Narrative Therapy in Wonderland

Reviews

"This exquisitely crafted text, written by master clinicians, initiates readers into a narrative approach that insists upon mystery and wonder as indispensable tools in the therapeutic process. Through a series of beautifully narrated vignettes from clinical practice, it showcases imagination as an ‘ideal traveling companion for young people.’ It is not only pitch-perfect in balancing theory, compelling exemplar, and succinct advice for therapists and parents, but is also compulsively readable, a compliment generally reserved for popular novels rather than professional texts." — Cheryl Mattingly, author of The Paradox of Hope: Journeys through a Clinical Borderland

"This book is a treasure trove for therapists. As you turn its pages you will find bright baubles, sparkling jewels, and finely crafted gold leaf. What else would you expect in Wonderland? You will also encounter problem monsters, and children with strange powers. You must learn to counter the pathological, the dull, and the unfair, but don’t worry! This book of dramatic surprises will help you immensely. Put it down at your own risk." — John Winslade, PhD, professor of counseling at California State University, San Bernardino

"From the get-go, engaging prose makes this book fun—yes, fun!—to read. Vivid transcripts reveal the powers children have when their imagination, ingenuity, and sense of humor are engaged. Creativity is central to narrative therapy, as is moving past one-size-fits-all solutions. It is refreshing to learn how the creative capacities of each child and family can be channeled towards elegant and often unique resolutions of the challenges they face, and to see the ‘wonderfulness’ of the individual child so centrally featured. This book affirms the effectiveness of collaboration between adults and children in the realm of imaginary know-how." — Jennifer Freeman, MFT, REAT, coauthor of Playful Approaches to Serious Problems

"More than a must-read for clinical professionals, and more than a supportive guide to parenting, Narrative Therapy in Wonderland is a book for anyone who faces Problems and seeks strategies for overcoming them. The authors’ simple yet far-reaching message is that our Problems are not in ourselves. Our Problems are out there, external and tenacious. But Problems can be outwitted, and this book shows how. Wonderland elevates narrative therapy from a professional clinical practice to a way of life." — Arthur W. Frank, PhD, author of The Wounded Storyteller and Letting Stories Breathe