Over the last several months with the support of the Mental Health Services. Aalborg University Hospital, Christoffer Haugaard and David Epston have been applying the same methodology e.g. co-researching that led to Maisel, Epston and Borden(2004): Biting the Hand that Starves You: Inspiring Resistance to Anorexia/Bulimia(New York, WWNorton).  Responding to a request to invent a narrative therapy-inspired approach to the so-called 'chronic mentally ill', they prefer the term 'those who are spoken to by voices'. This approach takes up where Michael White left off in the 1990s with the 'power to our journeys' approach. The image is copyright by artist Magda Hertzberg.

Have you seen anyone spending extraordinary hours working in isolation with the best of intentions, being fueled by expectations or a sense of obligation/responsibility even though the initial fuel was un-mistakably passion, curiosity, creativity and/or social justice? We have a suspicion that Machinalization of human beings today is never a personal problem but a globally witnessed/experienced phenomenon that could potentially have life-suffocating, or even life-threatening effects on our lives. The summit started with Sumie Ishikawa’s sharing her ‘insider experiences’ and her hope-generating discoveries as to how we could possibly co-resist Machinalization, followed by Amy Druker interviewing Sumie and an outsider witness. Participants were invited to join in a group discussion, where taken-for-granted Machinalizing discourses and practices that are woven into the capitalistic structure of modern society can be called into question. Let’s imagine together small acts of co-resistance so that the human part of us can survive and thrive in this Machinalizing time we live in today!

Sarah Kahn & Sol D’Urso reflected on their experiences co-facilitating a narrative consultation/supervision group in San Diego, CA that seeks to address social justice issues by tending to the politics of knowledge and power in supervisory experience. During this salon, they shared the guiding principles and practices that inform their work. These principles include: 1) positioning knowledge as discourse: using the skills of deconstruction and transparency; 2) co-constructed knowledges: valuing perspectives of supervisees and clients; 3) the use of questions verses directives, 4) valuing expansive conversations, and 5) promoting discursive agency. Guided through questions, Sarah and Sol explored what resonance these principles have in participants' own life and work experience and invited us to consider ways to cultivate a social justice ethic in supervisory experience.

The Ummeed Team will discuss using narrative practices when working with young people experiencing developmental disabilities and their families. Using examples from practice we will share how we are adapting the ideas with young people who have diverse ways of expressing themselves in preferred identity development, navigating various systems of power in preferred ways and in making possible family-centred care, where caregivers and children become partners in the journey of therapy.

Daniel Angus will introduce us to PetSpace, The Headspace Primary Care and Youth Early Psychosis Program in Western Sydney, which has developed an innovative interspecies mental health program that offers a narrative informed therapy partnering with a variety of dogs, cats, horses and parrots as well as with humans. Young people registered in this program have learned how to support animals who are experiencing mental or physical health problems and in turn they learn about themselves by reflecting on their experience as an animal helper. Helping dogs experiencing anxiety or parrots who self harm have led to a variety of outcomes including the development of interspecies coping strategies, friendships among participants and reduced mental health symptoms for human helpers and animals. Working on a forthcoming book on interspecies communication, Jenny Freeman will respond to Dan's presentation as well as share a tale from her manuscript.

Chris Darmody ( Perth, Australia) will present Narrative Walks -a hope-based, depathologising outdoor program that was developed to engage with populations that may not be drawn to conventional methods of therapy. This structured day program encourages participants to explore 15 narrative therapy questions, and to engage in a number of other activities during a 20 kilometre walk through the bush. The program invites different perspectives on problem stories, and offers walking as a narrative metaphor. Chris will outline his own hopes for the future development of Narrative Walks as a program transferable to many people and lands.

Through our Re-woman project we are hoping to empower women to live in their preferred ways. In Russia the ideas are strong that "we are different from the West, as women had equal opportunities throughout the Soviet times". However, stats and practices are showing this is not the case. Through our meetings and interviews with women we are deconstructing the ideas around leadership and exploring the ways to lead. 

Problem stories are not equal. Some stories dirty and mar persons’ identities and these stories seem to have a particularly gripping effect in their lives. In the face of such marring and gripping problems stories, not just any story will do. We need to tell stories in our work that powerfully counter the damaging effects of gripping problem stories through practices that seek out the restorative power of beauty. Sanni and Tom shares some of the recent developments in their work that seek to restore the beauty and dignity of persons lives through the use of poetry, art, and performance.