The 2023–2024 Learning, Practice and Consultation Program includes the following online meetings. Please note all times are listed as Eastern Time:

• Fridays 1–5 PM ET Sept 22, Oct 20, Dec 1, Jan 12, Feb 9, Mar 8, Apr 5, May 3 & June 7

The 4-hour monthly Friday meetings will begin with a learning hour focusing on a particular narrative concept or idea, supported by readings, podcasts and videos. This will be followed by a practice portion where together we will spend time asking questions accross the territories of Deconstructing, Re-Authoring, and Thickening, all in the service of supporting Rich Story Development. The remainder of the Friday meetings will be dedicated to consultations. Participants will present a piece of their clinical work to a smaller group of participants (through audio, video, transcript, session notes). Narrative practices and ethics will inform how we witness and reflect on one another's work.  

In addition to the once per month 4-hour Friday meeting, there are 1.5-hour online meetings in small peer groups that will meet twice per month. One remaining week will be a dedicated reading week. The small peer-group meetings allow you to meet with a cohort of individuals, connected by shared values, to help you stay close to your intentions for learning. If you enroll in the program, you will meet with a cohort of up to 5 in the small peer groups.  The program includes readings, podcasts and videos which participants will be expected to read/listen/view outside of meeting times or during the dedicated reading week. Participant presentations of clinical work will take place during the Friday meetngs. Each participant will be expected to present a piece of their clinical work 3-4 times during the course of the program. This course will use the Google Classroom platform. You will need a gmail address to use Google Classroom. A short training will be available to familiarize yourself with the platform.    

This course is highly experiential, and draws significantly from participants' own lives, personally and professionally. We believe the best way to learn is through a personal engagement with ideas and practices. Thus, we invite people to learn by practicing with one another around real-life problems they are up against personally and professionally. This means personal stories are frequently shared. If you are not comfortable sharing stories from your personal or professional life, this course is likely not a good fit for you. To be clear, we don’t expect anyone to share anything they prefer to keep private.

To ensure potential participants are informed about the various expectations and hopes associated with this course, we require interested participants to participate in a conversation before registering. A NTI faculty member will schedule an initial phone or Zoom conversation to discuss your hopes for learning and answer any questions you may have. A decision will then be made about whether your hopes and the course expectations seem like a good fit. To schedule the initial conversation please email Darcey here, with a subject of "Next Steps Initial Conversation." 

If you decide to join us, you will be a member of the first NTI Next Steps cohort! In addition to learning about narrative ideas and practices, participants develop a precious community and powerfully meaningful relationships around shared values. We are deeply heartened by relationships with people like you who recognize the responsibility that comes with the privilege of offering someone help. Graduates of the Next Steps program are well positioned to help grow a more socially just Narrative World.