Application of Narrative Therapies in Substance Use Treatment

Course overview

This document outlines the agenda for a 2-CEU training session titled "Application of Narrative Therapies in Substance Use Treatment," presented by Brock Bodenbender, LPCC-S. The training covers various aspects of applying narrative therapies to substance use treatment. 5 - Minutes Introductions of Presenter, Timeline and Intentions of the Training, CEU Information 15 Minutes - Narrative Therapies Foundational Assumptions - Social constructionism, the role of language, values/truths, and the therapist's positioning of being de-centered and influential. Examination of attendees' own assumptions within this context. 15 Minutes - Substance Use Foundational Assumptions - Etiology, specific substance effects, cultural influences within recovery and societal influences. Examination of attendees' own assumptions within this context. 15 Minutes - Substance Use Story Language - Biases, determining client language, substance's role and intent, identifying client roles, values, and expectations in regards to the substance use. Generation of lexicon banks for attendee use. 15 Minutes - Narrative Mapping - Intervention explanation, landscapes of action and identity, timeline and sequencing, themes and plots, and applying context to content. Demonstration of Narrative Map using attendee example case. 15 Minutes - Generating Alternative Narratives - Examining dominant narratives, thinness, exception stories, double listening, and thickening alternative, adaptive, and preferred narratives. Utilization of example thin stories to reinforce clinical listening skills. 15 Minutes - Interventions to Support Preferred Narratives - Externalization, celebrations, audiences, therapy spaces as exception story, and thickening and loitering. Demonstration of attendee selected interventions. 10 Minutes - Meaningful Progress - How to measure progress, awareness building, language shifts, and symptom monitoring. Mapping examples of progress markers visually and verbally. 10 Minutes - Narrating Long-Term Recovery - "I am," purpose, language of reference, value shifts, and power analysis. Summation skills demonstrated. 5 Minutes - Q & A - Thoughts, next steps, defining therapist self, past client stories.