The Power of Externalizing in Narrative Therapy | Halifax Online Counselling

Feeling stuck is something we all experience at different points in life. Whether it’s related to relationships, work, identity, or emotional overwhelm, stuckness can feel heavy and isolating. At Insight Mental Health Counselling in Halifax, we use narrative therapy to help clients see these challenges in a new light — one that opens up possibility, not pressure.

Jules’s Question: “If Stuckness Could Speak…”

“If the feeling of being stuck could speak, what would it say about why it’s showing up in your life right now? What does it want you to pay attention to?” – Jules Smith, MEd, RCT, Halifax Therapist

This transformative question is at the heart of narrative therapy. Instead of internalizing the feeling of stuckness as a personal flaw — something we often see in our Halifax therapy clients — we encourage people to externalize the emotion and look at their relationship with it.

🌱 Why This Works for Our Clients in Halifax & Beyond:

It can help by:

  • Shifting the focus from blame to curiosity
  • Encouraging self-compassion and insight
  • Helping clients develop a healthier relationship with their emotions

When we externalize the stuckness, we ask:

  • What is this emotion trying to tell me?
  • Is it overlooking something important about who I am?
  • Do I agree with what it’s saying?

This approach has helped many of our Nova Scotia clients look at their challenges with a fresh perspective — without shame, without blame.

🔍 The Follow-Up: “What Difference Does That Make?”

Jane’s favourite follow-up question:

“What difference does that make?” – Jane Donovan, MEd, RCT, Halifax Therapist

After a client takes even the smallest step forward, this question helps slow the moment down and highlight the meaning behind it. In our online therapy sessions across Halifax and Nova Scotia, we’ve seen how powerful it can be to reflect on even one small shift.

✨ Why It Resonates with Nova Scotians:

This question can be helpful because:

  • It brings micro-wins into focus
  • Reinforces progress and builds momentum
  • Helps clients move from a results-only mindset to appreciating the process

Clients often realize:

  • They weren’t as stuck as they thought
  • They’ve already started to shift something meaningful
  • Their values and strengths are guiding their steps forward

💬 How Halifax Clients Respond

These questions may seem simple, but they invite thoughtful reflection. Clients across Nova Scotia are often surprised by how profoundly they shift their thinking:

“They’re not stuck in the stuckness anymore.”
“They begin to stand up to the problem, not against themselves.”

This is how narrative therapy at Insight Mental Health Counselling in Halifax makes a difference — helping people reclaim their stories, their voices, and their power.

📘 What Is Narrative Therapy?

Narrative therapy is a collaborative, non-pathologizing approach to counselling that helps individuals separate themselves from their problems. By focusing on the stories we tell about ourselves — and the meanings behind them — this method helps clients to re-author their lives in ways that align with their values and hopes.

🌞 Final Thoughts from Jules & Jane in Halifax

As we move through the last weeks of summer here in Halifax, we’re reminded that just like the weather, our emotions and situations shift too. Whether you’re in a good place or feeling off-track, try asking yourself:

  • If your emotion could speak, what would it say?
  • What difference did it make to take that small step?

If you’re curious about how narrative therapy could support you, or you’ve been feeling stuck and unsure where to start, don’t hesitate to reach out. Whether you’re located in Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, or anywhere in Nova Scotia, we offer local online therapy to meet your needs.

These questions are simple, but they can open the door to meaningful change — no matter where you are on your journey.

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