Narrative Notes ... from 2012

Recently when tidying up my resources, I came across some notes I made at some narrative training at the Dulwich Centre a couple of years ago. I believe that I intended to print these out and keep them close by in practice. I'd like to share some of my notes:

• Active listening is not enough: move people to places of change and be accountable.
• Discover what is not known and familiar.
• The ideas of "norms" can be diminishing: who established them anyway?
• Consider the politics of people's lives: culture, gender, class... away from the individual.
• A good story is about a number of events strung together over time.
• Research different stories other than the dominant story.
• Look at "the problem" rather than be defined by /as "the problem."
• Relationships are multi-storied.
• When people come to us "in consultation," they come with or are accompanied by problem-saturated stories.
• Be a supportive audience rather than empathic.
• Empathic responses come from "the expert."
• Be invitational rather than interpretive.
• Be curious & inquisitive!