Advanced Narrative Skills Development

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours per 12.5 credit point subject

To enrol in this subject, you must be admitted in MC-NTCW. This subject is not available for students admitted in any other courses.

Introductory knowledge gained from prior narrative therapy study is recommended background knowledge.

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the Course Overview, Objectives and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this course are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Student Equity and Disability Support Team: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

In this subject, students acquire skills in engaging with ten key practice maps of narrative therapy (externalising, re-authoring, re-membering, definitional ceremony, documentation, absent but implicit, failure conversations map, responding to trauma, engagement with folk cultural metaphors [tree of life/team of life/kite of life], enabling contribution/social action). They also develop skills in analysing and evaluating the effects of their use of these maps of practice and in proposing alternative questions/lines of enquiry in therapeutic and/or collective practice.

Students who complete this subject will be able to:

• Employ narrative conversational skills in relation to key practice maps in skills based exercises and in one’s own local context.
• Develop reflexive position in relation to one’s own practice to enable micro-analysis and questioning of one’s own use of narrative practices and to distinguish and differentiate where one’s own practice is located on various maps of narrative practice.
• Compare and evaluate the questions one used in practice and propose alternative / supplementary questions and/or lines of enquiry to those currently used.

1. A recorded interview of 15 minutes with a 1000 word written reflection

• Timing of Assessment - Mid semester
• Assessment % - 30

2. A recorded interview of 15 minutes with a 1000 word written reflection

• Timing of Assessment - End of semester
• Assessment % - 30

3. Written reflections (6 x 1000 words)

• Timing of Assessment - Due fortnightly
• Assessment % - 40

4. Client contact record (500 words)

• Timing of Assessment - Due end of semester
• Assessment % - Hurdle requirement

• White, M. (2007). Maps of Narrative Practice. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
• Russell, S. & Carey, M. (2004). Narrative therapy: Responding to your questions. Adelaide: Dulwich Centre Publications.
• Denborough, D. (2008). Collective narrative practice: Responding to individuals, groups and communities who have experienced trauma. Adelaide: Dulwich Centre Publications.
• White, M. (1995) (Ed.) Re-authoring lives: Interviews and essays. Adelaide: Dulwich Centre Publications.
• White, M. (2000). Reflections on narrative practice: Essays and interviews. Adelaide: Dulwich Centre Publications.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.