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 great respect for Gadigal people's elders for the significant work of continuing their connection to their lands, language, 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 and mainland China , Palestine, Canada, Greece, Armenia, Bolivia 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, couples and families as well as other relationship forms such as friendship and polyamory. He meets with people face-to-face and via online platforms such as Zoom or Teams. Please click here to find out more, or book a consultation.David offers supervision for individuals and teams. Please click here to find out more, or to book a consultation.David also offers group work. Please click here to find out more about group work opportunities with Sydney Narrative Therapy.Sydney Narrative Therapy arranges it practice around the principles of social justice and the support of diversity. The redressing of injustice is a priority, and people of diverse cultures, genders and sexualities are warmly welcomed.
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 respected international narrative therapy teachers.For details about enrolling in the highly regarded Masters of Narrative Therapy and Community Work 2025 program, a collaboration between the Dulwich Centre and the University of Melbourne click here
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
This is a dictionary for experiences that are hard to find words for, experiences that are unique, complex or obscure. It is a deliberately playful project carefully avoiding expert or psychiatric language.How you can help when we speak of ending our lives
Caregivers and mental health workers often have powerful uncertainty and anguish when supporting those contemplating suicide. This document gathers together young people's heartfelt and considered responses to this uncertainty and anguish.The things we do to survive that can get missed by others
This document is full of stories around the small steps of survival in the face of mental health turmoil, stories that can go unnoticed.How we deal with 'way out' thoughts: lifesaving stories from young people
The stories in this collective document offer some glimpses into the ways young people are finding life saving know-how in the face of 'way out' or 'suicidal thoughts'.Frequently asked questions document
There can be many questions and uncertainties that swamp family members or friends of a person with mental health struggles. This document lists some of these questions and uncertainties as well as responses to them from young people who are experiencing mental health struggles.
Contact
David Newman (he/him)Email: david@sydneynarrativetherapy.com.auPhone: +61 402 257 652Fees: Fees at Sydney Narrative Therapy are negotiated. The key principle is inclusion of those who are often excluded from independent therapy practices due to the unaffordability of the fee. With this is mind we have set up the following as a guide:
* Therapy and supervision with those with relative financial privilege:
$160 (individual)
$180 (couples, families and other forms of relationships)
$250 (team supervision)
* Negotiated fee for othersThere will be a 50% cancellation fee if the meeting is cancelled less than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting.