Applications of Narrative Practice Workshop - 28th February 2025

Overview of the day:

Applications of Narrative Practice in Speech and Language Therapy 2025: Exploring changing identities as relevant to the people with whom we work and for ourselves as SLTs.

A brief overview of Narrative Practice (NP) will be presented. Practical applications of NP will be discussed and there will be interactive elements to the workshop. Narrative Practice (NP) has its origins in social constructionism and recognizes that people construct their lives and identities socially and culturally, through language, discourse and communication (Speedy, 2008; White & Epston, 2009). NP has been used to address problem-saturated narratives that may dominate the lives of people, encouraging a sense of agency as individuals rewrite and re-author their story to one that fits with their hopes, values and dreams.

NP positions the person and their experiences at the centre of the therapy process. It entails a curiosity on the part of the SLT and a willingness to address the wider discourses that exist around valuing diversity; to explore ways of working that are affirming of neurodiversity; and to challenge assumptions we have about what ‘normal’.

Conversations have long been had in SLT about different ways to view and value our work for example, social model V medical model; impairment based therapy V focus on functional goals.  Yet, some current changes have many SLTs asking “how do I work now?” “what is my role now?” These changes include more focus on client autonomy through assisted decision making, focus on valuing and celebrating different ways of communicating including autistic and stammering voices.

This workshop will draw from the presenters’ work and experience in stammering but has wider applications to other areas of SLT work including autism and to the exploration of professional identities as a speech and language therapist.

Learning Objectives:

The attendees will acquire an understanding of:

• Knowledge of Narrative Principles
• Practice in Narrative Questioning
• Knowledge and understanding of how narratives link with professional identities as SLT
• Knowledge and understanding of how Narrative Practice supports change from problem based narratives to preferred narratives and identities for our clients and ourselves as SLTs and SLT managers

Speakers:

Mary O’Dwyer enjoys working with and learning from people who stammer. She works in Cork Kerry Community Healthcare. She is a graduate of the European Clinical Specialist Programme in Stuttering and her doctoral research explored the role of narratives in the development of stammering. She has completed training with the Institute of Narrative Therapy.

Mary was a member of the group who produced the IASLT position paper ‘Speech and Language Therapy - an Alliance with People who Stammer in Ireland’. Publications include: The Role of Narratives in the Development of Stuttering (2018) in the American Journal of Speech and Language Pathology; O Dwyer, M. & Leahy, M. (2016). ‘There is no cure for this’: An exploration of the professional identities of Speech and Language Therapists in the Journal of Interactional Research in Communication Disorders; Building Resilience in Children through Camp Dream. Speak. Live.’ in conjunction with Courtney Byrd and ‘Narrative Practice in Stuttering Therapy’ in conjunction with Fiona Ryan. Both chapters are in Case Reports of Stuttering and Cluttering, eds. K. Eggers and M. Leahy (Routledge/Taylor and Francis, 2022).

Fiona Ryan is a speech and language therapy manager for primary care, older persons, CAMHS and adult intellectual disability services in Wexford. She graduated with a BSC in Clinical Speech and Language studies in 1994 and obtained her doctorate in 2018 from TCD.

Fiona has worked across primary care and disability services. She specialises in working collaboratively with children, adolescents and adults who stutter.

A graduate of the European Clinical Specialist Programme in Stuttering, her research interests include exploring a narrative approach to therapy. She has been involved in the PI Wellcome –Funded project: 'Metaphoric Stammers and Embodied Speakers': Connecting Clinical, Cultural and Creative Practice in the area of Dysfluent Speech. She has been a member of the S.I.G in stuttering committee since 1996 and worked on the development of the position paper Speech and Language Therapy - an Alliance with People who Stammer in Ireland’.