Aug 9, 2026 · 1 hr 4 min · 12 segments
*Who are the people, past and present, who have helped you become who you are?* In this episode of **The Systemic Way**, we explore **Team of Life**, a creative narrative practice developed from the…
Vicky EamesGuest
Mariangels Ferrer-DuchGuestSezerHostJulieHostI would like to say yes, it started as a collective narrative practice, and is, um, um, is a way of reflecting in a collective way, uh, all the principles that narrative therapy has been developing over the years in working with individuals and families.
Um, I think it feels like a step, um, step beyond, um, beyond the individual and beyond, uh, the, the small community.
Uh, it's the, uh, I, um, I, I like this quote in the book of Ma- of David Denborough.
There is this, uh, last chapter where he talks about collective narrative practices and where he describes i- if in narrative therapy we think about the problem being the problem and the person being the person, in collective narrative practices, we think the solution is collective.
Maybe you want to say a bit more what it feels or what it is, um, Team of Life is, Julie.
Yeah, I mean, I think it's, um, what interests me most about it is that, that I think often people, um, can be, um, isolated in the problems that they experience, and Team of Life is kind of, uh, you know, at its heart is helping people to realize that, that problems are shared, you know, and that, as Mariangeles said, the sort of solution's kind of, uh, collective.
But it, but it, it, so it's a way of, uh, in which, you know, we can help people to realize that they're, they, they, they have people in their lives who can support them, and these can be people who, um, are present in their lives now or who, um, you know, have been present in their lives, you know, at earlier times.
It could be we've had children who's, you know, got a parent in prison, you know, who, who can then, can still be part of their Team of Life.
So it's kind of helping children to real- to, um, notice the people who are currently in their lives and to recognize that, that, that they are available to them or could be available to them, um, a- as well as, um, you know, recognizing that there are people who, who, um, have influenced them, um, in some way.
So it's kind of enabling children to share stories about those people, so, um, you know, linking in with kind of remembering conversations and, um, also, um, it, the, the, there's lot, there's a sort of really, um, fun and interactive kind of aspect to it, which I think give, gives children a sort of place of safety of, in which to sort of share these stories because they're then, we're not asking children to speak about problems in, um, the personal sense or, you know.
So, so children are invited to speak about problems in the sort of third person, um, you know, as to what children around here might face in their lives and, and children can share their stories that way, but it, it immediately is kind of externalizing the problem as to these are the sorts of problems that young people face.
I would like to say yes, it started as a collective narrative practice, and is, um, um, is a way of reflecting in a collective way, uh, all the principles that narrative therapy has been developing over the years in working with individuals and families.
Um, I think it feels like a step, um, step beyond, um, beyond the individual and beyond, uh, the, the small community.
Uh, it's the, uh, I, um, I, I like this quote in the book of Ma- of David Denborough.
There is this, uh, last chapter where he talks about collective narrative practices and where he describes i- if in narrative therapy we think about the problem being the problem and the person being the person, in collective narrative practices, we think the solution is collective.
Maybe you want to say a bit more what it feels or what it is, um, Team of Life is, Julie.
Yeah, I mean, I think it's, um, what interests me most about it is that, that I think often people, um, can be, um, isolated in the problems that they experience, and Team of Life is kind of, uh, you know, at its heart is helping people to realize that, that problems are shared, you know, and that, as Mariangeles said, the sort of solution's kind of, uh, collective.
But it, but it, it, so it's a way of, uh, in which, you know, we can help people to realize that they're, they, they, they have people in their lives who can support them, and these can be people who, um, are present in their lives now or who, um, you know, have been present in their lives, you know, at earlier times.
It could be we've had children who's, you know, got a parent in prison, you know, who, who can then, can still be part of their Team of Life.
So it's kind of helping children to real- to, um, notice the people who are currently in their lives and to recognize that, that, that they are available to them or could be available to them, um, a- as well as, um, you know, recognizing that there are people who, who, um, have influenced them, um, in some way.
So it's kind of enabling children to share stories about those people, so, um, you know, linking in with kind of remembering conversations and, um, also, um, it, the, the, there's lot, there's a sort of really, um, fun and interactive kind of aspect to it, which I think give, gives children a sort of place of safety of, in which to sort of share these stories because they're then, we're not asking children to speak about problems in, um, the personal sense or, you know.
So, so children are invited to speak about problems in the sort of third person, um, you know, as to what children around here might face in their lives and, and children can share their stories that way, but it, it immediately is kind of externalizing the problem as to these are the sorts of problems that young people face.
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