This narrative practice group is for therapy practitioners interested in furthering their relationship with the narrative worldview and building community around shared values and purposes. We are excited to offer a program with a focus on presenting and witnessing each other's work. We ask that you have completed a year-long Narrative training program or an equivalent prior to participation. Matt and Suzanne were inspired to offer this program after over 10 years of weekly learning and consulting together with other colleagues committed to developing skills and relationships aligned with the narrative worldview.

This consultation group will be primarily focused on narrative practice and capped at 12 participants. The group will meet for an orientation, a mid-program reflection, and twice a month on Wednesdays (12:00pm-1:30pm ET) from September through June for a total of 16, 1.5-hour meetings. Meetings will have space for connection, practice, and lecture throughout the year. The first 15 minutes of each 1.5 hour meeting will be spent as a large group revisiting and reconnecting to a particular narrative concept or practicing asking questions. The second part of each meeting will be dedicated to a participant's presentation of a piece of their clinical work to a smaller group of 6 people (through audio, video, transcript, session notes). Narrative practices and ethics will inform how we witness and reflect on one another's work. Our intention is to witness the therapist (not the client) in the context of their work and privilege what matters to the therapist.

The meeting dates and times (Eastern Time Zone) are:  

• Orientation: Sept 11, 2024, 11:00am to 2pm
• Regular meetings: Sept 25, Oct 9, Oct 23, Nov 6, Nov 20, Dec 4, Dec 18, 12:00pm to 1:30pm 
• Mid-Program Reflections: Jan 15, 2025, 11:00am to 2pm
• Regular meetings: Jan 29, Feb 12, Feb 26, Mar 12, Mar 26, Apr 9, Apr 23, May 7, May 21, 12:00pm to 1:30pm 

While not a requirement, we encourage potential participants to reach out to Matt or Suzanne with any questions about the various expectations and hopes associated with this course, including any questions about completing a year-long or equivalent narrative training program prior to participating. You can find their email addresses below.

Payment Information: 

• Tuition: $2,000
• A non-refundable $350 deposit is required at registration.
• Payment plans are available. To discuss payment plans, please email Darcey Surette.

Additional Information: 

• Cancellation Policy: Refunds will be given up to 30 days prior to the first day of the program, minus the non-refundable $350 deposit. Due to the limited number of participants, no refunds are available within 30 days of the program.
• CEUs: We are approved for 20 CEUs for this program for LCSW/LICSWs and LMFTs. If you need LMHC CEUs, we will provide you with program information so that you may apply on your own. We are not currently a CE provider for psychologists. If you would like a CE certificate, please note in the registration form which certificate you need. Please also let us know your professional license number.
• Questions? Email NTI at [email protected].

Instructor Bios:

Suzanne Gazzolo, PhD, LCPC

Suzanne has been a practicing licensed clinical counselor for over 20 years. Her early training and dissertation were rooted in relational and feminist ideas. Inspired by hearing Michael White speak about the social justice orientation of Narrative Therapy, Suzanne attended many years of narrative therapy trainings at the Evanston Family Therapy Center in Evanston, IL. There she linked with a group of practitioners that continue to collaborate to this day. Matt Mooney has been part of this group and through him, Suzanne was introduced to the exciting work of the Narrative Therapy Initiative and Steve Gaddis. Suzanne works with individuals and families in her independent counseling practice and also enjoys consulting, mentoring, supervision and presenting on topics related to narrative practice. She is on the faculty of the Evanston Family Therapy Center and NTI. Suzanne can be reached at (847) 280-0564 or [email protected].

Matt Mooney, PhD

Matt is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) with over 15 years of experience working as a narrative therapist with young people and their families in Boston, MA, and Hartford, CT. He has worked as a family therapist, clinical supervisor, high school social worker, and consultant for community-based, in-home therapy agencies. Currently, he maintains a full-time independent therapy practice. Matt enjoys speaking about narrative ideas in any context, is a faculty member for the Narrative Therapy Initiative, and is currently a Part-time Faculty for Boston College Graduate School of Social Work. He can be reached at (978) 219-9819 or [email protected].