In narrative approaches, celebrations and ceremonies are important! And we are coming to the end of this resource … so it seems appropriate for us to celebrate! This resource represents so much work by so many people over many…
This chapter includes three presentations in relation to spirituality and narrative practice. There are so many different spiritualities and religions across the African continent. We hope that in time that many further presentations can be included here from diverse…
This influential paper, De-colonizing our lives: Divining a post-colonial therapy, is by Makungu Akinyela. Within it he describes his hopes for an African centred therapy:It is my hope that African centred therapy could provide African individuals and families a space to…
This chapter focuses on creative work with young people from Zanzibar, Rwanda, USA and South Africa. Resisting social injustices We start in Zanzibar where Gharib Abdalla has used re-authoring practices, the Team of Life, documentation and outsider witnessing in…
This chapter includes uplifting stories of narrative community work projects from Uganda, Rwanda and South Africa. It begins with the work of Caleb Wakhungu and the Mt Elgon Self-Help Community Project which has inspired practitioners in many different contexts…
One of the key principles of narrative practice is that ‘the person is not the problem, the problem is the problem, and the solution is not only personal’. In this chapter, practitioners from Rwanda, Ethiopia and South Africa share…
One of the first engagements with narrative therapy practices on the African continent was by the CARE Counsellors of Malawi and Yvonne Sliep who developed a form of narrative theatre to enable people to talk with the problem of…
The Ibuka Counsellors of Rwanda were a young team of survivors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi who responded as counsellors and assistant lawyers to other survivors throughout the country. This story of their work in this interview…
We begin by sharing examples of work in response to children. Why? For two reasons. Firstly, Africa is the continent with the youngest population worldwide. ‘As of 2023, around 40 percent of the population was aged 15 years and…
This web resource features the sparkling work of African narrative practitioners whose work with children, adults, families and communities provides moving and skilful ways of assisting those who are suffering. There are so many African contributions to the field…
An invitation for young adults who have cared, or are currently caring, for a parent with dementiaThis project aims to gather the experiences of young adults who are caring for a parent with dementia. It is our hope that…
Beyond psychological colonisation This web resource seeks to trace histories of practitioners, teams and communities in diverse cultural locations creating their own culturally resonant forms of healing practice within the fields of family and narrative therapy. It is hoped…
This video is a message of welcome to newcomers to Adelaide from a group of young Syrians and friends who came to Australia as refugees.Here they share their tips for making a new life in Adelaide as well as…
We want to stand with you: A bystander action project When we witness discrimination or harassment how can we respond? To the young women of the Muslim Women’s Association, Hi. We’re a group of young women - friends…
We would like to invite narrative practitioners into a project of sharing stories of how we are trying to avoid misgendering others. Misgendering — referring to someone by the pronouns or honorifics of a gender that is not theirs…
The Uluru Statement of the Heart ends with the words: ‘We leave base camp and start our trek across this vast country. We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better…
Spirit of pride Here is a song, 'Spirit of Pride’ that represents the journey of making a new life in a new land: Spirit of the sea Part 9: Primary school knowledge— how we tackle problems
About the exhibitionA while ago, we heard a document created by young women at the Muslim Women’s Association of South Australia. It was called, ‘We try not to take people’s hate into our hearts’. When we heard these young…
In this video, Stay Strong Football Club offers some ideas about ways to come together after a fight, try not to fight with friends, and how to work towards good behaviour at any place. We hope these ideas are…
Denborough, D. (Ed.). (2006). Trauma: Narrative responses to traumatic experience. Adelaide, Australia: Dulwich Centre Publications. Denborough, D. (2008). Collective narrative practice: Responding to individuals, groups, and communities who have experienced trauma. Adelaide, Australia: Dulwich Centre Publications. Denborough, D. (2014).…
This project is based on narrative approaches to therapy, group work and community work. These approaches were initially developed by Australian, Michael White, and New Zealander, David Epston. Narrative therapy centres people as the experts in their own lives…
The following people and organisations made this project possible! All the young people whose ideas, skills, knowledge and stories are contained in these pages … and especially their determination to share what they know in order to assist others.…
The knowledge, ideas and stories of young people included in this encyclopedia were generated from small group discussions, often sparked by first sharing the ‘survival skills’ of another group of young people and asking for a response. In this…
This collection of stories and knowledge is still growing. We’ve only included a small sample here. There is an online site where you can read further stories from young people, see a virtual exhibit of artwork, watch video clips…
It seems appropriate to end this collection of stories and knowledge by looking to the future Not giving up on our goals by Chrakhan Fardi I was born in the cold of the snowy winter in Kurdistan, where there…
We are a group of young people living with disability who are passionate about making changes. Like anyone, sometimes we go through some pretty rough times. We’ve all had experiences of when people have said thoughtless or discriminatory things, or…
When a group of Syrian mothers heard these young people’s welcoming tips, they sent the following message: Hello, We are a group of Syrian mothers meeting at the Muslim Women’s Association here in Adelaide. Today we heard the letter…
We are a group of young Syrians who arrived in Adelaide 4-6 months ago. Some of us have already made many new friends here. Some of us are still looking for friends. And some of us are really missing…
We are young people from the Feast Queer Youth Drop In Space. We know quite a bit about journeys and migrations. There are some journeys we’ve already completed. Others that we are still on. Some we are just beginning…
Stories from young members of the Muslim Women’s Association of South Australia Sometimes other people make a difference. When they do, we remember. Friends as backup At school, my friends back me up. They say to me, ‘If anyone…
G’day, Tonight at the Feast Queer Youth Drop-in Space we heard some of the ways you try not to take people’s hate into your hearts. Thanks for sharing your stories with us. One of us smiled when we heard…
Hi. We’re a group of young Muslim women who live here in Adelaide. We’re interested in exchanging ideas and stories about ways of dealing with weird experiences like being stared at, being yelled at by random strangers driving…
There are 15 students at our small community school in Adelaide. Many of us have attended quite a few other schools before coming here. Some of us have moved homes a lot which means we change schools too, but…
Hi. We are young people living here in Adelaide, who came to Australia as refugees. Many of us have known times of great sorrow, or worry. Times when we have lost hope. Some of us have nearly drowned in…
In this section, young people share stories about the ways they got through some of the hardest times in their lives.We begin this section with tips on how young people have been able to overcome bullying, then we move…
We begin with the youngest voices – primary school students who have some fantastic ideas about ways of tackling problems and how not to fight with friends. First let's hear from Aboriginal primary school students, followed by a message…
How we overcome bullying, survive the ocean of depression, try not to take people’s hate into our hearts, and much more!This ‘book of knowledge’ brings together important tips from young people about ways of tackling problems, overcoming bullying, surviving…
Transforming our national anthem There are many current initiatives to transform our national anthem. Hopefully, one day the peoples of this land will get to choose a new version (or versions!). We don't think it's up to us to…
G’day Since 1994, ‘Australia Day’ has been a public holiday across the country, but this year Dulwich Centre will remain open. As we'll be working on the day, if you get stuck for something to do you can send…
A message from women of Arnhem Land to the Aboriginal community of Port Augusta: Their words speak for us. Their stories are so similar to what we experience. It is like they are talking for us as well. It’s…
Poverty, conflict, and disease are like ‘clouds’ that encircle our communities. We must find ways to raise our heads above the clouds and work towards the world we hope for … Dulwich Centre Foundation is excited to be present…
We are currently working in a number of contexts to assist colleagues who are working in contexts of war and armed conflict. This includes being engaged in a three year partnership with the Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Victims…
This project has been initiated by a group of therapists, community workers and educators from Samoa, Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia, USA, and the UK. As professionals and wage-earners we live with a considerable degree of privilege and freedom. At the…
The ‘Preventing Prisoner Rape Project‘ is a national project here in Australia aiming to: raise awareness about the issue of rape in prisons; reach out and support prison rape survivors; support those workers both inside and outside prisons who…
Dulwich Centre has had a long-standing commitment to explore ways to respond to and prevent men’s violence against women and, at the same time, prevent violence of the state. These issues intersect when the police and prisons are put…
We have recently uploaded to this website a range of songs that were created through the use of narrative practices. We would be very interested to hear from other practitioners/musicians who are combining these realms. Over time, we hope to create an…
We are currently in the process of creating resources for those who have lost a loved-one, friend, or family member to suicide. The resources will also be relevant to practitioners who are trying to respond to this issue in…
Inspired by recent visits to La Fabrique Narrative in Bordeaux, France, and the European Systemic Business Academy in Vienna, Austria, where groups of organisational consultants are vigorously engaging with narrative practices, we have become very interested in the possibilities of ‘narrative coaching’.…
All too often, relationships between young people and their parents and grandparents become strained after experiences of migration. The Dulwich Centre Foundation is now involved in developing ways of working that provide opportunities for ‘inter-generational honouring’. As this is…
Over the last few years, we have become increasingly interested in refusing to separate ‘healing and justice’. This has been particularly influenced by the perspectives of Palestinian narrative practitioners, such as Khader Rasras, and the work of counsellors and…
