***     CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT     ***

             The Houston-Galveston Family Institute
                               and
                  The Department of Psychiatry
      University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

                           presents

                   NARRATIVE & PSYCHOTHERAPY:
   NEW DIRECTIONS IN THEORY AND PRACTICE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

                      May 10, 11. 12, 1991
            University of Texas Health Science Center
                     Houston, Texas, U.S.A.

Concepts from social constructionism, hermeneutics, narrative, and
gender theory increasingly influence social sciences.  Human
beings are described as thinking, perceiving, feeling, imagining,
and making personal and moral choices–all in accordance with the
personal narrative structures they create in dialogue with each
other.  Unlike the mechanical abstractions of traditional
cybernetic and positivist clinical theory, the narrative
perspective portrays story-tellers and story-telling that yield
pictures of villains and heroes, actors, who perform and dialogue
together.  As we consider the role of social constructionism and
narrative, a strong case can be made for thinking of first-person
stories as central to understanding human conduct, social
practice, and social organization.    

A pioneering event, this conference brings together theoreticians
and clinicians currently exploring the significance of social
constructionism, hermeneutics, narrative, and gender perspectives
on psychotherapy and research.  As these perspectives influence
the mental health field, it must be asked what is new and what is
useful in this way of thinking?

*  What is the role of conversation and dialogue in the
   construction of human narrative and how does this relate to
   therapy?

*  Can narrative theory and social constructionism integrate the
   fragmented clinical theories currently available?

*  What are the connections between story-telling, problems, and  
   change?

*  How do narrative and constructionist theories address gender
   issues?

                           Presenters:

 Tom Andersen, M.D., University of Tromso Medical School, Norway

Harlene Anderson, Ph.D., Houston-Galveston Family Institute, USA

         Kenneth Gergen, Ph.D., Swarthmore College, USA

Harold Goolishian, Ph.D., Houston-Galveston Family Institute, USA

      Rachel Hare-Mustin, Ph.D., Villanova University, USA

John Shotter, Ph.D., State University of Utrecht, The Netherlands

                         Co-moderators:

       Daniel Creson, M.D., Ph.D., George Pulliam, CSW-ACP
    University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, USA

The conference format will include theoretical and clinical
presentations and discussions.  Small group activities will permit
presenters and participants to work together to address the
implications of narrative, language, story, and dialogue in
clinical work and clinical research.

Early registration discount until March 31, 1991.  For further
information, please write to Houston-Galveston Family Institute,
P.O. Box 540965, Houston, Texas 77254-0965, USA, call (713) 488-
8404, or send e-mail to Dr. Solomon Yusim at
syu…@thesis1.hsch,utexas.edu, or, after March 15, to
syu…@bcm.tmc.edu.