Workshops

1) CHITTER-CHATTER - The 8 Habits of Highly Effective Problems: Externalizing Internalized Cultural Dialogues.

The workshop highlights Stephen's groundbreaking therapeutic work on interviewing our internalized language habits of self-surveillance, fear, shame, anger, guilt, negative imagination/negative comparison and hopelessness. Stephen discusses our internalized cultural chitter-chatter which he percieves as the primary influence supporting of problems such as situational depression, anxiety, trauma, couple conflict, alcohol and drug use, disordered eating and more.

The workshop reviews the 'secret' cultural language of internalized problem communications, the killiing stories that are told, and the systems of support that shape this talk. Stephen offers participants a deconstructive questioning method he calls narrative therapy 'counter-viewing' as a response to the suffering created by internalized problem conversations. The workshop is taught through narrative therapy and post-structural theory, live therapy practice demonstrations and a step-by-step videotape review of Stephen's work.

2) Narrative Ideas and Therapeutic Practice - situating theory into practice

Since narrative therapy is not informed by psychological theory, the workshop sets out to carefully explain the poststructural/theoretical ideas located within the six key concepts involved in the practice of narrative therapy. Discussed is the foundational practice work of Michael White and David Epston and the theoretical ideas of philosopher-historians Michel Foucault and Pierre Bordieu, linguist Mikhail Bakhtin, the cultural work of the Just Therapy Team, folk psychologist Jerome Bruner, feminist Nancy Fraser and anthropologists Barbara Myerhoff, Clifford Geertz, Victor Turner - and others.

The workshop then outlines how Epston and White used postructural theory to explain the six key concepts that form the practice map of narrative therapy. Stephen shows participants how the theory shows up within narrative therapy's understanding of, 1) the landscapes of action and identity, 2) externalizing conversations, 3) unique outcomes, 4) re-remembering conversations, 5) therapeutic letter writing, and 6) outsider witness teams.

Throughout the workshop participants are guided through a step-by-step practice map of narrative therapy and shown how all the practice and theory bits fit together. This is done through a microanalysis of Stephen's live interviews and numerous DVD examples.

3) ADVANCED NARRATIVE THERAPY WORKSHOP

The advance workshop explores the history and significance of narrative therapy questions by highlighting the 'logic' behind why certain questions are asked and at ehat time during the therapeutic relationship. The workshop pays particular attention to each participant's use of narrative therapy questions while examining the relational complexities and linguistic structures of the narrative therapy interview. The workshop also reviews ways for therapists to keep therapeutic conversations congruent while under the influence of the surrounding cultural politic.

The advance workshop is designed for therapists and counselors who have narrative therapy training and wish to find was to reinvigorate the rigour, imagination, elegance and flow of their narrative therapy craft.

4) NARRATIVE THERAPY PRACTICES OF THE WRITTEN WORD

Therapeutic Letters, Therapeutic Letter Writing Campaigns and the Development of Insider Leagues.

The workshop discusses the history, method, structure and utility of therapeutic letter writing in narrative therapy. Stephen also highlights his expansion on the idea of letter writing by way of therapeutic letter writing campaigns, ‘summits of re-membering’ and the creation of communities of concern. He outlines a narrative therapy practice of reconstituting identity by bringing community letter writers together with the client to read, re-read and reflect. The therapeutic session produces an 'anti-file' of alternative constructions of identity, story, prefered memory and enriched future predictions.

Stephen will also talk about the creation of client and family based insider leagues, presenting workshops to professionals alongside insider league members, and the development of insider league teaching DVD’s. The insider DVD's outline their local knowledges about the experience of problem lifestyles, the limits of professional systems, and problem resolution.

The workshop is taught through narrative therapy and post-structural theory, a range of insider and other video consultations and live therapy practice demonstrations.

5) SLIM CHANCE

Undermining Anorexia and Bulimia with Narrative Therapy

Eating disorders are complex issues that can at times defeat therapists and entire therapy teams. The workshop teaches participants unique ways to understand the multifarious languages, history, practice and rituals of anorexic and bulimic lifestyles.

Stephen demonstrates his wildly novel therapeutic work with people struggling with a/b (as well as binge eating and obesity) through close attention to narrative therapy questions, letter writing practices, the formation of Anti-anorexia leagues and working with multiple family groups. He will demonstrate a collaborative working style with psychiatric, family, hospital, school, and social work systems.

The workshop highlights a series of beautiful ‘insider client' interviews/consultations and a microanalysis of videotaped sessions. Stephen explains his theory and practice positions on a/b through the wide reaching influences of culture, education, sexuality, family, gender training, media, and religion.

6) NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN NARRATIVE THERAPY INTERVIEWING

Questions, possibility and resolution

Participants learn the art of narrative therapy interviewing through a thoughtful STEP-BY-STEP narrative interviewing structure. The workshop explores the history and utility of narrative questions, and the importance of asking imaginative and rigorous therapeutic questions through fields of felt compassion. The participant's therapeutic skills progress rapidly by learning simple ways to craft and understand complex questions (pertinent to working with different presenting problems concerning individuals, couples, families and groups). The rich development of therapeutic questions and their influence over problems are analyzed through the use of videotapes, live therapy demostrations, transcripts, and therapeutic letters.

7) THE BURDEN OF INDIVIDUALISM AND THE PSYCHO-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Undoing pscho-normativity and other forms of therapeutic violence

The workshop analyses the ethical burdens we place on clients, therapists and communities through the individualist ideas we ask clients, therapists and their relational communities to commit to.

The workshop raises questions regarding structures that support notions of ‘psycho-normativity' (DSM IV), the psycho-industrial complex (Big pharma, HMO's, evidenced based unsustainable continuos economic growth), and the subsequent limitations these individualist ideas place on the people who participate on both sides of the therapeutic process. The workshop discusses how much larger problems can result when individualizing ideas are forced into the forefront of therapy, community work, supervision and policy-making. The workshop is experience based and discussed through a range of therapeutic DVD's, live practice interviews and participant interaction.

8) EMBRACING THE POSSIBLE

Close up interviewing with difficult problems and imaginative clients

This practice based intensive workshop involves working wih Stephen on one specific therapeutic issue. In the past Stephen has worked with agencies and specialized interested groups around the practice, theory and most recent developments in narrative therapy within the areas of violence, sexual abuse, trauma, alcohol and drug use, youth and children, couple conflict, mediation and family therapy.

To find out more about contracting Stephen for these workshops please contact yft@telus.net