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Narrative therapy for therapists: training, videos and institutes

Narrative therapy (narrative practice) is an approach that treats people as the experts in their own lives and the problem as separate from the person. The therapist and the person look for skills, values and commitments that can change the person’s relationship with the problem.

The method in short

Co-founder
Michael White, co-founder of Dulwich Centre (Adelaide, opened in 1983), where he worked until his death in 2008
Stance
A respectful, non-blaming approach: the person is the expert in their own life and the problem is separate from the person
Core practices
Externalising, re-authoring, re-membering, definitional ceremony, documentation
Used with
Individuals, families and communities

Primary sources: Dulwich Centre: what is narrative therapy?, Dulwich Centre: about the centre and Michael White, Dulwich Centre: Master of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, practice maps

We give you information and answer for how we select it. Check terms, prices and dates with the organiser.

Narrative training

We do not run courses. Each programme has a link to the organiser and a check date.

Dulwich Centre, Adelaide, Australia

One Year Training Program in Narrative Therapy and Community Work

A year-long program from the centre where Michael White worked: a Level One and a Level Two one-week intensive with a reading and writing program, monthly online catch-ups and a practice diary between them. The intensives run online on Adelaide time or in person in Adelaide.

Format
Online or in person in Adelaide (subject to capacity)
Language
English
For
Participants need a context, paid or unpaid, to practise narrative ideas for about an hour a week; very good spoken English
Organiser’s siteChecked: November 1, 2026

Dulwich Centre and University of Melbourne

Master of Narrative Therapy and Community Work

A postgraduate qualification that the page describes as a University of Melbourne course run with Dulwich Centre: three subjects, delivered online in 2027 with two intensive two-week teaching blocks, full-time over one year or part-time over two.

Format
Online
Language
English
For
An undergraduate degree in a cognate discipline or equivalent plus two years of documented work (or eight years of relevant work), prior narrative study such as the Level One Intensive, a personal statement and a referee report
Organiser’s siteChecked: November 1, 2026

Vancouver School for Narrative Therapy, Canada

Online 5-Day Foundations Certificate Training

A five-day live certificate course on Zoom with client videos, session transcripts, live interviews and small-group discussion; the page lists 30 CECs. The school also lists Foundations II and III, couple therapy and advanced narrative practice courses.

Format
Online (live)
Language
English
For
No entry requirements are stated on the page; see the organiser
Organiser’s siteChecked: November 1, 2026

Narrative Therapy Initiative

Narrative Certificate Program

A year-long online program running from September to May that builds a professional narrative identity. The initiative also runs a one-day and a two-day introductory course and advanced year-long programs for practising narrative therapists. The page says the 2026/2027 program has already begun and the next dates are not yet published.

Format
Online
Language
English
For
Some formal introduction to narrative therapy is expected beforehand, for example the initiative’s introductory courses or equivalents
Organiser’s siteChecked: November 1, 2026

Dulwich Centre Foundation

What is Narrative Practice? A free course

A free self-paced online course in nine lessons with papers, videos, images and interviews, hosted by a member of the Dulwich Centre International Faculty. An optional certification module is offered separately.

Format
Online, self-paced
Language
English
For
Open to anyone; aimed at people in counselling, psychology, community and social work
Organiser’s siteChecked: November 1, 2026

How to choose a programme

  • Recognition. A professional association registry or an accredited provider list.
  • Practice. Hours under supervision and live discussion of your own cases.
  • Teachers. Experience in this particular method.
  • Outcome. A certificate, a path to certification or only knowledge.
  • Entry. Whether you need a base qualification and proof of practice.

Narrative videos

All videos on methods

Looking for answers in the right places: An introduction to collective narrative practice

Channel: Dulwich Centre Foundation: Narrative Therapy · Checked: November 1, 2026

An introduction to collective narrative practice. The video has no description; Dulwich Centre lists it in its playlist of David Denborough’s presentations on collective narrative practice and narrative therapy.

Open on YouTube ↗

Peer Narrative Practice: Learning Together and Working Side by Side by Hamilton Kennedy

Channel: Dulwich Centre Foundation: Narrative Therapy · Checked: November 1, 2026

A talk on combining narrative therapy with peer support, based on peer narrative work with young people admitted to a psychiatric hospital. It asks what becomes possible in a more equal peer relationship.

Chapters, 9
  • 0:00Integrating two frameworks
  • 3:31Core principles of IPS
  • 6:04Applying narrative practice
  • 9:22Addressing discourses of failure
  • 12:03Trauma and storytelling rights
  • 14:22Externalizing problems
  • 17:25Questioning power dynamics
  • 18:58Challenges of the peer role
  • 22:16Reflections on peer support
Open on YouTube ↗

Utilising narrative therapy ideas when meeting with people experiencing suicidal thoughts

Channel: Dulwich Centre Foundation: Narrative Therapy · Checked: November 1, 2026

Loretta Pederson, from a narrative practice team at Telopea Family Support in Sydney, presents ways to use narrative ideas when meeting people who have suicidal thoughts.

Chapters, 12
  • 0:00Introduction
  • 1:03Trauma
  • 3:10What would it be like
  • 4:42Impact on her life
  • 6:02How can we be supportive
  • 8:01Talking about the suicidal thoughts
  • 11:19Sneaky thoughts
  • 13:07Asking questions
  • 16:25Documentation
  • 18:12Support teams
  • 21:07Collaborative position
  • 25:06Skills and getting through
Open on YouTube ↗

Narrative associations and institutes

Practitioner registries, training standards, conferences. The links go to official sites; the descriptions are ours.

Australia

Dulwich Centre

The Adelaide centre founded in 1983: training, a publishing house, the International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, the Michael White archive and resources in other languages.

Official siteChecked: November 1, 2026

Canada

Vancouver School for Narrative Therapy

A training institute with a named teaching faculty, a ladder of certificate courses (Foundations I to III, couple therapy, advanced narrative practice) and a page for its 2027 conference.

Official siteChecked: November 1, 2026

Australia

Narrative Practice Research Network

A joint initiative of Dulwich Centre and the University of Melbourne’s Department of Social Work that supports research on narrative therapy and community work, with a member directory and calls for papers.

Official siteChecked: November 1, 2026

Narrative questions

How do I choose a narrative therapy training?

Compare how much live practice and supervision it includes, the language of teaching and the entry requirements. For example, Dulwich Centre expects participants in its one-year program to practise narrative ideas for about an hour a week, and its Master asks for prior narrative study such as a Level One Intensive.

How is narrative therapy different from CBT?

CBT usually starts from the agenda, thoughts and behavior. Narrative therapy is built around conversations that separate the problem from the person and develop preferred stories about their life. Some practitioners combine the two.

Do I need a degree to train in narrative therapy?

It depends on the provider. The Master from Dulwich Centre and the University of Melbourne asks for an undergraduate degree in a cognate discipline or equivalent plus work experience, while the Vancouver School’s Foundations course states no entry requirements. Read the conditions on the programme page.

Can I try the approach before committing to a course?

Yes. Dulwich Centre offers a free self-paced online course, What is Narrative Practice?, in nine lessons, and the Narrative Therapy Initiative lists a one-day introductory course, What Is Narrative Therapy?.

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