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Mothers Be HEARD
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Michael White

a tribute

29th December 1948 - 5th April 2008

It is with great sadness that I heard news of Michael collapsing in America recently, and in passing away on Saturday the 5th of April (Adelaide time) 2008.

Michael White was the co-founder of Narrative Therapy with David Epston and was, until recently, co-director of Dulwich Centre in Adelaide.  Early this year he embarked on a separate venture and established Adelaide Narrative Therapy Centre. His work resonated with, and helped, many people and he will be greatly missed.

I write this tribute because Narrative Therapy has been a valuable influence on the way that I think about the therapeutic relationship, the wellbeing of communities, and the process of social change.  Narrative principles also influenced the conception of this website and the way it tries to give voice to the experience of new motherhood.  I do not profess to be experienced or fluent in Narrative Therapy practices, but I have long been mindful of the principles that Michael and his team advocate for, and I want to publicly acknowledge my appreciation of Michael's work.

I appreciate how Narrative Therapy does not elevate the counsellor as the expert, but promotes the collaboration between counsellor and counselee to arrive at a mutually acceptable definition of the problem.  I find this premise to be so respectful of people, families, and communities who want to create greater possibilities in their lives.

I appreciate Michael's concept of 'externalizing the problem' because, again, it facilitates a respectful relationship that allows people to be seen as distinct from 'the problem'. This paves the way for everyone to work collaboratively against the problem instead of blaming a particular person or group.

I appreciate the way Narrative Therapy promotes 'the personal as the professional' because it allows the therapy process to be more transparent as therapists are mindful of the dynamic interplay between their personal experiences and the therapeutic relationship and visa versa.  Equally important is the assumption that 'the personal is the political' because of the way it acknowledges how power is constructed and de-constructed in individuals and society.

I appreciate the whole concept behind constructing meaningful narratives in people's lives and in facilitating an awareness of 'the dominant story' (the known), and ways to strengthen 'the alternative story' (the unknown).  In particular, I value the concept of discovering exceptions in a person's life, where they were not overshadowed by the problem, and in working toward unique outcomes where the problem becomes less dominant.

These are just some of the things that I appreciate about Narrative Therapy.

This website was established as a way of giving women a means to articulate, define, and attribute meaning to, their experience of motherhood, particularly new motherhood.  In writing a submission to 'your story', for example, they might not explicitly be thinking about the meaning attached to their experience, but perhaps that process might facilitate thoughts about what is happening for them at the moment, what is important in their life, and how they feel about the (possibly various) ways that they are responding to the transition into motherhood. 

Perhaps these reflections can also offer them an opportunity to see how their experiences of motherhood sit in the context of their relationships with others and society. 

Narrative Therapy, for me, highlights the potential power of an individual telling their story. The process of creating invitations of engagement, collaborating against the problem, acknowledging politics that work against wellbeing; all can empower individuals to create more possibilities for their lives and can create valued learnings for the therapist involved.

In a small way I hope that this website reflects these Narrative principles in that it allows women to share their stories and, in doing so, allows them the opportunity to reflect on how motherhood is given definition and meaning in their life.  Collectively, it can also embolden other women to share their story and reiterate the value of the maternal voice to themselves and to society.

So, Michael, I thank you for the way that you have added to the paradigms I use to live in this world, the way I engage with people, and the way I think about the therapeutic process.

Finally, I feel deep sadness in Michael's passing because he was family.  My heart goes out, in particular, to his mother who did not expect to outlive one of her children.

May the legacy of Michael's personal and professional life live on in the memories of those he touched, and may his philosophy of practice continue to allow people to reach new understandings and possibilities in their life.

Felicity Chapman

16/04/08