Course Description

Narrative Practices & Queer Counseling offers eight lessons exploring strength-based narrative therapy in working with clients identified as LGBTQ+, their allies, and families. Issues include heterosexism and its discontents, privileging voices from the margins, navigating non-traditional relationships, intersexuality, and narrative approaches in the treatment of trauma. The course features topical readings, instructional videos, dyadic exercises, interactive padlets, and two full clinical sessions, one with an individual and the other with a couple. For an additional $40, registrants can earn 16 APA-approved CE credits through Alliant International University. For course objectives, see below.

Course Instructor, Charley Lang

Charley Lang has practiced as a narrative therapist for the past 25+ years and is co-founder of Narrative Counseling Center in Los Angeles, working with a wide diversity of clients, including many queer-identified individuals, couples, families, and their allies. An actor in his previous life (The West Wing, ER, Star Trek: The Next Generation, NYPD Blue, among others…), Charley has produced and directed three award-winning documentary films. He is director of the Psychology Concentration at Antioch University Los Angeles where he teaches numerous psychology courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level. This offering, Queer Counseling and Narrative Practice, is an online version of one of his most popular courses at Antioch.

Course Objectives

Participants will:

  1. Articulate an understanding of heterosexism and its marginalizing effects on LGBTQ-identified individuals;
  2. Explore the underlying assumptions and beginning practices of strength-based narrative therapy in nurturing preferred LGBTQ identities;
  3. Demonstrate an ability to reflect on the broader political, psychological and sociological issues impacting many LGBTQ persons through reading, videos, and online quiz.
  4. Demonstrate an understanding of the guiding values of narrative therapy approaches to psychotherapy.
  5. List seveal values and practices of narrative therapy through a lens of LGBTQ awareness and social justice action.

Registration

Sliding Fee Structure

Course tuition and donations fund our website and community development. We offer tiered pricing to make our courses accessible while sustaining our Narrative Therapy community.

Re-Authoring Teaching Members receive a 10% discount on all rates. Sign up for a membership here.

Please select the highest rate you can afford:

  • Subsidized Rate: $120 ($108 for RT Members)
    For those facing financial barriers, including international exchange rates
  • Sustaining Rate: $240 ($216 for RT Members)
    Helps cover course production and website costs
  • Patron Rate: $350 ($315 for RT Members)
    Provides additional support for community resources
  • Donation: Any amount to support our nonprofit’s future development

Contact us for group rates (6+), higher education pricing, or if you need further fee reduction.

Continuing Education Credits

Mental health professionals can earn 16 APA-approved CEs through Alliant International University for an additional $40 fee.

To earn credits:

  1. Pass the end-of-course quiz
  2. Complete the Alliant evaluation
  3. Submit via our Contact form

We’ll email your certificate upon completion.

After Purchase

  • You’ll receive an email with your course access link
  • You’ll have opportunities to contribute your reflections and questions on each lesson

Lesson Descriptions

Lesson 1: Setting the Stage

This lesson begins with Charley briefly introducing the course and himself, as well as the values guiding a narrative approach to therapeutic conversations. We share the newest feature, “Padlets,” which allows you to contribute your voice to the course.

Lesson 2: Heterosexism and Its Discontents

 Lesson 2 highlights the importance of language in identity development through the articles Where the Bastard Lies, Up the Steep Side of the Queer Learning Curve, Resisting Normativity, and the exercise Exploring Hereosexism.

Lesson 3: Engaging Fluid Practices

Lesson 3 begins by identifying numerous fluid practices foundational in narrative work, followed by an article highlighting these practices in a community setting and a live client interview featuring narrative practices in action.

Lesson 4: Deconstructing Dominant Discourses

The practice of identifying and evaluating oppressive cultural discourses underlies each of the offerings in this lesson. Discourses of masculinity and gender identity are unpacked in the short video on the film Moonlight and Moneira’s story, A Woman of Culture. Jake challenges a dominant, powerful discourse in Narrative Approaches in the Treatment of Trauma. Lesson 4 ends with an exercise inviting you to identify and evaluate a challenging discourse in your own life.

Lesson 5: Privileging Voices from the Margins

This lesson highlights voices from the margins and features the uniquely inspiring Alok, a gender non-conforming performance artist speaking truth to power, sexuality and gender identity. ‘Queer Lives and Spiritual Leanings’ addresses the oppressive effects of many religious beliefs on LGBTQ-identified individuals, along with alternative paths to spiritual re-connection. ’She-Male Rising’ and ’The Physics of Forbidden Love’ take us further into the unique experiences of folks navigating voices from the margins.

Lesson 6: More Voices from the Margins

Lesson 6 unpacks race and its effects on our non-white colleagues and clients, opens a window onto the intersex experience, engages support for conflicted parents, and celebrates a creative teen’s gender affirmation.

Lesson 7: Supporting Queer Couples, Expanding Community

 Lesson 7 presents a structure for beginning work with couples, followed by a live collaborative couple session and an insight into group work from a narrative perspective. The podcast that ends this lesson highlights community solidarity in the face of calamity.

Lesson 8: Wrapping Up

Lesson 8 celebrates our inherent resourcefulness beginning with the award-winning short documentary film, Live To Tell: The First Gay and Lesbian Prom in America, followed by an exercise (collaborative or solo) honoring queer preferences. We will see you in the reflection at the end of this lesson!

Building Interaction

Discovering Padlet

Want to connect with colleagues and share ideas with others taking this course? We’ve created interactive spaces using Padlet where you can connect with other students who share your interests and learning goals.

These collaborative spaces give you dynamic ways to learn from each other throughout the course. Browse what others have shared, add your own insights, and connect with potential collaborators. Jump in and make your voice heard – your fellow students are waiting to hear from you!

Thank you to everyone already participating and enriching our learning community.