Stories are how we know who we are, what matters to us, and where we belong. In society, it’s how we pass on wisdom, beliefs, lessons, meaning and belonging. As individuals, storytelling is how we internally and externally form, claim, and reinforce our identity by discerning what our experiences mean to us, where we fit in with others, and how that defines the person we are to both ourselves and to others.
Significant life challenges and traumatic experiences can cause the creation of deficit-based stories in which some individuals perceive themselves as having low value to self and others. The dominant narrative of substance use in society moralizes, marginalizes and criminalizes people who use certain types of drugs or use drugs problematically, bringing an additional burden of oppression and social isolation that exacerbates and further codifies the individual’s negative self-view. This deficit mindset interferes with progress in treatment by inhibiting an individual's ability to see alternative future realities and form new, more positive identities.
Narrative therapy is an evidence-based form of treatment developed by Michael White and David Epston in the 1980’s that shifted away from the more traditional focus on a person’s pathology to one based on the idea that people live their lives through stories—and those stories can be examined, deconstructed, and rewritten to support agency, dignity, and preferred identities. It is grounded in a social justice approach that seeks to disrupt dominant and deficit-based narratives through deconstructing “first” stories and supporting the creation of more positive “second” stories that better align with the individual’s personal values, strengths and goals. It treats the individual as the expert in their own life, centers dignity, autonomy, and agency, and opens up entirely new possibilities for the future. Though narrative therapy was originally designed for use by clinicians, this approach does not require a clinical background or credential to implement. However, participants should have training in working 1:1 with clients and at least 1-2 years of experience in these professional dyads.
This course will introduce the basic tenets of narrative therapy, help participants identify deficit-based stories in individuals, and immediately implement several strategies to support the re-storying process with their clients. A mix of didactic presentation and small and large group discussions will be paired with storytelling exercises that allow participants to experience a “lite” version of the re-storying process themselves. The facilitator will also share real-life examples from a decade of coaching and workshops helping people with substance use and mental health challenges re-story themselves and rewrite a better future - one that’s not focused on their pathology, but on their potential.
