Peggy: November 23, 2010 Thursday is the Thanksgiving holiday in the USA. It is a time for getting together with family and friends, and for pausing to express gratitude for that which often goes unnoticed. Before sharing a story, I want to say how grateful I am for this study group. For me, it is a place where I feel a sense of belonging, discovery and possibility. A woman who consults with me ended our [...]
Kaethe Weingarten A 1999 interview with Kaethe Weingarten conducted by Vicki Dickerson: This interview gives an excellent brief overview of the history of narrative therapy, and of the distinctions from other models of family therapy. Click here to review the interview. Jill Freedman In the USA, the Sandy Hook School shooting in Connecticut (December, 2012) weighed heavily on just about everyone's hearts and minds. It was so horrific beyond imagination. [...]
Peggy Sax: June 23, 2011 Who shares special interest in psychotic experience and discourse? For several reasons, I'm starting this special interest topic. I just read that James is now working with individuals and families at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in a first episode/early onset psychosis outpatient clinic. Dan, do I remember correctly that you expressed a particular interest here? Recently, I've been reviewing Michael White's writings on psychotic experiences while [...]
Narrative therapy often highlights distinctions from other models of psychotherapy. For those of you new (or relatively new) to narrative therapy: What stands out to you as apparent differences? What peaks your curiosity? Do you have questions for folks with experience practicing in these ways? For more experienced narrative practitioners: if you have practiced in other ways, what is your first hand experience with what might make narrative therapy distinct from other approaches to psychotherapy, [...]
(Before responding, please listen to the brief radio interview with Jill Freedman in the aftermath of the tragic Sandyhook School shooting in Connecticut in December, 2012. In this brief radio interview, Jill Freedman does a remarkable job showing how narratively-oriented questions can contribute to the public dialogue. What stood out to you about Jill's questions? Did you notice anything different about Jill's narratively oriented questions from other approaches to trauma recovery? How [...]
(Before responding to this question, please be sure to read the brief 1999 interview with Kaethe Weingarten conducted by Vicki Dickerson that gives an excellent brief overview of the history of narrative therapy, and of the distinctions from other models of family therapy. Click here to review the interview.) After reading this article, what contribution does this interview offer to your understandings of narrative therapy? What stands out to you about the history of narrative [...]
As you read through the abundance of materials in the first section, "What is narrative therapy?", 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? - When did [...]
Who are our intellectual ancestors? What kinds of developments have influenced the ideas guiding narrative therapy? Before joining this conversation, please review the materials in the second lesson Narrative Therapy: Foundations & Key Concepts (here). a brief orientation to postmodern approaches as a cultural phenomenon impacting the fields of philosophy, architecture, literature, music and other expressive arts. situating narrative practice as a development not only within the field of family therapy but rooted in post-structrualist philosophy, literary theory [...]
Peggy Sax Those of us who had the privilege of knowing Michael White can remember how often he used the word “Joy.” Here is what he wrote about the joy he experienced reading Foucault: “Upon first reading Foucault on modern power, I experienced a special joy. This joy was in part due to his ability to unsettle what is taken-for-granted and routinely accepted, and to render the familiar strange and exotic. Apart from [...]
"Deconstruction & Therapy" was one of the first articles I ever read by Michael White. Here he outlines what later became more distilled into future writings, culminating in "Maps of Narrative Practice." Throughout the remainder of the course, we will focus on specific narrative practices that build on deconstruction. First...two questions: What intentions underpin our interest in unpacking discourses? What does "deconstruction" mean in the context of your work?
Are you able to find the lovely article by Chris Beels called, "Some Historical Conditions for narrative work," followed by the ongoing conversation with Chris about this article (<a href="https://reauthoringteaching.com/topic/b-historical-conditions-of-narrative-work/" target="_blank">here</a>)? Every time I feature Chris' article in a course, he responds enthusiastically. Whether through email or on the phone, I can"hear" him respond with a smile. Like most authors I know, Chris is so happy to know that his work is useful to us.. [...]
How is it that some stories have more space to exist than others? What do you notice about what helps alternative stories come into co-existence - and even prosper- in the presence of a dominant story?