Therapists for Impulsivity

This page lists therapists who include narrative therapy among their approaches and indicate a focus on impulsivity. Narrative work begins from the idea that people understand their lives through stories, and the listings below let you explore therapists who work with those stories. Browse profiles to see how each practitioner describes their approach and experience.

Understanding impulsivity through a narrative lens

When impulsive actions feel dominant in your life, it is common to carry a story about what that means for who you are. That familiar story might say you are someone who acts before thinking, who makes mistakes you cannot undo, or who is always 'out of control.' Narrative therapy begins by naming the fact that you and the behaviours are not the same thing - they are narrated parts of a life that can be described, examined, and revised. Narrative approaches, developed in Australia and New Zealand in the 1980s by Michael White and David Epston, start from the idea that people make sense of their lives through stories. Some of those stories are thin and unkind because they were handed down by family, school, workplace or culture.

In practice, working narratively with impulsivity means looking at the way the problem is talked about and lived, rather than focusing only on changing behaviour through technique or only tracing causes in the past. The aim is to surface the recurrent narrative that gives impulsive acts meaning - for example, a story that links impulsivity to identity, shame, or inevitability - and to open pathways to more complex, richer accounts that reflect values, intentions and moments that do not fit the dominant story. That is the starting point for people who want to explore how the way they are described by others, and by themselves, shapes what they do.

How narrative therapy works with impulsivity

At the heart of narrative practice are techniques that help you treat the problem as something you relate to, rather than something that fully defines you. The first move is often externalising - putting a name on the pattern or urge so it can be discussed as an influence rather than a personal essence. Instead of saying I am impulsive, the conversation might name the experience as the urge, the rush or the impulse. That language shift creates breathing room to ask about when the impulse shows up, what it does, and whose expectations feed it.

Narrative therapists attend to the origins of the familiar story - where did the idea that you are impulsive come from, and how has that story been reinforced by family, peers, or cultural expectations? They use thin and rich description to move from shorthand judgements to fuller accounts of events, motives and context. Unique outcomes are actively sought - these are moments when you behaved differently, resisted the urge, or acted in a way that contradicts the dominant narrative. Gathering and amplifying those moments helps to seed an alternative account.

Over time, re-authoring conversations help you craft a preferred story that names your commitments and values and that fits in ordinary life. Practices like re-membering conversations let you consider which relationships and memories support that preferred story. Some narrative practitioners invite outsider witnesses or use definitional ceremonies to acknowledge and reinforce shifts in story, though how often these practices are used varies widely between therapists. Throughout, the work is conversational and collaborative, oriented toward the gradual development of a richer sense of who you are in relation to impulses.

What to expect in narrative sessions for impulsivity

Your earlier sessions are likely to focus on naming and mapping the problem - finding words for the urge, tracing the contexts in which it appears, and noticing the emotions, images and metaphors that surround it. Questions tend to be open, curious and aimed at eliciting stories: when did this pattern begin to matter, how do you sense it in your body, what meaning has been attached to these actions? The pace is generally exploratory rather than didactic, allowing you to reflect on how particular descriptions have shaped behaviour and self-regard.

As conversations develop, the focus often shifts toward collecting unique outcomes and exploring alternatives. You may be invited to recall times when the urge did not take over, to describe what was different in those moments, and to notice small practices or relationships that supported the variation. Later sessions may centre on re-authoring - assembling descriptions of values, commitments and actions that together form a preferred story you can carry into everyday situations. Because many practitioners combine narrative approaches with other methods, how much of each session is explicitly narrative will differ from therapist to therapist. It is normal and appropriate to ask directly how they weave narrative practices with other approaches they use.

Is a narrative approach the right fit for impulsivity?

People who are drawn to narrative therapy often do not want to be reduced to a label or diagnosis. If you feel that a story handed to you by family, school or culture no longer fits, or if you are curious about how language and relationships shape your choices, narrative work can be appealing. Narrative therapy emphasizes meaning, values and agency rather than only changing thoughts or teaching skills. This distinguishes it from approaches that target thought content, from therapies that prioritise skills training, and from work focused primarily on insight into early relational patterns.

For example, cognitive approaches often focus on identifying and correcting specific thought patterns, while skills-based models concentrate on teaching strategies to manage impulses in the moment. Psychodynamic approaches often seek to uncover how past relationships shape current patterns. Narrative therapy complements these perspectives by shifting attention to the stories that organise experience. Many therapists integrate methods - they might draw on skills-based strategies alongside narrative conversations about the story those skills are meant to serve. Importantly, there is no way to tell in advance whether any particular approach will suit you, and many people use an initial conversation to find out whether the fit feels right.

How to choose a therapist who works narratively with impulsivity

Questions to ask and what to listen for

When you review profiles or reach out for a first conversation, it is reasonable to ask directly how much of the therapist's work is narrative, what a typical session looks like, and how they describe their experience working with impulsivity. Listings record that a therapist includes narrative therapy among their approaches, but that does not mean narrative methods will be the only or dominant focus in every session. Listening for whether the therapist talks about externalising, unique outcomes, re-authoring or re-membering conversations gives you a sense of how they apply narrative ideas in practice.

Also ask about professional registration or licensure where you live, so you can confirm that the clinician meets local standards of practice. Pay attention to whether their style in the first conversation feels collaborative and curious rather than directive. Narrative work tends to be conversational - the therapist asks questions that invite you to reflect on stories and choices - so a comfortable conversational tone and an interest in your perspective are useful indicators of fit. Video or phone sessions can support this kind of work because the emphasis is on dialogue and reflection rather than physically based interventions.

Choosing a therapist is a personal process. Think about whose descriptions of the work resonate with you, whether the therapist seems to understand the role of stories in shaping behaviour, and whether you are given room to describe moments that contradict the dominant narrative about yourself. Many people find that a few exploratory conversations help them evaluate fit and clarify how the therapist might combine narrative practices with other methods to support the kind of change they want to pursue.

In all cases, you are encouraged to ask direct questions about how narrative approaches are used, what a session will typically involve, and to verify professional registration in your jurisdiction. That conversation is the most reliable way to find out whether narrative therapy as practised by a particular clinician aligns with your preferences and goals.