Narrative Therapy-re-authoring stories
The Professional Development People
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Narrative Therapy - re-authoring stories towards agency, dignity and hope: A one-day workshop of core concepts and key skills to enrich your clinical repertoire
Presenter: Merle Conyer
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"The person is not the problem; the problem is the problem”. This formative statement by Michael White is a core principle for narrative-oriented therapists. How we consider a problem shapes how we look at it, what we will find, and how we might act in response.
A person may consult with a therapist when in the grip of a problem-saturated story about themselves or some aspect of their life. A narrative-oriented therapist would be very curious about what informs the person’s thoughts and actions, the meanings ascribed to the problem and ways in which these are or are not helpful. Applying ‘double listening' they would additionally notice and appreciate the person’s knowledges, skills, values and commitments that can contribute to responding to the difficulties.
As an alternative to defining the person according to the problem or locating the problem within the person, a narrative-oriented therapist is guided by ‘positioning’ theory which suggest we come to know and experience ourselves through relationships located within specific histories, cultures and political systems and therefore identities are multi-storied.
Informed by this orientation, therapist and client work collaboratively to unpack, deconstruct and reauthor a problem-saturated story. This includes noticing neglected but helpful aspects of experience, witnessing actions in response to dearly held commitments and values, and paying careful attention to the ways in which language is used as these all have liberatory potential. This can support the client to reclaim their life from the effects of a problem, and to discover or find their way back to preferred identity conclusions. This in turn can open hopeful possibilities inclusive of valued relationships and which honour treasured aspects of their history and culture.
This approach necessarily invites therapists to attend to power relations in the therapy room, which includes adopting a decentred yet influential stance and demonstrating respect for clients as the experts in their lives.
Exercises in dyads, journal articles and other handouts, together with ample presenter-attendee dialogue, will support your learning.
CPD Hours: This event counts as 7 hours of category A CPD for PACFA’s membership renewal requirements.
PACFA MEMBER DISCOUNT * PACFA members can avail a discount of 20% off the registration fees for all live events and digital seminars on our website by applying the code ‘PDP20PACFA’ at the checkout.
For full details regarding the event and registration please go to the website.
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