NARRATIVE PRACTICES FOR COUNTERING DESPAIR:
Reclaiming hope, personal agency and purpose during daunting times
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In this workshop we will explore narrative practices for countering the effects of despair, both in therapy and in everyday life. We will explore practices for reclaiming hope and reconnecting with a sense of purpose during these daunting times. When people are consumed by despair and a sense of forboden, the notion of reengaging with hope and possibility can be challenging and risk trivializing their experience. The possibility of facilitating an inspiring, hope generating conversation can be elusive to even the most experienced therapist. What are the key elements of an inspiring, liberating conversation that generates hope, restores personal choice, strengthens social connection, and contributes to personal agency? What questions invite people to reconnect with their strongly held sense of values and purpose?
You will experience the use of conversational maps that can provide people with a foundation to address the predicaments, concerns, and problems of their lives in ways that are in harmony with what is important to them. These therapeutic conversations help people to break free from isolation and renegotiate significant and meaningful relationships in their lives.
This workshop will include clear theoretical presentation, recorded examples of therapy sessions, experiential exercises that will
provide a context for micro-skill development and a comprehensive handout package to create a highly interactive training experience.
Participants be introduced to:
Invitational questions that generate hope and possibility
The absent but implicit map for connecting with people’s strongly held values and subordinate storylines.
Re-membering conversations and the socially constructed genogram for breaking free from isolation and reconnecting with significant others
The key elements of a purposeful conversation.
Ways to “close” a therapy session that sustains ongoing change
Clear ways to immediately inspire and energize your practice
Certificate verifying 6 hours of participation completed will be awarded to each participant.
WORKSHOP HOURS:
Saturday, May 31, 2025 – 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM (US Central Time). Includes 2 short 15-minute breaks and a longer 45-minute break.
REGISTRATION FEE:
Super Early Bird Fee: $130.00 (Register by April 15th)
Early Bird Fee: $150.00 (Register between April 16th and May 4th).
Regular Fee $175.00 (May 5th and after)
Student Fee: $100.00 (Must show proof of status with a student card if requested)
CANCELLATION:
Full refund minus $30.00 cancellation fee until May 5th)
50% refund between May 5th and May 30th)
No refund after May 30th
NOTE: Zoom log-in information will be provided to the email you registered with close to the workshop dates.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Jim Duvall, M.Ed. is Co-Director of JST Institute and Editor of Journal of Systemic Therapies. His experience as a therapist, educator, consultant, speaker, editor, and author spans over four decades. He has spent over 300 hours studying and collaborating with Michael White in training, writing and community projects. His work aims to integrate time-sensitive narrative practices within social justice principles.
In addition to numerous articles, book chapters, Jim co-authored a policy paper (Duvall, J., Young, K., Kays-Burden, A., 2012), No more, no less: Brief mental health services for children and youth. His co-authored book (Duvall & Béres, 2011), Innovations in narrative therapy: Connecting practice, training and research, WW Norton and Company is the first book to integrate training and research with narrative therapy resulting in compelling practice-based evidence. He is the co-editor (Beaudoin & Duvall, 2017) of Collaborative therapy and neurobiology: Evolving practices in action.
He has offered hundreds of workshops, courses, and keynote presentations with organizations throughout Canada, US, Australia, Asia and Europe. Other times Jim can be found playing music with his friends or boating on the Gulf of Mexico with his partner, family and their dog, Sailor.
