Practical Applications of Narrative Ideas to Youth Care

In this article we look at how narrative ideas commonly used in therapy sessions with youth can be adapted to the work done by youth workers in non-office based settings. Our discussion is based on our efforts to share narrative ideas with staff at Phoenix Youth Programs (PYP) which provides residential, educational and prevention programming for street youth in Halifax. We review the key ideas behind narrative practice and how they have come to inform the intentional day-to-day work of PYP staff. We conclude with strategies staff supervisors can use to promote the use of narrative ideas throughout a youth serving agency.