Sydney Narrative Therapy
Sydney Narrative Therapy offers individual, relationship and family therapy as well as supervision and training for practitioners.Sydney Narrative Therapy would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which it is located. And we would like to express respect for Gadigal people's elders, for their continued connection to their lands, waterways and culture amid invasion and ongoing colonisation.
About
As well as his therapy work at Sydney Narrative Therapy, David Newman teaches narrative approaches to therapy and community work. He also does sessional work at Uspace, a psychiatric unit for young people at St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney.He is an honorary clinical fellow at the University of Melbourne School of Social Work and a faculty member of Adelaide based Dulwich Centre, one of the homes of narrative therapy and community work.David's teaching assignments have taken him to Brazil, Nepal, India, Türkiye, Rwanda, Hong Kong, Palestine, China, Canada, Greece, Armenia, as well as around Australia.Since the early 1990s David has been particularly drawn to the ideas of narrative therapy in his therapeutic and group work.
Therapy
David Newman offers consultations with individuals, families, couples as well as other kinds of relationships. He meets with people face-to-face and via online platforms such as Zoom or Teams. Please click here to find out more, or to book a consultation.David also does group work. Please click here to find out more about group work opportunities with Sydney Narrative Therapy.
Training and Workshops
Sydney Narrative Therapy offers training opportunities for workers who are wishing to learn more about narrative practice. Training opportunities include half-day, full-day, one, two or five day workshops.Please contact David Newman to get more information about current training opportunities or to discuss a specific training request for your workplace.Sydney Narrative Therapy also hosts workshops from highly regarded international narrative therapy teachers.
Online and in-person Groups
Sydney Narrative Therapy offers online and in-person group therapy and supervision. Each of the groups below will start running when three or more people have registered interest. Please register your interest with David or contact him if you’d like to make a suggestion for a specific group topic or have questions.The groups include:• Supervision with those using narrative approaches in their therapeutic and community work• Reclaiming life from mental health distress• Those who stand beside people who experience mental health distress• Pulling relationships away from conflict• Taking responsibility for anger and violence
Articles
The Efforts and Intricacies of Generating Experience-Near Language
'Addicted to Life': Written and directed by Pola Rapaport (2022)
Reviewed by David NewmanPhilosophical Reflections on Narrative Practice With Young People in a Mainstream Psychiatric Setting: First Person Principle
*reprinted as chapter Byers, P., & Newman, D. (2024). A first person principle: Philosophical reflections on narrative practice within a mainstream psychiatric service for young people. In A. Cantú, E. Maisel, & C. Ruby (Eds.), Practical Alternatives to the Psychiatric Model of Mental Illness: Beyond DSM and ICD Diagnosing (pp. 186–206). Ethics International Press.How We Deal With ‘Way Out’ Thoughts, A living document: Ways of talking with young people about sucidal thoughtsExplorations with the written word in an inpatient mental health unit for young peopleUsing Narrative Practices with Anxiety and Depression: Elevating context, joining people, and collecting insider-knowledgesHonoring not Categorizing of Action and Crafting CollaborationRescuing the said from the saying of itTaking a look at the idea of Male Role Model
Online Resources
Responding to suicidal thoughtsHolding our heads up
Resources
The Things That Get You Through: Ideas and stories from young people who have been through mental health strugglesHolding Our Heads Up: Sharing stories not stigma after losing a loved one to suicide
Chapters
Byers, P., & Newman, D. (2024). A first person principle: Philosophical reflections on narrative practice within a mainstream psychiatric service for young people. In A. Cantú, E. Maisel, & C. Ruby (Eds.), Practical Alternatives to the Psychiatric Model of Mental Illness: Beyond DSM and ICD Diagnosing (pp. 186–206). Ethics International Press.Newman, D. (2023). Psychiatric Genetics. In: Lester, J.N., O'Reilly, M. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Critical Perspectives on Mental Health. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.Newman, D. & Sather, M (2016). ‘Being more than Just your Final Act: Elevating the multiple storylines of Suicide with Narrative practices' in Critical Suicidology: Transforming suicide research and prevention for the 21st Century
Talks
David Newman conducts a Workshop on "Narrative Therapy."
‘The written word and narrative practice’ by David Newman
Podcasts
Getting Started With Narrative Therapy: The Peregrine Rural Mental Health PodcastThe Alternative Therapy Series: Narrative Therapy ft. David Newman
Insider Knowledge
Explore here hard-won knowledge and wisdoms that have been cultivated from hardship. The following small sample of documents were crafted from group and individual therapeutic conversations.Dictionary of Obscure Experiences
How you can help when we speak of ending our lives
The things we do to survive that can get missed by others
How we deal with 'way out' thoughts: lifesaving stories from young people
Answers by young people to frequently asked questions from family and friends about their mental health difficulties
Contact
David Newman (he/him)
david@sydneynarrativetherapy.com.au+61 402 257 652Room 2, 35 Perouse Road, Randwick NSW 2031, Australia