2004: Issue 2 Archives - The Dulwich Centre

From Narrative Practice in Counselling to Narrative Practice in Research: A Professional Identity Story— Kathie Crocket

Dulwich — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 21:09:15 +0000

This article describes particular practices, learned in and for my work as a counsellor, which I called on as I produced myself as a researcher in undertaking a doctoral study. Both copying and originating, I wove into my research practice knowledges familiar to me from counselling practice. My account of becoming a researcher is a story of professional identity: it was my wish to practice research in ways that were congruent with the values that informed my counselling work. In this article, I describe how narrative ideas of storying, of constructing a club of one’s life, of migration of identity, were all useful tools to me as I learned and theorised and generated new practices in research. I show, too, some ways in which I grappled with interpreting the practice-research relation.

The post From Narrative Practice in Counselling to Narrative Practice in Research: A Professional Identity Story— Kathie Crocket appeared first on The Dulwich Centre.

Researching People’s Experience of Narrative Therapy: Acknowledging the Contribution of the ‘Client’ to What Works in Counselling Conversations— Amanda Redstone

Dulwich — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 21:06:57 +0000

This paper explores the possibility of developing a way of evaluating narrative therapy conversations that acknowledges clients’ contribution to ‘what works’ in counselling conversations, and at the same time contributes to further rich description of clients’ preferred stories of identity.

The post Researching People’s Experience of Narrative Therapy: Acknowledging the Contribution of the ‘Client’ to What Works in Counselling Conversations— Amanda Redstone appeared first on The Dulwich Centre.

The Getting of Wisdoms— Cate Ingram & Amaryll Perlesz

Dulwich — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 21:04:40 +0000

An action research project was conducted by a public family therapy agency, in Melbourne, Australia, to investigate the impact of the writing of client stories and the subsequent reading of these stories to others in similar circumstances. This paper describes some of the effects this process had on individuals and families who authored their ‘Wisdom Narratives’ in the hope of inspiring and supporting others. Going through the process of putting their story/struggle into words on paper enabled people to recognise their own agency and influence, while reading stories out loud back to the author engendered self-compassion. In conclusion, the creative process of penning narratives of change might now be considered as having an important impact in generating self-worth and sense of agency.

The post The Getting of Wisdoms— Cate Ingram & Amaryll Perlesz appeared first on The Dulwich Centre.

Re-positioning Traditional Research: Centring Clients’ Accounts in the Construction of Professional Therapy Knowledges— Stephen Gaddis

Dulwich — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 21:02:22 +0000

As a boy, I was subject to the ideas that therapists had about how to help me. In my experience, the ideas they used were not helpful to me and may have inadvertently created more suffering for my family and me. This experience and my interest in narrative therapy led me to want to challenge the sources that shape what therapists think is helpful for clients. One important source that constructs therapists’ ideas about therapy is research. One of my greatest concerns has to do with how traditional research practices privilege professionals’ interpretations and understanding over those of clients. I have attempted to re-consider therapy research so that its main purpose is to honour clients’ accounts of therapy. My hope is that this will enable us as therapists to be taught as much by clients as by other professionals. The research project I undertook resulted in the participants (i.e., ‘therapy clients’) reporting that their experience of the project helped them with the problems they struggled with in their lives and relationships. This was an outcome I had not anticipated but is quite exciting to consider.

The post Re-positioning Traditional Research: Centring Clients’ Accounts in the Construction of Professional Therapy Knowledges— Stephen Gaddis appeared first on The Dulwich Centre.

Narrative Therapy and Research

Dulwich — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 21:00:09 +0000

There are rich connections between narrative therapy and practices of research, and considering these links has been a source of creativity for many practitioners. This short piece seeks to describe how narrative therapy first began to be described as co-research, and describes some of the common research practices that are engaged with by narrative therapists. This piece also considers the powerful challenges that Indigenous researchers are making to the field of research. This paper has been collaboratively created. Marilyn O’Neill, Shona Russell, Makungu Akinyela, Helen Gremillion, David Epston, Vanessa Jackson and Michael White all responded to the questions listed below, and David Denborough then wove their responses into a final form.

The post Narrative Therapy and Research appeared first on The Dulwich Centre.

Stories from Robben Island: A Report from a Journey of Healing— David Denborough

Dulwich — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 20:58:07 +0000

A three-day gathering on Robben Island, South Africa, organised by the Institute for the Healing of Memories and the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre, brought participants together from many different parts of the world to share stories and ideas about the healing of memories and ways to address histories of trauma. This paper describes some of the principles and practices of healing which shaped this meeting. It describes the structure of story-telling and reflection that occurred, and includes a number of stories, reflections and the lyrics of songs to convey the experience.

The post Stories from Robben Island: A Report from a Journey of Healing— David Denborough appeared first on The Dulwich Centre.

A Letter to the Feminism Project— co-ordinated by Shona Russell, Maggie Carey & Cheryl White

Dulwich — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 20:55:58 +0000

The paper, ‘Feminism, therapy and narrative ideas – Exploring some not so commonly asked questions’, compiled by Shona Russell and Maggie Carey, was published in an earlier edition of the International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work (2003 #2) and heralded the beginning of an ongoing project on this theme. Subsequent articles by Judy Wright (2003): ‘Considering issues of domestic violence and abuse in palliative care and bereavement settings’; and ‘The Mother-Daughter Project: cocreating pro-girl, pro-mother culture through adolescence and beyond’ by SuEllen Hamkins, Renee Schultz et al. (2003), represent ongoing explorations of these issues.

If you were not a subscriber to the International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work in 2003 it is possible to receive back issues (just contact your local distributer). A number of these feminist-informed papers are also available on the Dulwich Centre website: www.dulwichcentre.com.au

The post A Letter to the Feminism Project— co-ordinated by Shona Russell, Maggie Carey & Cheryl White appeared first on The Dulwich Centre.

Narrative Maps of Practice: Proposals for the Deconstructing Addiction League— Anthony C.

Dulwich — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 20:51:19 +0000

This paper invites therapists to consider establishing community resources informed by narrative practices as a way of challenging the culture of consumption and assisting those trying to revise their use of substances. The paper also discusses a range of specific proposals as to how various narrative maps of practice can be used to deconstruct addiction. This paper was given as a keynote address at Dulwich Centre’s inaugural Summer School of Narrative Practice, in Adelaide, South Australia, in November 2003. It was heralded by those present as both a call to action and a creative engagement with narrative ideas. The presentation has been adapted slightly for publication here.

The post Narrative Maps of Practice: Proposals for the Deconstructing Addiction League— Anthony C. appeared first on The Dulwich Centre.

Town Bikes Unite— Linette Harriott

Dulwich — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 20:47:51 +0000

Written by a counsellor in an Australian Centre Against Sexual Assault, this paper questions the attitudes of the dominant culture to women who are sexually prolific. It also explores the links for some women between experiences of sexual assault and subsequent prolific sexual activity. By questioning the effects of dominant attitudes towards women’s sexuality and by inviting therapists and researchers to explore the meanings that women give to their own experiences of sexuality, this paper offers new challenges to the counselling field.

The post Town Bikes Unite— Linette Harriott appeared first on The Dulwich Centre.