April 16, 2023 Collab Salon: Remembering Michael 15 Years Later

Walter Bera is the Founder of the Kenwood Therapy Center, a Narrative Therapy based clinic and training center in Minneapolis, and home of Narrative Books – North America. Over the years, he got to know Michael well as the sponsor for his frequent Minneapolis training assignments. Now in retirement in Austin Texas, Walter is completing his research, writing, video and other personal and professional projects. In addition to being an active grandparent, he enjoys his return to his martial arts, Zen Buddhist and creative interests and projects. You can keep up with Walter on his personal website www.walterbera.net and on his YouTube Channel: Sensei Bera.

Maggie Carey  a close associate of Michael’s, was a founding member of Narrative Practices Adelaide (NPA), the center Michael started in 2008, just a few months before his untimely death. Alongside her colleagues Shona Russell and Rob Hall, she was involved in the teaching of narrative therapy and community work for many years, both in Australia and internationally. Prior to the establishment of NPA, Maggie was a cherished member of the Dulwich Centre teaching faculty. Now retired, Maggie thoroughly enjoys engaging with her home, gardens, family, and community in Adelaide, S. Australia.

David Epston (Auckland, New Zealand) is the co-founder of narrative therapy alongside Michael White. He brings a sense of wonder, adventure and innovation to his conversations and collaborations. What makes a good question? What guides inquiry in narrative therapy? What are some narrative lines of inquiry? The collaboration between David and Michael began in the late 1970s, and continued for many years. David’s best known publications are White and Epston(1990), Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends; Freeman, Epston and Lobovits(1997), Playful Approaches to Serious Problems: Narrative Therapy with Children and their Families and Maisel, Epston and Borden(2004), Biting The Hand That Starves You: Inspiring Resistance to Anorexia/Bulimia, Narrative Therapy in Wonderland.

Jan Ewing (San Diego, California) founded Narrative Initiative San Diego (NISD) with a focus on training Marriage & Family Therapy (MFT) trainees and interns in Narrative Therapy practices in an integrated healthcare setting. With close to 30 years of clinical experience, she trained directly with Michael White. She has been the director of two university-based counseling clinics and is a full-time faculty in the MFT Graduate Program at San Diego State University. In addition to directing the clinical work at NISD, she sees clients in her private practice, Narrative Health Initiatives, where she considers the intersection of physiology and mental health.

Jill Freedman (Chicago, US) has been engaging with narrative ideas and practices since before narrative therapy had a name. As co-directors of Evanston Family Therapy Center, she and her partner, Gene Combs, hosted Michael White many times over the years for small-group workshops and consultations. These learning experiences continue to nurture and sustain their work. Their books—Narrative Therapy: The Social Construction of Preferred Realities and Narrative therapy with couples… and a whole lot more! along with more than 30 papers and book chapters focus on narrative ideas and practices. As well as teaching in Evanston Family Therapy Center programs, she teaches in many other contexts including the Masters program in narrative therapy and community work offered by the University of Melbourne and Dulwich Centre in Australia. She also has a therapy and supervision practice.

Rob Hall (Adelaide, Australia), a social worker, has worked in the area of gender violence and abuse since 1980. Rob and Michael  White were cycling buddies and close friends.  In 2008, Michael invited Rob to be an associate with his Adelaide Narrative Therapy Centre.  Together with Michael’s associates Maggie Carey & Shona Russell, they formed Narrative Practices Adelaide after Michael’s untimely death.  

Sarah Hughes works as a Couple and and Family Therapist in Nelson, BC Canada.  She was introduced to Narrative ideas through her work as the North American Distributor of Dulwich Publications throughout the 1990’s.  She got the privilege of attending many of Michael White’s training and got inspired to do this kind of work herself.  Along the way she also met many of Michael’s colleagues and friends who have helped her feed her passion for this work.

Peggy Sax (Cornwall, Vermont), the founder and Executive Director of Re-authoring Teaching, carries a steadfast commitment to preserving, developing, and extending the legacy of narrative therapy. With the help of others, she created the Building on Michael White’s Legacy Community Project which has three parts: Looking Back, Initiatives Honoring Michael’s Intentions, and Re-imagining Narrative Therapy. Peggy loves to collaborate with colleagues across narrative generations, co-creating quality training materials and together building a narrative learning community. Having apprenticed herself to narrative therapy since the early 1990s, Peggy also works in independent practice as a Licensed Psychologist, consultant, international teacher, and international trainer. 

Gaye Stockell (Sydney, Australia) started her exploration of narrative ideas and practices several decades ago in Sydney, whilst working in community mental health services. Working in partnership with Marilyn O’Neil, she introduced narrative conversations to people experiencing severe mental illness concerns and as a new approach to therapeutic group work.