a chronological autobiographical framework. Core components include lifeline construction, imaginal exposure to traumatic events, and reprocessing of emotional responses. The method emphasizes stabilization through therapeutic structure and is supported by evidence from randomized controlled trials showing reductions in PTSD symptoms. The approach is protocol-driven and applicable in low-resource settings under supervision, as outlined in the practice document.