Narrative Therapy in Groups: A Toolkit for Developing Social Support 
Presented by Dr. Todd Tedrow, LCSW, CAPSW, LNHA

 Friday, February 15, 2019 - 9:00 am to 12:00 pm 
 Free: 2.75 CEU's for attending this training
(IAODAPCA Included)

Who Should Attend: Psychiatrist (MD), Psychiatric Nurse (RN), Psychologist (Ph.D), Social Worker (MSW), Mental Health Counselor, Mental Health Therapist, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (ARNP), and other mental health professionals. 

Society is aging, and issues relating to mental health with the geriatric population will continue to become increasingly important.  Mental health problems, often exacerbated by social isolation, are closely related to negative outcomes in many other life domains for this oppressed and vulnerable population. This is especially true for the institutionalized elderly. 

Effective treatment modalities are lacking in general, and are not always practical or appropriate for the geriatric population. The narrative approach, within an existential framework, is considered as a possible therapeutic process well suited for the institutionalized elderly. 

Qualitative data have shown the usefulness of this type of intervention for the development of social support and better quality interpersonal relationships in institutional settings.  Implications for social work practice are numerous and relate to all levels (micro, mezzo, and macro) of practice. 

Relationship to Social Work Practice:

Social isolation is associated with a bevy of negative outcomes that are magnified when one is already suffering with deteriorating mental and physical health.  The identification of important life themes through the “re-storying” process may reacquaint vulnerable elders with skills, strengths and attributes that inform their current life challenges.  The experience of telling stories in a group format creates a path toward new learning, better relationships, reduced conflict, and the creation of a new social support system that evolves when sharing meaningful experiences.  

Session Style: 

This is a highly interactive session where participants will not only learn about the components of narrative therapy, but will also apply the concepts to a challenging client they may be treating in practice.  In addition, participants will also engage in two active learning exercises where they will experience narrative therapy as a therapist and as a client.  These interactive exercises serve to provide a full understanding of the concepts of narrative therapy and how they apply to practice. 

Learning Objectives:

 Participants will:

• Recognize the theoretical basis for Narrative Therapy
• Identify and evaluate a challenging clinical situation through a Narrative Therapy lens
• Analyze how a narrative approach could be applied at multiple levels of intervention including micro, mezzo and macro levels of social work
• Engage in multiple experiential active learning exercises that demonstrate components of the narrative process
• Synthesize the core components of Narrative Therapy with core social work values to inform all levels of practice

Presenter: Dr. Todd Tedrow, LCSW, CAPSW, LNHA 

Dr. Tedrow is currently an Assistant Professor of Social Work at George Williams College in Williams Bay, Wisconsin.  In this role, Dr. Tedrow is the Assistant Chair of the BSW programs in Williams Bay, Wisconsin and Woodstock, IL as well as the advisor for the Healthcare Specialization.  He enjoys teaching medical social work courses, as well as courses in policy, forensics, and psychopharmacology in social work practice.  He teaches in the BSW, MSW and DSW program.  Dr. Tedrow is also in practice at Independence Health and Therapy in Woodstock, Illinois where he facilitates Narrative Group Therapy with clients who suffer from dementia and other cognitive disorders.  Dr. Tedrow has most recently presented on the topic of Narrative Therapy for the International Association of Social Work with Groups in South Africa at their annual symposium in June of 2018 and presented at the NASW-Wisconsin Conference in October of this year.