|
About the Journal of Narrative Family Therapy
|
In 1992, David Epston and Michael White issued what has come to be known as a manifesto of sorts for narrative therapy. In their ‘manifesto’ David and Michael made the following declaration:
|
With regard to ideas and practices, we do not believe that we are in any one place at a particular point in time, rarely in particular places for very long. In making this observation, we are not suggesting that the developments in our work are sharply discontinuous - they are not. Nor are we suggesting that our values and our commitments are varying - they are not. And, we are definitely not arguing for forms of eclecticism which we eschew. However, we are drawing attention to the fact that one of the aspects associated with this work that is of central importance to us is the spirit of adventure… What will be the direction of this evolution? It could be tempting to make pronouncements about this. But these would be too hard to live by. And besides, our sense is that most of the ‘discoveries’ that have played a significant part in the development of our practices… have been made after the fact (in response to…our work with families), with theoretical considerations assisting us to extend the limits of these practices. We acknowledge the fact that it is always so much easier to be ‘wise’ in hindsight than in foresight. (p. 9)
|
With this spirit of adventure in mind, the Journal of Narrative Family Therapy (JNFT) that will be dedicated to reimaging the future of narrative family therapy practice. It is our hope that JNFT will serve as a spark that reignites the spirit of adventure, innovations and discovery that is so central to the commitments and concerns of narrative practice. In order to facilitate this, we have every intention that JNFT will operate more like an anti-journal through the publication of innovative papers that attempt to capture practices and ideas that inform them that are ‘in their very making.’ We are not seeking papers that are ‘polished’ or that attempt to present ‘completed’ ideas. Rather, it is our hope that JNFT will serve as a co-laboratory of invention, where half-baked and novel ideas and practices will be shared with the broader narrative family therapy community in the midst of their very invention. With this purpose in mind, JNFT will not operate like a traditional journal where papers, and the ideas and practices within them, are already several years old before they are published. Instead, JNFT is committed to making the work of author/innovators available as quickly as possible and encourage the participatory engagement of other innovator narrative family therapists who will engage directly with author/innovators to study, explore, try-out, and expand the ideas to the furthest extent possible.
|
Learn more about each type of paper:
|
