Narrative Therapies with Children and Their Families

Narrative Therapies with Children and their Families introduces and develops the principles of narrative approaches to systemic therapeutic work, and shows how they can provide a powerful framework for engaging troubled children and their families. Written by eminent and leading clinicians, known nationally and internationally for their research and theory development in the field of child and family mental health, the book covers a broad range of difficult and sensitive topics, including trauma, abuse and youth offending. It illustrates the wide application of these principles in the context of the particular issues and challenges presented when working with children and families. Since publication of the first edition, the importance of narrative therapy has continued to grow, and this new edition provides an updated and revised overview of the field, along with three new chapters to keep apace with developments in child mental health trauma work. This book remains a key text in the field of systemic narrative training and practice. With clinical examples throughout, this practical book will be welcomed by family and systemic therapists and other professionals in the field of child, adolescent and family mental health.

Arlene Vetere is Professor of Family Therapy and Systemic Practice, VID Specialized University, Oslo, Norway, and Affiliate Professor, Department of Family Studies, University of Malta. She was formerly Professor of Clinical Psychology at Surrey University. Emilia Dowling is a chartered clinical psychologist and systemic family psychotherapist. Dowling worked at the Tavistock Clinic for many years, where she was head of Child Psychology and was involved in post graduate training, practice and research. She currently works in private practice, is a member of the Institute of Family Therapy and has been published widely.

Foreword PART I 1. Narrative Concepts and Therapeutic Challenges PART II 2. Narratives and phantasies 3. Narrative Perspectives on Childhood Depression with a foreword from the editors 4. Children's Narratives of Trauma Experiences 5. Children who Witness Violence at Home 6. Engaging Children and Young People - A theatre of possibilities PART III 7. Narratives of Fathers and Sons - "There is no such thing as a father" 8. The Changing Context of Permanency: Unifying stories in the context of divided loyalties 9. Second Phase Parenting: Narratives of parenting when children become adults PART IV 10. Whose Story Is It Anyway? Narratives of children involved in contact disputes with a foreword by Gwyn Daniel and tribute to Kirsten Blow 11. Narratives of attachment and processes of alienation in post-divorce parenting disputes 12. Narratives of Young Offenders 13. Narratives of School Exclusion 14. Towards a conceptual model of early intervention with schools and other frontline partner agencies: a systems relations approach 15. Crossing frontiers: Narrative approaches with refugee children and young people 16. Working with traumatised families in a context of civil conflict: shared narratives 17. Narratives of Hope