Stephen Madigan MSW, MSc, PhD
Director of VSNT Training
Narrative Therapy
1st, 2nd & 3rd Edition

In 2011 the American Psychological Association (APA) released Stephen Madigan’s book Narrative Therapy. This amazing little 'book that could' reached a massive international audience and went on to become a 'best seller'. The book is accompanied by a six session video set documented using an eight person film team of Stephen's live narrative therapy work.
In 2019 the APA published the Second Edition of Narrative Therapy (ranked #2 on the top ten psychotherapy training books - the DSM-V ranked 5th.). The text richly explores new practice and theoretical developments that more fully engage contextualizing problems and persons within the relational and political influences that shape them. The reader is guided towards discussions on what Stephen feels are the best practice developments shaping the future of narrative therapy practice.
**Please note: The APA is publishing Stephen's Third Edition of Narrative Therapy in September 2025 - with 50% new content.

Michael White and Stephen Madigan
Adelaide Australia,1992
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
September 2025 ~ April 2026
Teaching and Supervision Schedule
*workshops added as they are confirmed
September 19-21 & 27-28 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, a critical race scholar and one brilliant philosopher. Questions - contact Sasha Hawkins: narrativevancouver@gmail.com or register here on the site.
October 8-11, 2025
Sacramento, California ~ Therapeutic Conversations 23!
Worlds largest Live therapy demonstration event featuring the very best collection of international Narrative Therapists. Free CE's!
For information and registration - go to Conference 2025 on this site. Questions? Please contact VSNT Communications Director Sasha Hawkins at: narrativevancouver@gmail.com
November 7-8, 2025
Couple Therapy: Narrative Therapy Informed Relational Interviewing (NIRI) with Conflicted Couple Relationships.
See what the world is talking about! The workshop demonstrates relational 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 Sasha Hawkins: narrativevancouver@gmail.com or register here on the site.
November 14-16, 2025
Foundations - Level Two: Applied Skills Of Narrative Practice
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.
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 28-29, 2026
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 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.