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We invited Alice Morgan to write the following article for this in an interview situation so that the person responding to the
first edition of our new journal. Over the years we have had questions has opportunities to elaborate and explore the
many requests for writings that describe the process of territories that most interest them. I hope that these questions,
beginning to engage with narrative ideas and practices. and the conversations they scaffold, might enable readers to
Within the following paper Alice describes some of the ways further enrich and strengthen their narrative practice and offer
in which she began to engage with narrative ideas and what ways to further explore narrative ideas in the near future.3
she found helpful in the process. We believe that this piece
will be of interest to those who are new to narrative ideas, Intentions, Commitments and Purposes
and also to those who are teachers and trainers. Alice is the
author of the very popular book ‘What is Narrative Therapy? When I first heard people speak about narrative ideas,
An easy-to-read introduction’ (2000) and editor of ‘Once when I watched videotapes of interviews and read various
Upon a Time … Narrative therapy with children and their articles, I remember feeling a sense of excitement. In reflecting
families’ (1999). upon this, I realise that this was because I felt a strong
connection between some of the commitments and purposes
that were important to me as a counsellor, and the practices that
I was witnessing in other people’s work4. This excitement
W
hen I first became interested in trying to use
narrative ideas in my counselling practice, I meant that I was eager to ‘try out’ narrative practices in my
faced the challenge of trying to relate them to my own work, but I also felt pretty daunted about what to do first
own context. At times I found it tricky to know where to and confused about where to start. When ‘Excitement’ was
begin, how to make a start and then what to do next. This most powerful, sometimes it tried to convince me that I’d never
paper hopes to offer some reflections on this process. be able to do it ‘properly’. In hindsight, I realise that I managed
At various points throughout this paper I have included to find a way for Excitement to contribute to my initial
a number of questions for reflection. These are questions that explorations by particularly focussing on two of the narrative
I have personally found useful and which I have also used in ideas that stood out for me5. These were:
training groups2 and in consultations with colleagues. Ideally, 1. the position of the therapist, and
these questions are designed for use in conversations, that is, 2. externalising conversations.
The position of the therapist Think about just one thing that has particularly
resonated for you about narrative ideas and
The decentred and yet influential position of the practices that you have been trying to apply more in
therapist in narrative conversations (White 1997 ) was one of your work.
the first things I noticed about narrative practices. I noticed
that narrative conversations were not about giving advice, What would you call the principle or idea? Give it a
solutions or opinions. They were not about normative name. Say something about it – describe what it is
judgements or evaluations or positions of authority. I was about, your understandings of it, in your own
intrigued by practices that held the person’s ideas and words.
resources at the fore and ways in which those using narrative
practices declined invitations to be the expert in people’s Give some more details about it, e.g.: When did you
lives. It seemed to me as though the influence of the therapist first notice this idea or principle in the work? What
had to do with their skills in consultation and asking questions told you that it was important to you?
in particular ways. I noticed that holding this consultative
stance invited people to become the primary authors of their What are you currently doing that you would say is
lives. Narrative questions put people’s views, preferences, a reflection of this particular idea, practice or
desires, hopes, dreams and purposes in the centre of the principle? Say a little bit about the times you
conversation. thought you had managed to apply the idea or
Having identified that this is what I wanted to do principle to your own practice.
more of in my own practice, I also tried to appreciate and
notice those ways in which I had already found to be When you did it, what did you notice? How did it
decentred and yet influential in my work as a therapist. affect, for example:
I reflected on the times and ways in which I had positioned
• The conversation you were engaging in at the time?
those consulting me at the centre of the conversation, times
when I had managed to decline invitations to be the expert. • Your thoughts about yourself as a therapist?
Remembering these times helped me to overcome the sense
• The other people who were with you?
of trepidation I initially felt about trying something
seemingly new. • Your hopes or plans?
I also tried to think about why this idea of being
• Your feelings?
decentred and yet influential was significant to me. Why
was this so important to me? Holding a non-expert position
What was this like for you? Did you like it or not?
had been something I had believed in as a teacher for many
Did it suit you or not? Or something in between?
years. I had thoroughly enjoyed working in collaborative
ways with children where the power relation was minimised
Why is it that you give this evaluation? What did it
as much as possible between adult and child. I also thought
seem to fit with?
about what a difference it meant when people consulted me
about my understandings and meanings of events in my life