Creative Arts and Narrative Therapy: Theater Writing and Photography

969 East 60th Street,Chicago IL 60637

22 May, 2023

Description

May 22 & 23, 2023 9:00am – 4:00pm both days In-person only at the Crown Family School 12 CEUs This two-day intensive workshop will provide social workers, therapists, and educators with a range of creative arts -based techniques aimed to foster clients' personal change, through giving voice to stories and re-authoring narratives. Among the different creative approaches practiced in the workshop, a special focus will be dedicated to theater, creative writing, and photography. During the workshop, participants will learn about the theory and practice of narrative therapy, an umbrella term covering a variety of psychotherapies that emphasize the self-narrating process as a key to well-being. Based on narrative therapy approach participants will practice a variety of theatrical and creative writing methods, as well as photography-based methods, and will be able to explore the connection between enactment, playfulness, creativity, narrative and change. The diversity of methods learned and practiced, could enrich the professional toolboxes of participants, by offering practical ways of engaging clients in a meaningful narrative based therapeutic work. In order to develop a solid skill-set in the use of these methods, each class will contain a practical component during which we will explore the basic principles of the creative methods and of narrative therapy. These workshops will require no prior experience with creative arts, although participants will be asked to take part in the practical exercises practiced in the workshop to the best of their ability. At the conclusion of this workshop, participants: Will understand the major theoretical and practical perspectives of narrative therapyWill have learned the practice of various forms of performance, photography, and creative writing approaches to narrative therapy.Will be able to apply a framework for a critical understanding of various forms of theater, photography, and creative writing that focus on narrative change.Will be able to integrate therapeutic theater, photography, creative writing and narrative therapy.Will have enriched their professional toolboxes with theater, photography, and writing- based methods as well as narrative therapy techniques.Will be able to discuss the applicability of these methods in their work as social workers, therapists, and/or educators.ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS ADI BARAK PhD, MFA Adi Barak is an assistant professor at the Bar-Ilan University School of Social Work in Israel. Adi earned his MFA in Theater and a PhD in Social Work from Tel-Aviv University, Israel. His practice engages the worlds of narrative therapy; applied theater and creative generative writing, as well as photography in projects such as ex-offenders' storytelling (Chicago) using playback theater in conflict resolution groups (Israel); using photography based methods in groupwork with cancer survivors (Israel). Adi is also a qualitative researcher who studies narratives to understand how they are constructed, and how social meaning-making processes influence personal identities. He has researched and written extensively on the application of arts based methods in social work, for instance about the use of creative writing in grief therapy (The British Journal Of Social Work); integrating playback theatre in in narrative therapy (Dramatherapy Journal); or using Augusto Boal’s theater of the oppressed techniques in individual therapy (The British Journal Of Social Work. ABOUT THE EVENT This workshop will take place in-person at the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice: 969 E 60th Street; Chicago, IL 60637 Mask optional. This convening is open to all invitees who are compliant with UChicago vaccination requirements and, because of ongoing health risks, particularly to the unvaccinated, participants are expected to adopt the risk mitigation measures (masking and social distancing, etc.) appropriate to their vaccination status as advised by public health officials or to their individual vulnerabilities as advised by a medical professional. Public convening may not be safe for all and carries a risk for contracting COVID-19, particularly for those unvaccinated. Participants will not know the vaccination status of others and should follow appropriate risk mitigation measures. For questions about accessibility or to request an accommodation, please contact [email protected] or call 773.702.1166. ABOUT THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM *The Professional Development Program at The Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice is a licensed State of Illinois provider of continuing education (CE) for social workers, clinical psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and professional counselors. License numbers: 159.000140; 168.000115; 268.000004. It is recommended that professionals review rules for their licensing board prior to registering to ensure that the content meets their renewal, and/or reciprocity, requirements. For questions about accessibility or to request an accommodation, please contact [email protected] or call 773.702.1166. Refunds are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please see our Cancellation Policy for more details.