Reading: Deconstruction and therapy (White, 1991)
The Vancouver School for Narrative Therapy considers this 1991 paper by Michael White as one of the most important narrative therapy articles ever written.
Video: Ethics, conscious purpose and shaping our questions Michael White & David Epston interview (Madigan, 1994)
Stephen Madigan's 1994 interview clip with Michael White and David Epston asks questions about their therapeutic questions and leads to a discussion about the ethics of narrative therapy and the conscious purpose behind narrative therapy questions
Video: Expert knowledge (White, 2005)
Michael White discusses the traditional 'surface and depth' concept at the heart of internal state psychologies practice and - those therapies based in expert knowledge and individualism
Video: Limitations to structuralist understandings (White, 2005)
In this 2005 lecture Michael White discusses the limitations of structuralist understandings central to popular modern day therapeutic thinking.
Reading: Effects of engaging families in externalizing conversations handout (White, 1991)
VSNT's Stephen Madigan received this Michael White Handout on Externalizing Conversations with Families in Adelaide, Australia, 1991
Video: Gregory Bateson, negative explanation and restraint (White, 1986)
This rare and vitally important 1986 lecture features Michael White introducing his practice of therapy through a discussion of Gregory Bateson's ideas on negative explanation, double description and restraint. The lecture took place 4 years before his practice became known as narrative therapy.
Audio: Power knowledge & externalizing questions (White, 1992)
This 1992 audio represents a formative lecture featuring Michael White outlining Michel Foucault's ideas on power/knowledge/culture - as they influence externalizing problems.
Video: A story of trauma (Michael White, 2005)
Michael White discusses a story of trauma and abuse and how narrative ideas shape how he listens to the story being told.
Video: Plotting the counter-plot with rich description (White, 2004)
Michael White discusses the landscapes of action and identity, unique outcomes and the reauthoring of counter-plots, subordinate story lines, and alternative stories. You will come to understand unique outcomes as those wonderfully delicious moments that emerge to raise suspicions on any finalized version of the problem story.
Video: Working with youth who won’t come to therapy (White, 1987)
The Michael White workshop in 1987 outlines a few novel letter writing approaches when we find ourselves working with youth who won’t come to therapy
