Narrative Practices and Emotions

Narrative Practices and Emotions provides a great wealth of knowledge and new ideas for narrative practitioners. Beaudoin and Monk write with a level of lucidity that underscores the vital role of emotions in narrative practices. Through a series of vignettes from clinical practice, the authors demonstrate how emotions expand clients' narratives. Attention to local knowledges and historically disregarded healing practices offers a breath of fresh air. Indeed, this is a very well-written book that weaves narrative therapy with interpersonal biology, mindfulness, and embodiment approaches. A must-read!--Hugo Kamya, PhD, professor, Simmons University, School of Social Work A significant contribution to a burgeoning body of literature. The authors weave together the diverse strands of the postmodern narrative worldview with the recent developments of interpersonal neurobiology. Beaudoin and Monk invite us to journey with them into new territories of possibility that crackle with innovation. By artfully intersecting narrative practices with generously particularized practices from interpersonal neurobiology and embodiment, they offer many fresh options for fostering the emergence of preferred and robust identities. This timely volume is a must-read.--Jim Duvall, MEd, codirector of JST Institute, editor of Journal of Systemic Therapies, and coauthor of Innovations in Narrative Therapy: Connecting Practice, Training, and Research Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin and Gerald Monk are both veterans of the 'first generation' of narrative therapy practitioners, theorists, and educators. As is often the case when you amalgamate two traditions of practice and theory, you are in for surprises. There are surprises aplenty in Narrative Practices and Emotions--and who better than these authors to have integrated these two seemingly disparate approaches? --David Epston, co-originator of narrative therapy Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin and Gerald Monk incorporate knowledge from neuroscience and positive psychology into narrative practices with curiosity and open-mindedness. I especially like how they explore the 'landscapes' of affective physiology and the embodiment of emotions, as well as their inquiries about clients' experiences of relational flow and mindfulness in their lives. Their ideas are refreshing and inspiring and represent an emergence of a flourishing identity for narrative work itself.--Margarita Tarragona, PhD, director, ITAM Center for Well-Being Studies, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, Mexico City With remarkable finesse, the coauthors draw from decades of study, practice, and teaching narrative therapy to carefully venture into pioneering territories that integrate their clinical work with current research findings about the brain, body, and emotions. Each chapter offers novel therapeutic practices accompanied by transcripts and associated therapeutic questions. If you are a narrative practitioner wishing to broaden the scope of your work with uniquely intense problems, this trailblazing book is for you!--Peggy Sax, PhD, psychologist and founder of Re-Authoring Teaching