Becoming a Narrative Practitioner®

“Your work is spectacular!” – participant of the program

At the Center for Narrative Studies we know that even the stories of one individual are a compilation of many stories. That we are formed by the stories we hear as well as the stories we tell. In The Power of Appreciative Inquiry, Whitney and Trosten-Bloom say that the “whole story is never a singular story. It is often a synthesis, a compilation of multiple stories, shared and woven together by the many people involved.”

“A successful summit is always designed to be ‘narrative rich,’ that is, rich with storytelling.” (from The Appreciative Inquiry Summit by Ludema, Whitney, Mohr, and Griffin) Story is the first vehicle of communication in appreciative inquiry work.

• But why is the story form able to do what it does?
• Where does its power come from?
• How can stories be explored for more value?
• Who determines the meaning contained in the stories?
• Why are stories alive?

These questions and more are explored in a new program, Becoming a Narrative Practitioner, offered by the Center for Narrative Studies in partnership with the Taos Institute.

The Center works with groups and organizations. We train people to become leaders by teaching them to understand the power of stories, to weigh the real effects stories have in shaping our lives, and to apply narrative approaches to engage creatively with conflict and change. We help participants understand how story works and how to work stories.

More information is available on the Taos Institute web site. Inquiries for any of the offerings should be directed to pelerei@mac.com  or by calling 301-371-7100.