Narrative-Invitational Approaches to Working with Men who use Violence

What makes a story? Why does story matter in personal and communal identities? What kinds of stories support a person’s preferred journey through life? And what kinds interrupt that journey? These and other questions will be thoroughly explored in this week-long adventure into the ideas and skills of a narrative approach.

 

The following maps of narrative practice will be outlined – Externalising the Problem (‘the person is not the problem; the problem is the problem); Statement of Position Map (Invitations to ‘take a position’ on the predicaments in a person’s life in light of what is valued); Reauthoring Map (a teasing out of the ideas and skills that support a ‘rich and thick’ alternative story); Re-membering practices (looking into relational identity and trying out skills that bring into focus the contributions of significant persons, places and things). The use of documents and media as ways of ‘capturing he said from the saying’ will also be explored.

 

This invigorating workshop will also invite the sharing of passages of work and transcripts from the presenter and participants. While mornings will be spent in teaching and conversation, afternoons will settle into intensive hands-on reflective practice of skills.

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