Stephen Madigan MSW, MSc, PhD
Director of VSNT Training
Narrative Therapy
3rd Edition
In 2011 the American Psychological Association (APA) released Stephen Madigan’s 1st Edition the book Narrative Therapy. This little 'book that could' reached a massive international audience and went on to become a 'best seller'. The book is accompanied by APA's production of a six session video set entitled Narrative Therapy Over Time that documented (using an eight person film team with an Emmy award winning director) Stephen's live narrative therapy work.
In 2019 the APA published the Second Edition of Narrative Therapy and also became a best seller (+ ranked #2 on the top ten psychotherapy training books - the DSM-V ranked 5th.)
**The APA published Stephen's Third Edition of Narrative Therapy in October 2025 with - 50% new content.
Amazon.com Reviews: "Dr. Madigan has done it again! His use of therapy transcripts bring the reader into the beauty of Narrative Therapy and the transformation it creates. This edition is a must read!"
"Stephen Madigan’s Narrative Therapy (3rd edition) is an exceptional contribution to the field and an essential read for both newcomers and seasoned narrative practitioners. This new edition doesn’t simply refresh the original text—it significantly expands it with outstanding new material that brings narrative therapy into our contemporary cultural, political, and clinical moment".
Michael White and Stephen Madigan (home visit - in Adelaide Australia
In this Second Edition, Stephen Madigan does a superb job of “remembering the future” of narrative therapy by drawing on the rich traditions of its past and taking us to the multiple developments of the present. He catches Michael White’s voracious appetite for learning new ideas and sweeps us up into whirlwind of iterations of narrative—true to the original innovative thinking. Both those new to the narrative approach as well as longtime theoreticians and practitioners will delight in this explication.
— Victoria Dickerson, Ph.D., President, American Family Therapy Academy (AFTA)
Stephen Madigan PhD
February 2026 ~ August 2027
Teaching and Supervision Schedule
*workshops added as they are confirmed
February 15-17 & 21-22 2025 (+ 1/2 day follow-up)
5-Day Foundations & Fundamentals of Narrative Therapy Practice
Prepares participants for practice! Teaches key narrative therapy practice fundamentals at the heart of narrative therapy through close up discussion, faculty videos and Live interviews. Foundations Level Certificate Training Course faculty include 5 world class narrative therapists and one brilliant philosopher. Questions - contact: narrativevancouver@gmail.com or register here on the site.
February 28-March 1, 2026
Hong Kong, China
Couple Therapy: Narrative Therapy Informed Relational Interviewing (NIRI) with Conflicted Couple Relationships.
Hong Kong Marriage and Family Therapy Association brings Stephen back to Hong Kong for the 9th year to demonstrate the latest developments in relational practice questions and 5 primary NIRI couple therapy interviewing principles through a series of step-by-step session videos of him working with couples in Canada, Norway, and the USA. Contact Angela O K TSUN oktsun@associate.hkbu.edu.hk
March 20-22, 2026
Foundations - Level Two: Supervision and Applied Skills Of Narrative Practice Certificate Training
3-Day Developing Narrative Therapy Questions and Therapeutic Letters Certificate
Practice, practice, practice. Applied Skills for Narrative Practice certificate course is designed through all-day LIVE interactive demonstration counter-story narrative interviews. Participant's experience the faculties supervisory reflections and feedback regarding their own 'in workshop' development of narrative therapy questions and therapeutic letters.Taught by narrative therapy supervisors Stephen Madigan & David Nylund. Questions: narrativevancouver@gmail.com or register here on the site.
April 11-12, 2026
São Paulo, Brazil
Couple Therapy: Narrative Therapy Informed Relational Interviewing (NIRI) with Conflicted Couple Relationships.
Stephen returns to demonstrate the latest developments in relational practice questions and the 5 primary NIRI couple therapy interviewing principles through a series of step-by-step session videos of him working with couples in Canada, Norway, and the USA.
April 15-17, 2026
Oslo, Norway
Couple Therapy: Narrative Therapy Informed Relational Interviewing (NIRI) with Conflicted Couple Relationships.
IAC (Institute for Active Psychotherapy) brings Stephen back to demonstrate the latest developments in non-individualist relational ideas, practice questions, and the 5 primary NIRI couple therapy interviewing principles through a series of step-by-step session videos of him working with couples in Canada, Norway, and the USA.
May 29-31 + June 6-7 ~ 2026 (+ 1/2 day follow-up)
5-Day Foundations & Fundamentals of Narrative Therapy Practice
Prepares participants for practice! Teaches key narrative therapy practice fundamentals at the heart of narrative therapy through close up discussion, faculty videos and Live interviews. Foundations Level Certificate Training Course faculty include 5 world class narrative therapists, and one brilliant philosopher. Questions - contact: narrativevancouver@gmail.com or register here on the site.
August 7-9, 2026
Foundations - Level Two: Supervision and Applied Skills Of Narrative Practice Certificate Training
3-Day Developing Narrative Therapy Questions and Therapeutic Letters Certificate
Practice, practice, practice. Applied Skills for Narrative Practice certificate course is designed through all-day LIVE interactive demonstration counter-story narrative interviews. Participant's experience the faculties supervisory reflections and feedback regarding their own 'in workshop' development of narrative therapy questions and therapeutic letters.Taught by narrative therapy supervisors Stephen Madigan & David Nylund. Questions: narrativevancouver@gmail.com or register here on the site.
September 25-27 + October 3-4 ~ 2026 (+ 1/2 day follow-up)
5-Day Foundations & Fundamentals of Narrative Therapy Practice
Prepares participants for practice! Teaches key narrative therapy practice fundamentals at the heart of narrative therapy through close up discussion, faculty videos and Live interviews. Foundations Level Certificate Training Course faculty include 5 world class narrative therapists and one brilliant philosopher. Questions - contact: narrativevancouver@gmail.com or register here on the site.
October 24-25, 2026
Couple Therapy: Narrative Therapy Informed Relational Interviewing (NIRI) with Conflicted Couple Relationships.
Stephen's workshop demonstrates his creation of relational interviewing and it's practice values, theory, questions + the 5 primary NIRI couple therapy interviewing principles through a series of step-by-step session videos of Stephen working with couples in Canada, Norway, and the USA. Questions ~ contact: narrativevancouver@gmail.com or register on this site.
February 4-6, 2027
LIVE NARRATIVE CONFERENCE
Vancouver, Canada (Granville Island Hotel)
Worlds largest Live therapy demonstration event featuring the very best collection of international Narrative Therapists.
VSNT International Narrative Therapy Conference. Information coming soon. Questions? Please contact VSNT Communications Director at: narrativevancouver@gmail.com
March, 2027 (dates to be announced)
Hong Kong
Couple Therapy: Narrative Therapy Informed Relational Interviewing (NIRI) with Conflicted Couple Relationships.
Stephen demonstrates both the foundational and latest developments in narrative therapy's non-individualist relational interviewing ideas, practice questions, session note taking, and therapeutic letter writing.
April 2-3, 2027
Barcelona, SPAIN
Couple Therapy: Narrative Therapy Informed Relational Interviewing (NIRI) with Conflicted Couple Relationships.
Annual 2-day Certificate Training Intensive in narrative therapy informed Relational Interviewing (NIRI), with high conflict couples. University of Barcelona. Subtitled couple therapy session videos and highly interactive course. Spanish translators. Contact Dr Adrian Montesano: adrianmontesano@gmail.com
April 7-10, 2027
Paris, France
Couple Therapy: Narrative Therapy Informed Relational Interviewing (NIRI) with Conflicted Couple Relationships.
Stephen demonstrates the latest developments in narrative therapy's non-individualist relational interviewing ideas, practice questions, and the 5 primary NIRI couple therapy interviewing principles through a series of step-by-step session videos of him working with couples in Canada, Norway, and the USA.
April, 2027 (dates to be announced)
Oslo, Norway
Couple Therapy: Narrative Therapy Informed Relational Interviewing (NIRI) with Conflicted Couple Relationships.
Stephen demonstrates the latest developments in narrative therapy's non-individualist relational interviewing ideas, practice questions, and the 5 primary NIRI couple therapy interviewing principles through a series of step-by-step session videos of him working with couples in Canada, Norway, and the USA.
June 11-13, 2027
Shanghai, China
Foundations of Narrative Therapy
Stephen demonstrates both the foundational and latest developments in narrative therapy's non-individualist relational interviewing ideas, practice questions, session note taking, and therapeutic letter writing.
August 10-12, 2027
Salvador, Brazil
A celebration of Michael White
Stephen is touched to be one of the few international narrative therapists invited to celebrate Michael White's legacy and influence with the close knit and highly skilled narrative therapy community of Brazil. More details to follow.