Dr. Jan Ewing has been working in collaboration with CHWB for more than a decade and shares our integrative approach to healthcare by connecting the mind and body. The Narrative Counseling Center is based on the idea that we use narratives (stories) to organize our perceptions of the world. We do not perceive the world as it is; rather we interpret the world and our experiences and we create narratives about those interpretations. These narratives influence our behavior, physiology and health. Working with your narratives to improve your sense of wellness is the foundation on which Dr. Ewing has developed her Narrative Counseling Center.

Dr. Ewing holds a Ph.D. and license in Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy. She is currently a professor at San Diego State University and has developed her Narrative Counseling Center to focus on integrative health. Under her clinical supervision, she has a team of pre-licensed therapists who provide affordable counseling to individuals, families and couples. Her extended therapy community also includes licensed therapists, some of whom accept insurance.

Dr. Ewing’s counseling center and waiting room are located on the street level floor of CHWB, near Suite 203. To learn more about her work, visit www.narrativehealth.org. To schedule an appointment: email [email protected] or call 619-786-7184.

What makes Narrative Counseling different?

We are working from the premise that people are not the problem, but rather problems are developed in the narratives we create in our social interactions.
This is different than traditional therapy models. We believe the past and events have limited power to define us. For instance, we are more interested in being in conversation about how clients would like their lives to be different now and why, versus spending lots of time trying to figure out the past. We propose that learning new ways of living that fit with our values creates more momentum than time spent telling stories about how past events have damaged us. While we want to revisit the past to understand internalized stories that are relevant, we want to focus on sustaining change.

Benefits of this Type of Counseling

• Your physiology will change when your narratives change (and vice versa)
• You will experience less stress in your mind and body
• We will help you sustain the change you desire

We provide integrative mental health services for individuals, couples, families and groups. We offer English, Farsi, Spanish, Vietnamese and Japanese counseling services for a range of issues including:

• stress management
• chronic pain and health conditions
• relational difficulties for couples, friends, work settings
• dealing with depression
• anxiety
• eating issues/body image
• parent-child concerns
• domestic violence
• trauma
• grief and loss
• life transitions
• LGBT related concerns
• Biofeedback

We schedule weekly or bi-weekly sessions to discuss your concerns and the direction you would like to take. Our team of therapists are all grounded in Narrative Therapy practices and offer different fees and levels of experience in many areas of expertise. Through our MFT Residency Program, we have master’s level marriage & family therapists-in-training who can offer affordable counseling for low, sliding scale fees ($30-50/session) under the direct supervision and mentorship of a licensed therapist. Our more seasoned, licensed marriage & family therapists are also available to work with you for a higher fee commensurate with their level of experience. Some of our licensed therapists also accept insurance such as Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield and TriCare, to name a few.

Please contact us to discuss your particular needs and we will do our best to match you with a therapist for an initial consultation. 619-786-7184.