The purpose of this book is to explain the process in which individuals tell and retell their narratives, especially during developmental and other transitions in order to create meaning and continuity in their lives. The other goal is to clarify the nature and types of narratives that emerge in people’s natural environments during such transitions and during counseling sessions with social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, nurses, and other service providers. Further, it also describes practical narratives and approaches and includes relevant case examples to illustrate how those approaches have been applied effectively in social work and other helping professions. The text is organized in two sections. Part One is focused on the theoretical foundations of narrative practice and on five basic principles. The five chapters of Part Two demonstrate the application of advanced narrative skills in practice with clients who are challenged by various life span transitions. Clients’ narratives are included in each chapter to illustrate particular advanced narrative skills and major discussion points. The cultural context of such narratives may involve a combination of such factors as clients’ race and ethnicity, language, religion and spirituality, gender, age, sexual orientation, disabling conditions, social class, and location. Tables and figures included in each chapter illustrate specifically how particular narrative strategies can be used with clients and also clarify how to use those approaches in combination with other practice frameworks, including family systems, task-centered, crisis, solution-focused, group mutual aid, cognitive behavioral, and brief theoretical approaches. In addition, to the individual, family, community, organizational, and cultural narratives, the book also includes other story forms such as poetry, metaphors, proverbs, parables, letters, personal journals, art, and music. --- from the publisher Contents: Preface PART ONE: BASIC PRINCIPLES AND THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF NARRATIVE PRACTICE APPROACHES Chapter 1: OBSERVING AND ANALYZING HOW CLIENTS’ NARRATIVES EMERGE OVER THE LIFE
COURSE: THE NARRATIVE KNOWLEDGE, TIMING, AND CONTEXT PRINCIPLE Chapter 2: LISTENING TO CLIENTS’ SPONTANEOUS NARRATIVES: THE SHARED EXPERIENCE AND TRANSFORMATION PRINCIPLE Chapter 3: RESPONDING TO CLIENTS’ SPONTANEOUS NARRATIVES: THE NAMING AND UNPACKING
ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION PRINCIPLE Chapter 4: USING NARRATIVE QUESTIONS TO CONNECT CLIENTS’ SINGLE EVENT NARRATIVES AND
LIFE NARRATIVES: THE MEANING-MAKING PRINCIPLE Chapter 5: HELPING MARGINALIZED CLIENTS TO SHARE AND ADVOCATE FOR THEIR NARRATED AND UNNARRATED EXPERIENCES: THE SOCIAL JUSTICE-SYSTEMS CHANGE INTERVENTION PRINCIPLE PART TWO: ADVANCED NARRATIVE APPROACHES AND SKILLS WITH INDIVIDUALS, MULTIPLE CLIENT SYSTEMS, AND LARGE SYSTEMS ACROSS THE LIFE SPAN Chapter 6: USING PLAY, INTERPRETIVE, AND IMPROVISATIONAL NARRATIVE STRATEGIES
WITH CHILDREN: PREVENTION, EARLY INTERVENTION, AND TREATMENT Chapter 7: ASSISTING YOUTHS IN EXPLORING CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES AT CRITICAL MOMENTS THROUGH THEIR LIFE STORIES AND TRANSITION NARRATIVES Chapter 8: HELPING CLIENTS TO REAUTHOR CHALLENGING NARRATIVES ABOUT GENDER AND OTHER ADULT DEVELOPMENT ISSUES Chapter 9: FACILITATING OLDER ADULTS’ USE OF LIFE NARRATIVES FOR PERSONAL WELL-BEING,
PEER SUPPORT, AND MENTORING Chapter 10: HELPING FAMILIES AND COUPLES TO MANAGE CONFLICTS THROUGH RESOLUTION-BASED METAPHORS AND OTHER NARRATIVE RITUALS Chapter 11: UTILIZING COMMON MARGINALIZED AND EXCEPTION NARRATIVES WITH MULTIPLE
CLIENT SYSTEMS TO FACILITATE INDIVIDUAL AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES EPILOGUE:
Lessons Learned and Future Directions for Narrative Practice
Author Index
Subject Index | 
