Tell Me Your Story

By Hayley Inman, Crisis Counselor

How Storytelling Heals Trauma: What Neuroscience and Narrative Therapy Reveal

Trauma produces more than emotional wounds — it alters how your brain works physically.

When someone goes through a traumatic experience, the way the brain is wired in terms of

emotions, memory, and decision-making can be altered, and they may feel trapped in patterns of fear, anxiety, or hopelessness. The good news is that the brain is incredibly adaptable, and one way to support healing is through story.

There has been more research done in neuroscience and psychotherapy about narrative therapy as a therapeutic strategy that focuses on stories and meaning-making in order to help individuals reconstruct their trauma stories, restore a sense of self, and utilize the brain's own natural healing processes (Cammisuli & Castelnuovo, 2023). I thought it might be helpful to discuss how trauma impacts the brain, how telling our stories may help, and why narrative therapy seems to be gaining currency as authentically human, scientifically backed care.

How Trauma Reshapes the Brain

Many interconnected parts of the brain are altered when someone experiences trauma. The

amygdala, which regulates fear, is often hyper-aroused, and the hippocampal area, involved with memory and emotion regulation, may shrink or malfunction. There may also be alterations in the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in emotion regulation and decision-making, with disturbances in its functioning, which can drastically impact how we engage with thinking and the ability to regulate our emotions after trauma (Van der Kolk, 2014; Clark, 2020).

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) indicates that these alterations can lead to trauma frameworks that impact our functioning, from active intrusion of memories to numbing, and increased startle responses, all of which can decidedly impact and be linked to these areas of the brain (NIMH, 2025). Psychotherapy approaches consistent with neuroscience should seek to regulate these systems and address recovery within trauma-informed practice.

The Power of Storytelling in Healing

One of the most effective ways to engage the brain in healing is through storytelling. Narrative therapy is based on the idea that people make sense of their lives through stories, and when

trauma disrupts those stories, it can be profoundly destabilizing. Therapy helps individuals

reconstruct these narratives in ways that emphasize strength, resilience, and meaning (Elginer et al., 2023).

According to Jones (2023), reshaping personal narratives after trauma allows people to reclaim a sense of agency and identity. This process supports what’s known as post-traumatic growth, where individuals not only recover but also find new purpose, deeper relationships, and greater personal strength in the aftermath of adversity.

Narrative Therapy in Action

Narrative therapy isn’t about retelling a painful experience over and over. It’s about exploring

how a person views themselves within their story, identifying harmful beliefs or labels, and

reconstructing a narrative that highlights resilience and possibility.

For example, a survivor of childhood abuse might initially define themselves by their

victimhood. Through narrative work, they might begin to see themselves as a survivor, an

advocate, or someone with unique wisdom and empathy born from adversity. As Béres, Getchell, and Perera (2024) found in their study of creative writing groups for people affected by cancer, storytelling can reconnect people to resilience, hope, and spirituality, offering vital emotional and psychological resources for healing.

In clinical settings, methods like journaling, letter-writing, creative fiction, and even altered

bookmaking — where individuals transform existing books into personal, symbolic art — have been shown to help trauma survivors externalize pain and reframe their experiences (Jones, 2023).

The Neuroscience Behind Storytelling

But why is storytelling so effective? Neuroscience offers several explanations:

• Cognitive Reframing: Narrative therapy supports cognitive reframing, where individuals

  reinterpret traumatic events and their meaning. This activates brain regions associated with emotional regulation and decision-making, such as the prefrontal cortex (Clark, 2020).

• Memory Integration: Trauma often fragments memories, causing flashbacks or

  emotional numbing. Storytelling engages the hippocampus, helping to weave these fragments into a coherent life story (Van der Kolk, 2014).

• Emotional Regulation: Putting feelings into words can help calm an overactive

  amygdala, reducing fear responses and making emotions feel more manageable (Clark, 2020).

• Rebuilding Identity and Agency: Trauma often strips away a person's sense of control.

  Narrative therapy empo

  wers people to reclaim authorship over their lives, reconnecting them with personal strengths and values (Elginer et al., 2023).

• Neuroplasticity: Perhaps most importantly, these processes stimulate neuroplasticity —

  the brain’s ability to form new pathways and adapt. Cammisuli and Castelnuovo (2023)

  emphasize that psychotherapy approaches integrating neuroscience principles can promote lasting changes in brain structure and function, enhancing resilience and emotional regulation.

A Real-World Example: Creative Writing for Healing

In a 2024 study, Béres, Getchell, and Perera explored the impact of a narrative therapy and

narrative medicine creative writing group for people affected by cancer. Participants shared

personal stories and reflections, connecting to sources of hope, resilience, and spirituality. The group experience not only provided emotional support but also empowered participants to reinterpret their identities beyond illness and trauma. This study exemplifies how narrative

practices can create meaning out of suffering and improve psychological well-being (Béres et al., 2024).

Conclusion

Trauma disrupts the brain’s natural systems for managing emotions, memory, and identity. But thanks to the brain’s capacity for neuroplasticity — and the deeply human impulse to tell stories — healing is possible. Narrative therapy harnesses the power of storytelling to help people make sense of their experiences, regulate emotions, and reclaim a sense of identity and control.

Backed by insights from neuroscience and clinical research, narrative therapy reminds us that while trauma shapes us, it doesn’t have to define us. As Van der Kolk (2014) famously wrote, “The body keeps the score,” but through storytelling, we have the power to change the story.

References

Béres, L., Getchell, L., & Perera, A. (2024). Connecting to resilience, hope, and spirituality

through a narrative therapy and narrative medicine creative writing group for people affected by cancer. Religions, 15(5), 612.

Cammisuli, D. M., & Castelnuovo, G. (2023). Neuroscience-based psychotherapy: A position

paper. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1101044.

Clark, S. (2020). Neurocounseling and the counseling profession: Integrating neuroscience into the practice of counseling.

Elginer, G., Hasson-Ohayon, I., Bar-Shachar, Y., & Peri, T. (2023). Narrative reconstruction

therapy for prolonged grief disorder: Basic interventions and mechanisms of change. Death

Studies, 47(10), 1082–1093.

Jones, A. (2023). Altered stories, altered lives: An exploration of post-traumatic growth from a

narrative perspective with a strengths-based focus.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2025). Trauma and stressor-related disorders.

Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov

Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.