How do therapists in Peterborough, ON compare?

Number of therapists listed

Average years in practice

5.7 Years

Currently accepting new clients

99 %

Therapists in Peterborough, ON who prioritize treating:

84% Anxiety

52% Relationship Issues

51% Depression

35% Trauma and PTSD

33% ADHD

29% Stress

29% Self Esteem

26% Grief

How therapists see their clients

100% Online Only

Top therapy approaches used in Peterborough, ON:

100% Narrative

80% Cognitive Behavioural (CBT)

67% Trauma Focused

65% Strength-Based

61% Acceptance and Commitment (ACT)

59% Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

57% Attachment-based

55% Person-Centered

Frequently Asked Questions About Narrative

What is narrative therapy?

Narrative therapy, developed by Michael White and David Epston, is based on the idea that people understand their lives through stories — and that the stories we tell about ourselves profoundly shape our identity, our possibilities, and our wellbeing. When life stories become dominated by problems, loss, and negative self-description ("I am depressed," "I am a failure"), narrative therapy helps people examine those stories, notice their limits, and begin writing richer, more empowering accounts of who they are. The approach is deeply respectful of the person and explicitly attentive to social and political context.

What is "externalizing" in narrative therapy?

Externalizing is one of narrative therapy's core practices: it separates the problem from the person. Rather than "I am anxious," narrative therapy might speak of "Anxiety" as something that visits you, has an influence on you, and that you have a relationship with — rather than something you are. This linguistic shift creates space to examine how the problem operates, when it has more and less influence, and what your preferences are in relation to it. Externalizing is particularly helpful with children, who respond well to the idea that "the problem is the problem, not the person."

What issues does narrative therapy address?

Narrative therapy is used for depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, eating difficulties, relationship concerns, and identity questions. It is particularly well-suited for work with people whose identities have been shaped by marginalization — Indigenous clients, racialized individuals, people with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ people — because it explicitly names the social and cultural forces that produce problem-saturated stories and refuses to locate problems solely inside individuals. It is often used with families and groups, not just individuals.

What does a narrative therapy session look like?

Narrative therapists ask curious, open questions that explore the influence of the problem, the history of your relationship with it, and the moments when things were different — "unique outcomes" or "sparkling moments" that contradict the dominant problem story. They help you identify values and commitments that have guided you, and use these as material for constructing an alternative, preferred story of your identity. Narrative therapists sometimes write therapeutic letters summarizing these discoveries, which clients report as among the most meaningful elements of the process.

How long does narrative therapy take?

Narrative therapy does not have a fixed session model — it adapts to the person and the presenting concerns. Some people find clarity in a handful of sessions; others engage in longer-term narrative work, particularly when identity reconstruction after trauma or marginalization is central. Narrative therapy can also be used in a single consultation format. Many therapists integrate narrative practices within a broader repertoire rather than as a standalone approach, drawing on the powerful practices of externalization and re-authoring when they are most applicable.

Narrative Therapists in Peterborough, ON

Navkiran Bajwa

Tina Pirvali

Sharise Sealy-McCallum

Emma Hartley

Janice Lyons

Carolyn Holmes

Cassandra Tennriello

Iriny Salib-Sharkawy

Joanna Brubacher

Samantha Bernhard

Siobhan McCarthy, MSW, RSW

Alysha Bernstein

Lisa O’Donovan

Jessica DeMille

Caitlin Kemmett

Shereen Ishag

Amelia Traer

Sadaf Khan

Sophie Cohen

Signy Fridriksson