Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET)
NET is a treatment for trauma survivors during which the client constructs a chronological narrative of their life in an attempt to integrate often fragmented memories of traumatic experiences into a coherent life story.
In the initial sessions or assessment, clients will lay their “life-line”, making use of flowers (for positive events) and stones (traumatic events) along a rope or ribbon. IRRT then focuses on reliving these events taking account of physiological, emotional and cognitive elements experienced at the time of the trauma. Then interweaving these with the “here and now”, thereby acting as constant reminders that these experiences are in the past and only memories. In the presence of the therapist these memories are reprocessed.
After therapy a copy of their autobiographical life story is given to the client, this document may also be used for human rights advocacy. As NET involves narrating the entire life story, it is particularly suited to treating Complex Trauma.
It was developed by Schauer, Neuner and Elbert and is being used with projects all over the world. See www.vivo.org for further information.