July 2024 – Summer Narrative Therapy Intensive
July 2024 – Summer Narrative Therapy Intensive
Event Date:
July 8, 2024
Event Time:
9:00 am
Event Location:
Central YMCA
To be held at Central YMCA - 20 Grosvenor Street
Daily* from 9 AM to 4 PM
*Wednesday from 9 AM to 1 PM
Narrative therapy is a collaborative and non-pathologizing approach to counselling and community work which centres people as the experts of their own lives. A narrative approach views problems as separate from people and assumes people as having many skills, abilities, values, commitments, beliefs and competencies that will assist them to change their relationship with the problems influencing their lives. It is a way of working that has a determination to bring forth political considerations that situate lives in broader social and historical contexts.
This 5-day intensive will be suited to those who are new(er) to narrative therapy and those familiar with narrative ideas who are seeking to develop their narrative skills to bring to their everyday practice. It will be an immersion into narrative practices with varied modes of learning including video, didactic, group discussion, training exercises and live interviews.
Over five days together we will:
• explore the ideas that shape narrative practice
• learn how to engage in externalizing conversations and deconstruction of problem stories
• witness how serious problems can be addressed in playful and respectful ways
• consider the broader context that affects people’s lives
• learn about re-membering and re-authoring practices that support preferred identity story development
• learn about and practice outsider witnessing
We look so forward to the immersion into narrative ideas and practices in July with all who join!
Since 2005 we have been hosting our annual summer intensive downtown Toronto. We have enjoyed being with so many incredible summer groups where we immersed into narrative ideas and practices and co-learned together.
Read feedback from our past summer intensive participants.
STUDENTS – At checkout in ‘discount code’ enter STUDENT10. Also in the ‘additional info’ box please include your student info – i.e.: Name of institution and program of study
For groups of 3 or more, please register together in one transaction and at checkout in ‘discount code’ enter GROUP10. One main person can be registrant, and please type info (name, email, address) for other group members in the ‘additional info’ box
‘Certificates of Training’ will be provided at the end of the intensive and will state 27 hours of narrative therapy training. Certificates can be used to qualify for eligibility for continuing education credits from professional colleges and licensing boards. Please contact your own college or association to confirm requirements.
Click here for links to nearby hotels to the venue (Central YMCA, 20 Grosvenor, Toronto).
Note: University Metropolitan Toronto offers affordable summer accommodation rates.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday ~ 9 AM to 4 PM with one-hour lunch from 12-1PM and morning and afternoon break
Wednesday will be a shorter day from 9 AM to 1 PM with 2 breaks.
On Monday (at end of Day1) there will be a ‘Meet & Greet’ at a local restaurant or pub.
On Wednesday (after shorter Day 3) there will be a social event at Toronto Island.
Details will be shared closer to the event.
Cancellations will be accepted if requested at least 14 days prior to the event via email to contact@narrativetherapycentre.com. A 10% admin fee will be deducted from the amount to be refunded.
We regret that a refund cannot be offered after the cancellation date, but a colleague may be substituted for attendance.
Summer faculty
Amy Druker (she/her)
Amy first met Narrative ideas a decade ago when she was working as a harm reduction outreach worker with pregnant people in downtown Toronto. For over 7 years Amy worked as an individual and family therapist at a youth mental health agency, where Narrative Therapy was the first language of all of the practitioners. She now runs her own independent practice, where she offers therapy and non-hierarchical clinical supervision, and clinical consultation at a downtown harm reduction agency. Amy is on Faculty at the Narrative Therapy Initiative (NTI) in Salem, MA.
Amy’s practice is guided by a commitment to social justice, anti-oppressive practice, to the questioning of taken-for-granted ways of thinking about things (including the ‘doing’ of therapy and clinical ‘supervision’) and the imposition of expert knowledge. Amy sees Narrative Therapy not as a technique, but as a worldview which helps her to live out her social justice values. To be in touch with Amy please reach out to her at therapy@amydruker.com.
Dale Andersen-Giberson (he/him)
Dale Andersen-Giberson MSW, RSW has 15 years of experience as a social worker. Dale started his work at Pinewood Centre of Lakeridge Health working with people who use substances and gaming. Dale then found a love and passion for narrative therapy and joined the team at Oolagen in children’s mental health. Hoping to build on his psychotherapy practice, Dale served as the social worker at West Durham Family Health Team and then explored career counselling and accommodation work with Ontario Tech University.
Currently, Dale is the manager of counselling and therapy services at Strides Toronto. Dale has a small private practice at www.therapywithdale.ca
Over the past 10 years Dale has served as faculty with Angel Yuen and the Narrative Therapy Centre of Toronto. He has facilitated workshops exploring parent/child conflict, narrative therapy work with those who use video games, narrative therapy work with those who use substances and narrative summer intensives. Dale was published in 2016 with the International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work. His article focuses on working with young people involved in video gaming.
Angel Yuen (she/her)
Angel works as a narrative therapist and clinical supervisor in alternative-private practice in Durham region of the Greater Toronto Area. She also offers tailored narrative trainings and consultation to many organizations. Angel's previous work spanning three decades included experiences in school, community, and adult and children's mental health settings.
Angel has facilitated several narrative workshops locally, internationally and more recently virtually. Within these spaces she continually is honoured to share hopeful stories, skills and wisdom of the people who consult with her. As a member of the Dulwich Centre international faculty in Adelaide, Australia Angel is part of their team for the Master of Narrative Therapy and Community Work program. Angel is the author of the 2019 book titled’ Pathways beyond despair: Re-authoring lives of young people through narrative therapy. She also is co-editor with Cheryl White of the 2007 book Conversations about gender, culture, violence and narrative practice: Stories of hope and complexity from women of many cultures.
Registration inquiries can be made at contact@narrativetherapycentre.com or by calling (905) 427-8239. Space will be limited to 60 participants.