Clinical practice
How practitioners describe their work, the questions they bring to sessions, and the thinking behind their approach.
Interviews
Conversations with key figures and theorists in systemic and narrative therapies, gathered for practitioners who want to think closely about clinical practice and theoretical developments.
In conversation
Voices from the field
The interview strand of The Brief Therapy Network brings together conversations with people whose work has shaped dialogical, collaborative and narrative approaches. Each conversation is an opportunity to hear how ideas are held in practice, and how practitioners describe the choices they make in the room.
Interviews sit alongside the network's other resources: the Reading list, Reviews, and the Faculty pages for training and conference contributors.
Insights into clinical practice and theoretical developments, in the words of the people doing the work.
Each interview in this collection offers a window into the thinking that shapes contemporary narrative and collaborative practice. Rather than presenting theory as something fixed, these conversations reveal how ideas evolve through dialogue and clinical encounter. Practitioners describe the moments when a question, a gesture, or a shift in attention opens new possibilities for the people they meet. The voices gathered here reflect a shared commitment to curiosity and relational ethics, reminding us that the most compelling ideas in therapy often emerge not from textbooks but from the ordinary, unpredictable exchanges that happen between people in a room.
The interview format itself mirrors the values at the heart of narrative therapy. It is a collaborative process, shaped by listening and responsiveness rather than predetermined agendas. Each conversation invites the reader to witness how experienced practitioners hold uncertainty, make choices about language, and attend to the subtle details that matter in therapeutic work. These dialogues do not offer quick techniques or formulas. Instead, they model a way of thinking that is contextual, humble, and alive to the multiple stories people carry. For those training or practising, they serve as both inspiration and quiet instruction.
Across the interviews, recurring themes emerge: the importance of witnessing, the politics of therapeutic practice, and the creative tension between structure and spontaneity. Contributors speak openly about the influences that have shaped their work, from collaborative and dialogical traditions to community-based innovations. Readers gain insight into how these practitioners navigate power, invite multiple perspectives, and remain accountable to the communities they serve. The conversations resist simplification, honouring the complexity of human experience while offering practical wisdom that can inform day-to-day clinical work. Each dialogue stands alone, yet together they form a rich, interwoven tapestry of ideas.
The Brief Therapy Network's interview strand is designed for practitioners who want to think deeply about what they do. These are not casual exchanges but carefully curated discussions that honour the intellectual and relational traditions of systemic and narrative therapies. New interviews are added periodically, reflecting the evolving landscape of the field. Whether you are new to these ideas or have been practising for years, the conversations offer something to revisit and reconsider. They invite you to slow down, listen carefully, and reflect on the assumptions that shape your own practice and the stories you help bring into being.
What the conversations cover
Practice and theory, side by side
Theoretical developments
Where systemic, collaborative and narrative ideas have travelled, and how they continue to be discussed and revised.
Practice-based evidence
Reflections that connect everyday clinical experience with the wider literature and research in the field.
Keep reading
Follow the threads
The Theorists pages introduce figures such as Tom Andersen, Harlene Anderson and Michael White, whose work frames many of the conversations. The Reading list gathers recommended texts for going further.
Training and conference material, including the 2005 Catching The Winds Of Change event in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is documented in the Events section.
