Narrative Therapy Certificate Program- Level 1

Facilitated by: John Stillman, LICSW

Caspersen Therapy and Training Center is known for its thoughtful curation of the world’s influential and experienced voices in narrative therapy to lead workshops and training. Caspersen’s global online format allows access to participants with high speed internet from anywhere. The Caspersen Therapy and Training Center offers a Narrative Therapy Certificate Program providing an opportunity to train with John Stillman, LICSW, and many other experienced narrative therapists in the Twin Cities and from around the world.

This seven-month clinical training program runs from October 2025 to April 2026. The Certificate Program consists of an organized series of monthly workshops, practice group training, texts, and readings. It is all offered via interactive web conferencing. Participants also have access to recordings if they are not able to attend a session in person.

Those who successfully complete the program will have the foundational knowledge and skills to practice Narrative Therapy in individual, couple, family and group therapy across a wide range of problems and ages.

Why Narrative Therapy

Many therapeutic approaches focus on a single diagnosis and focus on techniques or tools. While this is initially appealing to therapists, it does not provide a philosophical framework to guide their practice. Narrative Therapy fits with how practitioners want to relate to people. It provides techniques and tools along with a therapeutic framework where they can feel confident addressing any problem that is presented. Participants leave refreshed knowing that there is a way for them to practice which is in line with the values that brought them to a caring profession in the first place.

14 workshop hours offered

The workshops provided at Caspersen offer four workshops per training series. Participants need to attend 3 of the 4 workshops to complete the course and they have the option of attending all 4 for no additional charge. While it is recommended that students attend workshops live, you can view some of the workshops as recordings if you are unable to attend the scheduled workshops.

21 practice group hours

Seven practice groups, each three hours long, will be held through the series. We do our best to schedule the practice groups at times best fitting for participants’ schedules. Each practice group will be focused on acquiring skills to practice the different narrative principles. The participants will use exercises directly from Stillman, J. (in press). Narrative therapy handbook: Moving narrative principles into practice.

CEUs

CEUs are available for both the workshops and the practice groups and will be awarded upon completion of all course requirements. CEUs are available through Minnesota licensing boards of Family Therapy, Psychology, and the Board of Behavioral Health. National CEUs are available through ASWB for social work. ASWB covers Minnesota social workers. ASWB also covers other licenses in different states. We ask participants to take responsibility for checking to see if they can receive CEUs by contacting the licensing board associated with their license.

Reading

Reading assignments will be given throughout the program. Reading is selectively chosen with the intention to maximize learning while minimizing wasted time, as we are mindful that this program is for working professionals.

Program Costs

FOUR WORKSHOPS OFFERED (three workshop Minimum for completion)

SEVEN SMALL GROUP PRACTICE SESSIONS

35 CEU hours

The program's workshops and practice groups are approved for 35 CEUs by most licensing boards in Minnesota and approved nationwide for social workers, psychologists and other associated licenses by ASWB. Please check with your individual board.

Evaluations will be collected after each workshop or practice session and post-tests will be required for viewing workshop and practice group recordings.

CEUs for the course will be awarded upon completing of all course requirements. The CEU certificate will document the individual dates for specific workshops so participants can claim these CEUs for the specific license renewal period when they were attended.

Price

$995.00*

*Participants are encouraged to pay the full cost upfront. They can also make two payments, one half at the start in October and the other half in January for an additional administrative charge of $150 (contact Caspersen directly to arrange this option). The books purchased separately and the handbook will be supplied in the form of a PDF.

Books Purchased Separately

Narrative Therapy Handbook, Moving Principles into Practice, John Stillman- $0 (Supplied as a PDF)

Narrative Therapy Trauma Manual, A Principle-Based Approach, John Stillman- $35 (Amazon)

The Narrative Journey: An Illustrated Guide to Narrative Therapy Principles (2012), John Stillman- $25 (Amazon)

Maps of Narrative Practice, Michael White - $18.11 (Amazon)

Narrative Therapy: The Social Construction of Preferred Realities, Freedman/Combs- $30.28 (Amazon)

Narrative Therapy (Theories of Psychotherapy)- Steve Madigan- $15.99 (American Psychological Association, 2011)

Total Book Cost: $125.00 (shipping not included)

About John Stillman

John Stillman is a co-founder and clinical social worker at Caspersen Therapy and Training Center in Golden Valley, Minnesota, where he practices narrative therapy with children, adolescents, and adults. As Director of Caspersen Training Center, he provides narrative therapy training to professionals from multiple disciplines. In 2002, he was a member of the first diplomate program taught by Michael White at the Dulwich Centre in Adelaide, Australia, and is an international narrative therapy trainer. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife and two sons, two dogs, and raises chickens and keeps bees.

Narrative Therapy Certificate Program- Level 1 (Oct 2025-Apr 2026)