Through a range of audio, video, text and teaching tales, the first self-paced course in this series explores Contemporary Narrative Therapy, an emergent approach distinguishable from Classical Narrative Therapy (1985-2008).  Building on collaborations  between narrative therapy co-founders Michael White and David Epston,  this foundational course explores both the craft and art of narrative therapy. We review and illustrate such foundational practices as  Learning through the heart and soul of questions, getting to know a person’s uniqueness, Counter-storying, letter-writing, and playful approaches & imaginative knowhow.  Illustrations  include a close look at the Sebastian interview and transforming anxiety to bravery with Lyle’s story. Check out this brief introduction to the Art of Narrative Inquiry. For an additional $25, registrants can earn 12 APA approved CE credits through Alliant International University.

Participants will: 

1. 1. Gain an understanding of Contemporary Narrative Therapy as approach to narrative inquiry that David Epston has been developing with colleagues over the past 15 years.
   2. Identify how Contemporary Narrative Therapy aspires to embody Michael White’s spirit and his approach to the artistry of practice.
   3. Become familiar with internalized other interviewing as pedagogy for teaching the craft and art of narrative inquiry.
   4. Synthesize an understanding of and engagement with thinking with stories.
   5. Articulate five key contemporary narrative practices.
   6. Identify aspects of a process of narrative questioning in at least one of two illustrations.

David Epston (Auckland, New Zealand) David Epston, co-founder of narrative therapy alongside Michael white, 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, as 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.

For more information, please review: David Epston: Improvisations, innovations and collaborations.

Kay Ingamells M.S.W., (Auckland, New Zealand) has been working with individuals, children, young people and families since 1990. Kay began her career working with troubled young people and children in residential care and in specialist agencies,  then spent nine years working in child and adolescent mental health. For the past ten years she has lectured in narrative therapy in higher education at undergraduate and post-graduate level and has been running a private therapy and counselling practice for children, families, young people and adults. For the last 12 years she has been supervised by the co-inventor of Narrative Therapy, David Epston, and has taught alongside David for the last 5 years. Kay has published several articles. She is currently writing and presenting about her apprenticeship with David Epston. She also provides one-on-one and group training called ‘Training Through Transcripts’, to narrative practitioners committed to bringing David’s practices into their own work.

If you have already registered, click here to access the course: