When it comes to community work, Narrative Practice uses the same principles as in psychotherapeutic work. It helps communities to connect with their values, their abilities, and those ways of discussing that elevate their existing potential for coping with problems, solutions and development. That is why, in many parts of the world, Narrative Practice has been used in the work with communities that experience crisis situations. Some of the ways it has been used are:
- a) Helping children cope with particularly difficult situations
- b) Helping to bridge the generations in immigrant and minority communities
- c) Helping communities that are going through tough times to reconnect with their values and abilities and develop financially and culturally.
This work has been done in South Africa, Canada, Russia, Brazil, Nepal, Palestine, and involved children and communities experiencing the effects of poverty, AIDS, war, natural disasters, abuse, living conditions where there is extreme substance use etc. Specific teamwork and community work materials have been developed (such as the Tree of Life, the Team of Life, the Kite of Life) and are used independently or in combination with a wide variety of narrative community work practices. Information on these materials is also available in Greek.
