This journal describes the work of a group of people centred around the Dulwich Centre in Adelaide has been creating an alternative Community Mental Health Project in an attempt to meet more adequately the needs of people with psychiatric diagnoses who are considered 'chronically' and mentally ill. This edition describes this project, not in the sense of offering solutions or prescriptive ways of working, but in order to share experiences and learnings. Within the project, people who experience 'voices and visions' (often referred to as the auditory and visual hallucinations of schizophrenia) work together with community support workers to expose the tactics and effects of these 'voices and visions'; to honour and build upon individuals' knowledge and skills; to create ever-widening communities of reflection and support; and to question collaboratively the dominant ways of understanding and living in this culture. 'Companions on a Journey' describes ways of working in solidarity and partnership on issues of mental health that are enriching, challenging and fulfilling for all who are involved.
This journal issue showcases creative innovations currently occurring in the field. It begins with a paper by a young feminist practitioner, Holly Loveday, who is using narrative practices to transform a women’s refuge to become a place of celebration of women’s stories. It then includes a piece from Peter Ord and Emma about their use of a cartoon as a way to gain influence over a problem. The second section of this journal issue focuses on re-membering practices with elders. We are delighted to be able to include papers by... More info
Interested in learning or teaching narrative therapy practice? This special issue is a response to the many requests we receive for examples of ‘teaching exercises’ related to narrative therapy. These requests come not only from teachers but also from practitioners who are wanting further ways of improving their skills and/or ways of exploring narrative practices with colleagues. This issue includes exercises from Russia, USA, Australia and Canada. The journal also includes a lead paper, ‘Turning the spotlight back on the normalizing gaze’, by Jane Hutton and Kate Knapp. This is... More info
This Journal focuses on ‘Children & young people: Dreams, responses and dilemmas’. The first paper, by Angel Yuen, proposes a ‘response-based narrative practice’ to assist children who have been subjected to trauma. The second, by Milan Colic, describes the use of narrative practices to explore the meaning of the dreams being experienced by a young person with whom he was working. And the third, by Jodi Aman, conveys ways in which narrative approaches can assist in linking families together when children/young people are going through difficult times. Two papers... More info
