Table of Contents

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

About the Author

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.

Reviews

In the ten plus years since the first edition of this book, much has changed in the landscape of narrative practice in working with children. Fortunately for us, the book has more than kept pace with these changes. The second edition integrates the most recent research and practise ideas that have emerged over the decade as well as introducing us to emergent issues. The new chapters include: "working in early intervention settings such as school and other frontline agencies"; "children who have become refugees"; and "families living in a context of civil conflict". These new chapters caught my attention and I believe they add a great deal our work with children and families. - D. Russell Crane, PhD"Narrative Therapies with children and their families (2ndedition) is an essential read for anyone working with children and families. Securely rooted in the rich traditions of family therapy, narrative psychology and psychoanalysis, this book is an essential resource for students and practitioners in the mental health field, as well as in school systems. Contributors – leading experts from different backgrounds- address important issues like attachment, depression, trauma and violence, focusing on the inspiration and insights a narrative based approach can offer. The focus is not only on giving the child a voice so that he/she can tell his/her story in words, in play, in drawings; but also on listening to the child’s voice and integrating it in the story of the parents, the family, the school, the therapy.This is an important book that can serve as a clinical guide to therapy and counselling with children and their families. It is likely to become a classic in the field." - Peter Rober, Context UPC KU Leuven, Belgium"This book is a treasure trove of ideas for therapeutic practice with children and their families. It shows the breadth and strength of narrative as a major cohering metaphor in contemporary family therapy. Different chapters cross the borders of systemic psychotherapy, psychoanalytic thinking, attachment theory and resilience research, as senior practitioners apply narrative ideas to particular family issues and contexts of practice. The book makes for an enriching read for experienced therapists, and charts creative practice possibilities for training practitioners in family therapy, psychology, social work, psychiatry and child psychotherapy." - Carmel Flaskas, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, UNSW Australia.

In the ten plus years since the first edition of this book, much has changed in the landscape of narrative practice in working with children. Fortunately for us, the book has more than kept pace with these changes. The second edition integrates the most recent research and practise ideas that have emerged over the decade as well as introducing us to emergent issues. The new chapters include: "working in early intervention settings such as school and other frontline agencies"; "children who have become refugees"; and "families living in a context of civil conflict". These new chapters caught my attention and I believe they add a great deal our work with children and families. - D. Russell Crane, PhD"Narrative Therapies with children and their families (2ndedition) is an essential read for anyone working with children and families. Securely rooted in the rich traditions of family therapy, narrative psychology and psychoanalysis, this book is an essential resource for students and practitioners in the mental health field, as well as in school systems. Contributors – leading experts from different backgrounds- address important issues like attachment, depression, trauma and violence, focusing on the inspiration and insights a narrative based approach can offer. The focus is not only on giving the child a voice so that he/she can tell his/her story in words, in play, in drawings; but also on listening to the child’s voice and integrating it in the story of the parents, the family, the school, the therapy.This is an important book that can serve as a clinical guide to therapy and counselling with children and their families. It is likely to become a classic in the field." - Peter Rober, Context UPC KU Leuven, Belgium"This book is a treasure trove of ideas for therapeutic practice with children and their families. It shows the breadth and strength of narrative as a major cohering metaphor in contemporary family therapy. Different chapters cross the borders of systemic psychotherapy, psychoanalytic thinking, attachment theory and resilience research, as senior practitioners apply narrative ideas to particular family issues and contexts of practice. The book makes for an enriching read for experienced therapists, and charts creative practice possibilities for training practitioners in family therapy, psychology, social work, psychiatry and child psychotherapy." - Carmel Flaskas, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, UNSW Australia.