Documents & Audiences
Image from Shaun Tan’s book – The Red Tree
One of the early defining characteristics of narrative therapy was the creative use of documentation or the written word.
In this video presentation, David Newman describes the ways in which he is using living documents with young people in an inpatient ward.
Further reading: Here is an earlier paper by David Newman describing his use of the written work within narrative therapeutic practice: Rescuing the said from the saying of it by David NewmanThis paper illustrates how we can use four different categories of document. Examples of each of the following documents are offered and the author also shares some of his experiences, dilemmas and learnings in creating therapeutic documentation.
Letters recording a session
Documents of knowledge and affirmation
News documents &
Documents to contribute to rites of passage
Using Therapeutic Documents Hugh Fox
Ncazelo Nucbe-Mlilo is a Zimbabwean psychologist and narrative therapist living and working in South Africa. Here, she introduces the ‘Narratives in the suitcase’ project which seeks to use journey metaphors and creative documentation to assist child refugees.
This work is inspired by the work of Glynis Clacherty and The Suitcase Project (see link below). It also draws upon ideas from Sherri Osborn.
In this paper we read responses to the following 8 questions.
1. What is meant by the term outsider witness? 2. Why is it important for there to be witnesses to preferred stories? 3. What is the history of these ideas and ways of working? 4. What are definitional ceremonies? 5. What sort of responses do outsider witnesses make? 6. What are some of the common hazards of outsider-witness practice and how can these be avoided? Do you have any helpful hints about these? 7. What are the different contexts in which outsider-witness work takes place? 8. What do you enjoy most about outsider-witness practices?
Marilyn O’Neill, Hugh Fox, Gaye Stockell, Anne Schober, Jeff Zimmerman, Emily Sued & Dirk Kotzé all provided material which Maggie Carey, Shona Russell compiled and which David Denborough’s editing and writing brought together in the following article.
Outsider Witness Practices Paper
For Reflection
What forms of documentation might be most relevant or resonant in your context? Are there particular ideas or practices you found within these materials you might draw on in your future meetings with people?
Have any of these questions got you hooked? Have you got another question you would like to pose to those joining you in this online learning? Please let us know below! Please include where you are writing from (City and Country). Thanks!
Moses
April 16, 2024My name is Moses. I come from Hong Kong and currently study at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. In the first half of the year, I am doing my placement at FLO, a program created for students who have low attendance, mental health disorders, family complexities, a lack of positive roles, and so on. I have observed that many students lack self-awareness, which is accompanied by diminishing self-value and self-blaming based on their hardships. The narrative therapy reminds me that I shall separate their personal and problem. “The problem is the problem” is a skill that I should facilitate to the students and assist them to reconstruct their self-value and prevent blaming themselves. I would also consider that my role is to be an active listener, as I believe the students wish to express their feelings to an adult, or a person who they can trust.
Michelle
April 10, 2024Michelle, Brisbane, Australia
I thought the Narratives in a Suitcase project was a wonderful way for the children to express their past stories and the stories they want for their futures. Mapping a pathway with images and words is a very creative way to express and share stories. I particularly like the idea of affirmation laminated cards that people can place in their wallets to remind them that they are people who are working through problems or issues, not a problem person! When it comes to outsider-witness practice, the comment that stuck in my mind the most was this one – ‘Outsider-witness practices enable a link to be made between what happens in the therapy room and the rest of a person’s life.’. A very simple but impactful statement to help explain why outsider-witness practice an important resource in narrative therapy is.
yeeweicheo
April 5, 2024My name is Yee Wei. I work as a counsellor in a suicide prevention agency in Singapore. This module on ‘Document & Audience’ was an eye opener for me as it brings out all the different ways we can be able to use tools like pen and paper-letter writing for self and with each other, introducing third parties and ways to engaging them in the session itself. As someone who is interested to work with groups, I am most inspired by the suitcase project that was used as a metaphor to broaden the stories of an individual. The most relevant in my context will be letter writing and I wish to apply outsider witness practices into group sessions for healing conversation that can take place even amongst clinicians to draw on each other’s strengths and inspiration.
Verónica Hilanda
April 5, 2024Hola! Soy Verónica de Argentina. Trabajo en una ONG, @hilanda.sustentable , con mujeres. Podríamos registrar en un documento las frases que resuman lo más útil y significativo que se lleven de cada encuentro y también podrían escribir en un mural de papel lo que admiran de alguna compañera, para registrar el reconocimiento de habilidades y virtudes en otros. Y podríamos hacer una recapitulación de todos estos documentos de registro en un encuentro final, después de varios meses de procesos de aprendizaje juntas.
Creo que el trabajo con documentos no tiene fin y depende de nuestra creatividad para generar nuevas formas, estilos y diseños a medida.
aeashley
March 28, 2024Hi there,
my name is Andrea and I am working in an inpatient Older Persons Acute Psychiatry Unit in Victoria, Australia. I loved both speakers and the concepts they presented. Often in this age range, after a lifetime of managing acute mental health illness, people in our care have ended up being connected or labeled with negative stories, self image and low or no self worth. I found the giving back of language through gifting the words of other’s experience very interesting. The idea of not doing a course/program/psych education about how to help yourself particularly positive and relevant to older people. To offer language. I am very excited and look forward to learning more and to begin collecting (with permission) some of our own patient reflections!
Dyuti
March 21, 2024My name is Dyuti and i’m a counselling psychologist from India. I found this chapter to be really interesting , this was all new information to me. I feel very fascinated and excited to use it, specially the documents of knowledge, recording sessions seemed highly relevant. Outsider witness is another very new tool, seems very interesting and urges me to open my mind in face of conventional therapy practices that see confidentiality in a different light. I definitely see it as a powerful tool but i’m not sure how i can translate it into my practice, will definitely look into it. The talk on suitcases touched my heart and demonstrated how these documents can be creatively used with children specially.
pipmychael@gmail.com
March 12, 2024My name is Pip. I work as a counsellor in Australia. I was particularly encouraged by the ‘Making of a Suitcase’ as a form of documenting and feel that this has wide applications in the journey of life. Particularly when people find themselves at a crossroads or “lost” due to their circumstances/resources changing. Helping to focus on values and where they are heading and who has inspired can rekindle the desire to find new ways, and explore the road ahead with chosen supports.