Special Edition Narrative Newsletter May 2025: Therapeutic Conversations 23 Sacramento, California
- Vancouver School For Narrative Therapy VSNT
- May 12
- 4 min read
"Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine” This Irish language saying highlights the importance of collective strength and the idea that people find resilience through mutual support, which can be particularly relevant when facing oppression. |
Hello everyone – Great to be back with all of you.
Wishing you, your families and friends all the very best.
Following up this Therapeutic Conversations conference focused Newsletter is a practice piece I’m working on – coming soon.
One quick note on 🍁
Canada’s national election is done.
Mark Carney and the Liberal Party won with a minority government.
I voted for Carney. It was the first time in my life - across local, provincial and federal elections - I didn’t vote for the NDP, Canada’s party of the left.
The election was entirely framed by threats of crushing economic tariffs alongside repeated statements that Canada should cede its sovereignty and become America’s 51st state.
Our habitually polite nation was infuriated. No one likes a bully.
The polls opened at 7am.
I rolled up at 7:15am and the voter lineup was already snaking out the door.
Bowen Island locals wore newly minted ‘Canada is Not for Sale’ t-shirts.
Others gave the ‘Elbows Up’ signifier brought to international attention on Saturday Night Live by Canadian comedian Mike Myers.
For those not acquainted with the Canadian culture - Elbows Up is a metaphor for standing up for oneself and one's beliefs, whether it's physically on the ice rink or figuratively in a political or social context.
Meyers grew up a few streets away from me in the (then) primarily white, European immigrant filled working-class neighbourhood of Scarborough. Elbows Up in Scarborough was just the way it was.
He was also part of one the more entertaining Elbows Up political commercials with Prime Minister Carney, who was himself a goalie for Harvard’s hockey team (captained at the time by a guy who now lives on Bowen Island).
Therapeutic Conversations 23 Conference
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
OCTOBER 8-11, 2025
For the past 30+ years, Therapeutic Conversations has delivered narrative therapy informed conferences designed for both therapists and participants to connect, create, and rejuvenate themselves, their practice, and their social relationships.
This year’s TC23 presenter lineup connect with participants through high level theory and skill-based practice presentation + LIVE interview demonstrations.
TC23 is not your average conference. Daily post-conference gatherings are the best you’ll ever experience at any conference. 100% Guaranteed!
Early Registration is Now Open!
LOW-COST REGISTRATION + CE HOURS + DISCOUNTED HOTEL ROOMS
Click the photo below to view the TC23 website for more information.
FREE PRE-CONFERENCE CE WORKSHOPS
As a way to ease participants into the conference TC23 features TWO FREE pre-conference CE accredited workshops on Wednesday October 8th.
1) Responding to Systemic Violence Against Trans and Gender-Expansive Communities
2) Narrative Therapy Informed Relational Interviewing (NIRI) with Conflicted Couple Relationships
Historical fact: Over the course of 22 TC conferences, VSNT has welcomed in over 100 keynote presentations. All were exceptional and very well received – well ok, there was that one time when a keynote speaker was intoxicated and – well we put this down to a bad case of nerves (:
This year’s Therapeutic Conversations 23 conference Keynote presenters follow in the political and practice footsteps of the many great legendary speakers who helped paved the way (and many of them more than once!)
Michael White (3), Just Therapy Team Taimalieutu Kiwi Tamasese/Charles Waldegrave (4), Ken Hardy (3), Rachel Hare-Mustin (2), Johnella Bird (3), Makungu Akinyela (2), David Epston (3), America Braco (2), Alan Jenkins (4), Todd May (3), John Winslade (3), Imelda McCarthy (2), Esther Perel (2).
VSNT is proud to present this year's TC23 Keynote Speaker lineup (in order of appearance):
Stephen Madigan (Vancouver, Canada) Conference opening welcome + When the world walks into the therapy room
Helene Grau Kristensen (Copenhagen, Denmark) Reclaiming our Grief, Reclaiming our Loved Ones
Makungu Akinyela (Atlanta, USA) Culture, Politics, Spirituality and Practice: Resistance and critical theory for disturbing times
Todd May (Asheville, USA) Who Are We Now? The Post-Neoliberal Individual
Rosa Elena Arteaga (Vancouver, Canada/Mexico City) Conversations about Trauma and Violence: Re-establishing Relationships with the Body through Re-writing Agreements with Survival Strategies
David Rock Nylund interviews the Directors of the Gender Heath Centre – Malakai Coté, Charlie Hutchinson, Ari Lozano (Sacramento, USA) The History and Mission of the Gender Health Center: Narrative Therapy in Action
Your TC23 Conference site and Daily Workshop Schedule is now Live.
Many thanks to Lisa Höstman and Sasha Hawkins for your many long days of labour creating the VSNT site design.
Never enough praise can be raised for the beautiful job Rock Nylund is doing on the ground in Sacramento regarding Hotels, Conference workshop space, Tech/AV, CE’s, and super fun social planning.
Loads and Loads more TC23 information to come but for now ~
Please go and spend some time viewing the TC23 Conference Schedule (etc.)
We then ask you to send the conference information along to all your many friends and colleagues. Thanks so much.
Click the link below for all the details and to register for TC23
Talk with you soon. Incredibly excited to see you in Sacramento!
Stephen and all the VSNT Sacramento Conference Team🎈
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