Peggy Sax As you read through the abundance of materials in Narrative Therapy: Foundations & Key Concepts, can you help us ground the concepts here in your every day practice? – Is there a story that come to mind from your own work context that can help make these ideas come alive? – Can you briefly describe your work context? – How have you understood a key narrative concept in this particular context? – [...]
Who else is working with people who are getting older, and facing challenges associated with aging? As I grow older, I am thinking more and more about what Jane Fonda calls "life's third act" (watch the TED talk here). I am delighted to discover a burgeoning new field called narrative gerontology. Who else shares this interest? Ken: March 2, 2014 There is a formal topic I have noticed, with the scary word Gerontology [...]
Consilience: the linking together of principles from different disciplines especially when forming a comprehensive theory. Sarah Hughes just came back from the Winds of Change conference in Toronto - a gathering that focused using innovative approaches in our work based on neurobiology ideas. In a conversation on "What intrigues you about narrative therapy?" she posted how "Consilience" has become the word of the week. The idea of linking different ideas under a common umbrella is [...]
Sarah Hughes Hello, Peggy I know you are a fan of Andrew Solomon and I saw this Ted Talk by him that inspired me and I wondered if you have seen it? https://blog.ted.com/2014/03/21/forge-meaning-build-identity-andrew-solomon-at-ted2014/ I have found some of his ideas resonating through me all week after I watched it. What do others think? Sarah
Peggy: February 10, 2012 Today the new issue of "Journal of Systemic Therapies" arrived in my mailbox. Imagine my delight to find a newly published article by our very own Bonnie Miller entitled, "Narrative Gerontology: A post modern reading of the latter stage of life: A conversation with William Randall." Bonnie, I really enjoyed reading this interview. Is it possible for you to share an earlier author's manuscript here so everyone can read it together? [...]
We started this discussion topic to begin conversation about the second lesson, which clarifies the use of externalizing language when working with LGBTQ clients. Charley gives a real-life case example illustrates the power of narrative practices in action, through the collaborative engagement of resilience in the face of trauma and abuse. We explore narrative inquiry in a group therapy context, as group members step out of isolation and into community. The lesson ends with an award-winning film that [...]
What’s really Wrong with “Internalized Homophobia”? In this lesson 2 topic (click here to review), we explore the use of externalizing language in challenging the cultural forces of homophobia and heterosexual dominance. This forum is for reflections on “Internalized homophobia” - is this language antithetical to the foundational narrative practice of externalizing the problem? SuEllen Hamkins What a great wake-up call to clarify why using the phrase "internalized homophobia" is damaging to [...]
Have you reviewed Charley's list of "some fluid practices of narrative therapy?" (It's here). Again, you will notice that the practices are not numbered, hence the term ‘fluid’, as these practices are employed as determined by the unfolding conversation. Can you pick one of these practices and imagine how it could be helpful to a queer-identified individual challenged by oppressive cultural forces of heterosexism? Anything else you would like to add or ask? Sarah [...]
Before joining this conversation please review (here) the brief article that Charley wrote in response to requests from students and colleagues interested in seeing narrative practices at work while addressing issues related to trauma. The article documents his experiences consulting with a client in his private practice. We invite you to read this article through the lens of the “fluid practices” identified in the previous lesson topic. What fluid narrative practices and/or assumptions do you notice [...]
Before joining this conversation, please read the article Chris Behan here (originally published in Gecko). Chris describes the use of a reflecting team model in a group therapy setting, placing one client story at the center of the process, while creating space for the nurturing engagement of shared experiences and the engagement of community. What, if anything, did you notice about this process that was either surprising or different, based on your understanding of group counseling? [...]
September 25, 2014: Valentina Alexa Valentina Alexa I rely on what I was feeling when I watched this video because of a bit of understanding when i hear English. Images have brought me a Sense of Solidarity; Community Support; Beauty; Courage; Respect; Fantasy; Brightness; Tears ; Pain; Sadness; Hope; Love; Caring. Some of assumptions I’d like to mention: 1. There are exceptions to every problem story. 2. The client is expert. 3. Language [...]
This forum is for conversation relating to the third lesson of Queer counseling & Narrative practice (A queer umbrella for all). This lesson includes: the marginalizing effects of many religious beliefs on LGBTQ identified individuals, along with alternative paths to spiritual re-connection. the challenges faced by many families when an adolescent “comes out” as LGBT or Q. aAn award-winning film celebrating the first gay & lesbian prom in America. an exercise engaging the narrative [...]