Our Story
This years TC conference is hosted in Vancouver, Canada. October 2-4, 2026.
Welcome to the Vancouver School
for Narrative Therapy.
two separate homestay training/learning visits with Michael White (this involved an invitation to stay in Michael's home for weeks on end), MFT doctoral student Stephen Madigan was strongly encouraged by Michael to open the first narrative therapy training school in the Northern Hemisphere, in Vancouver, Canada.
Michael (the teacher) conducted therapeutic interviews, while Stephen (the trainee), wrote down all the narrative therapy questions he asked inside the therapy room. They were seeing 5-7 clients each day + in the evenings they discussed post-structural theory and politics over dinner. Through it all - they had a lot of fun.
Michael White & Stephen Madigan
One night, on the back of an Italian restaurants paper place mat (that still exists), Michael & partner Cheryl White sketched out the frame of what the narrative training school in Vancouver might look like.
Michael also came up with a bold idea that once Stephen gained his PhD, he should NOT plan to work with, or, for anyone (University, Agency, Government etc.), for a minimum of 5 years. Michael asked: 'What's the worst that could happen?' (: Stephen responded: 'Well, I could fail miserably, make an utter fool of myself, and find another line of work.' Ha!
Stephen returned to Canada after completing his studies and opened the Vancouver School for Narrative Therapy + Yaletown Family Therapy and the rest - as they say - is history.
The Pocket Sized Tale
-
VSNT opened as the first Narrative Therapy Training School in the Northern Hemisphere.
-
Designed and hosted the first (and now the longest running) International Narrative Therapy conference – Therapeutic Conversations.
-
Created VSNT.live is the world wide online teaching phenomenon offering CE courses through hundreds of one of a kind videos and up-to-date interactive discussions on present day relational narrative practice and theoretical developments through Live therapy demonstrations and ongoing discussion series.
-
Home to the most experienced, most published, and most highly trained Narrative Therapy Teaching Faculty in the world.
-
2026 Primary Teaching Faculty include:
-
Rosa Elena Arteaga, Christine Dennstedt, Helene Grau, Stephen Madigan, David Marsten, Todd May, and David Nylund.
-
2026 Associate Teaching Faculty include: Todd Disney, Erling Fidjesttol, Julia Gerlitz, Ottar Ness
-
The 3rd Edition of Stephen's book Narrative Therapy, published by the American Psychological Association, arrived in October 2025. Order through Amazon and sold in all major book stores.
Networker Conference 1996 Stephen Madigan with twin daughters Hannah & Tessa, Michael White
VSNT and YFT found it's stride and eventually put their stamp on the narrative therapy world through the writings found in our first book of practice and theory entitled: PRAXIS: Situating Discourse, Feminism and Politics in Narrative Therapies. While at the same time standing on the shoulders of our teachers, VSNT was growing up and going its own way. We were changing, fast (and continue changing to this day).
After the first year of operation, YFT/VSNT hosted the first ever International Narrative Therapy conference (known after the first four events as Therapeutic Conversations). The Vancouver School commends the thousands and thousands of participants and presenters who showed up (and keep showing up) to our trainings and conferences year after year after year. Thank you ever so much.
A brief sample of the incredibly wide ranging talented keynotes who graced the TC conference main stage include: Johnella Byrd, Ken Hardy, Karl Tomm, Imelda McCarthy + Nollaig Byrne, Rachel Hare-Mustin, Makungu Akinyela,
David Epston, Jill Freedman, Alan Jenkins, Vera Manual, John Winslade, Bill Madsen, Rosa Arteaga, Michael White,
Helene Grau, Alan Wade, Esther Perel ~ and so many (many) more. Whew!
Power/knowledge issues pertaining to individualism, essentialism, expert knowledge, diagnostic manuals, governmentality, subjectification, gender, class, race, sexuality etc., were laid out on the theoretical and practice table The training experience would not be described as 'gentle', however it could be described as necessary. And while all this was going on, absolutely earth shattering demonstrations of new narrative therapy practice were demonstrated. Amazing.
VSNT.live is our latest and greatest training adventure.
The complete Vancouver School video catalogue (400 + and counting) of our collective narrative therapy history is designed to offer the coomunity an up close opportunity to witness and discuss these incredible conference keynotes, workshops, and VSNT trainings. The collection of videos and narrative therapy courses represent one-of-a-kind conference teachings - along with a huge amount of LIVE practice sessions with children, families and couples. Plus present day faculty + guests long play discussion series on new relational practice and theory with the VSNT faculty. Whew!
Charles Waldegrave, Stephen Madigan, Kiwi Tamasese
David Epston, Stephen Madigan and Michael White 1995
Presently, VSNT stands on the foundations of this magnificent experiential history - demonstrated through its 2026 faculty who represent the most experienced and well trained narrative teaching faculty in the world today.
Our present teaching faculty include 5 world class narrative therapists (+ 4 associates), a relational researcher, and a renowned continental philosopher. Collectively we are 100% committed to furthering the learning of our participants knowledge and practice of narrative therapy - further. We hope to see you at the next conference + our training courses.
Thank you so much to everyone for making this narrative therapy journey with VSNT and - a big warm welcome to those of you coming to train with us for the first time.