Can narrative practices be used to respond to injustice and social suffering? Can they spark and sustain social action? In response to these questions, this book offers stories from Australia, Uganda, Zimambwe, Turkey, Kurdistan, Myanmar, Spain, and West Papua. Along the way, David Denborough brings new thinking tools to the field of narrative practice by drawing on the writings of feminist economists, narrative media scholars, social movement theorists and others. This book introduces new concepts such as 'unexpected solidarities' and expands on existing concepts such as 'enabling people to speak through us not just to us'. It also traces histories - of collective narrative practice in general and the Tree of Life narrative approach in particular - to assist practitioners in diverse contexts to continue to invent, diversify and democratise the field of narrative practice. David Denborough is a community worker, writer, songwriter and teacher at Dulwich Centre. He also coordinates the Master of Narrative Therapy and Community Work at the University of Melbourne.

This book introduces a range of hopeful methodologies to respond to individuals, groups and communities who are experiencing hardship. These approaches are deliberately easy to engage with and can be used with children, young people and adults. The methodologies described include: Collective narrative documents, Enabling contributions through exchanging messages and convening definitional ceremonies, The Tree of Life: responding to vulnerable children, The Team of Life: giving young people a sporting chance, Checklists of social and psychological resistance, Collective narrative timelines, Maps of history, and Songs of sustenance. To illustrate these approaches, stories are shared from Australia, Southern Africa, Israel, Ireland, USA, Palestine, Rwanda and elsewhere. This book also breaks new ground in considering how responding to trauma also involves responding to social issues. How can our work contribute not only to 'healing' but also to 'social movement'? As we work with the stories of people's lives can we contribute to the remaking of folk culture? And is it possible to move beyond the dichotomy of individualism/collectivism? Collective narrative practices are now being engaged with in many different parts of the world. This book invites the reader to engage with these approaches in their own ways.

The Art of Narrative Psychiatry is the first book to comprehensively show narrative psychiatry in action. Lively and engaging, it offers psychiatrists and psychotherapists detailed guidance in collaborative narrative approaches to healing.

BOOKER PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A novel that follows a middle-aged man as he contends with a past he never much thought about—until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance: one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present. A novel so compelling that it begs to be read in a single setting, The Sense of an Ending has the psychological and emotional depth and sophistication of Henry James at his best, and is a stunning achievement in Julian Barnes's oeuvre. Tony Webster thought he left his past behind as he built a life for himself, and his career has provided him with a secure retirement and an amicable relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, who now has a family of her own. But when he is presented with a mysterious legacy, he is forced to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world.

Powerful ideas from narrative therapy can teach us how to create new life stories and promote change. Our lives and their pathways are not fixed in stone; instead they are shaped by story. The ways in which we understand and share the stories of our lives therefore make all the difference. If we tell stories that emphasize only desolation, then we become weaker. If we tell our stories in ways that make us stronger, we can soothe our losses and ease our sorrows. Learning how to re-envision the stories we tell about ourselves can make an enormous difference in the ways we live our lives. Drawing on wisdoms from the field of narrative therapy, this book is designed to help people rewrite and retell the stories of their lives. The book invites readers to take a new look at their own stories and to find significance in events often neglected, to find sparkling actions that are often discounted, and to find solutions to problems and predicaments in unexpected places. Readers are introduced to key ideas of narrative practice like the externalizing problems - 'the person is not the problem, the problem is the problem' -and the concept of "re-membering" one's life. Easy-to-understand examples and exercises demonstrate how these ideas have helped many people overcome intense hardship and will help readers make these techniques their own. The book also outlines practical strategies for reclaiming and celebrating one's experience in the face of specific challenges such as trauma, abuse, personal failure, grief, and aging. Filled with relatable examples, useful exercises, and informative illustrations, Retelling the Stories of Our Lives leads readers on a path to reclaim their past and re-envision their future.

Social workers draw on a variety of theoretical perspectives to inform their practice and understand the diverse settings in which they work. Social Work: From Theory to Practice explores practice theories through the discipline's unique interpretive lens and demonstrates how these can be understood and enacted by practitioners in human services settings. This third edition includes new material on trauma-informed practice and Indigenous practice, as well as enhanced content relating to child protection and family violence, and narrative approaches. New practitioner reflections and case studies illustrate how theory influences practice and facilitates change. Thought-provoking case study discussion questions prompt students to reflect on key concepts and develop strategies for practice. Highly readable and engaging, Social Work: From Theory to Practice builds a strong foundation for theoretically informed practice. This text enables practitioners to develop the skills required to confidently and critically evaluate their work as they respond in complex practice contexts.

Life story work is a term often used to describe an approach that helps looked after and adopted children to talk and learn about their life experiences with the help of a trusted adult. This book is an essential step-by-step guide for carers and professionals seeking to carry out life story work with a traumatised or vulnerable child in their care. Underpinned by positive psychology and drawing on up-to-date research and real-life practice, the book offers a sound theoretical understanding of life story work as well as a practical and easy-to-use programme of sessions. Each session covers the equipment and information needed, a consideration of who is best placed to carry out the work, and answers to commonly raised questions. Also discussed are age-appropriate approaches and ideas for extending each session into other activities and methods to make it more feasible for life story work to be a shared activity between two or three adults who know the child well. This book gives professionals and carers the confidence to carry out life story work in a way that is sensitive to the child’s needs and positive for their self-perception and relationships.

This book is a comprehensive introduction to social constructionist ideas and their application within the psychological therapies. Whether you are a trainee or qualified therapist, this book will support you to think about therapy as a socially constructed and relational process, and to develop as a more culturally, socially and politically aware practitioner. It advocates for ‘therapist activists’ who understand the interplay between the micro and the macro in therapeutic contexts and debunks the idea of the ‘isolated client’ to examine how broader societal conditions create problems for the individual. Chapters are designed to engage, offering a variety of features to support learning, including: - Introductory and concluding chapter summaries - Textboxes summarising content & spotlighting key information - Case studies and vignettes throughout - Reflective questions & thought-provoking exercises - Recommended Further Reading. This book has wide applicability, with author affiliations across both North and South America - the University of New Hampshire in the US and the Federal University of Uberlandia in Brazil.

Life story work allows care-experienced and adopted young people to understand their histories and come to terms with their feelings about the past. This accessible guide helps therapists and social care professionals to develop their skills to support children and families through their life story journey. It builds on the fundamental 6-step model for practice to incorporate elements from a variety of therapeutic approaches, from DDP to creative therapies. Theoretical explanations, case vignettes, and practical suggestions provide guidance on practice-based issues in life story work, such as working with parent/carer-child dyads, incorporating a birth family perspective, talking about traumatic stories, managing endings and constructing the life story book. Essential reading for anyone undertaking life story work, this guide enhances a time-tested model with up-to-date research and new ideas for overcoming the most common challenges practitioners face when delivering life story work.