A family describes what they found helpful in their experience at Now I See A Person Institute. They describe experiences of being welcomed into a community of healing. They describe what we call 'process ethics'. Clients and therapists mutually set the tone and agenda of their therapeutic endeavors. The guiding premise within process ethics is the co-creation of ethics that occur within relational opportunities—where the client, therapist, educational facilitator, or learner collaborate on ethical cojoint actions. (Swim et al 2001). These collaborations are designed to reflect the generation of meaning, which challenges “the taken for granted conventions of understanding,” and invites “new worlds of meaning and action” (Gergen, 1999, p. 116). This family has transcended their experiences of trauma and is united together with their hopes for the future. 

An interview with a person that we have been in therapeutic conversations with. They discuss their experience of previous therapies and a part of her journey where she felt coerced. This will be the first of a series of interviews.

A passionate father describes his family's journey within the mental health system and makes a passionate plea.

The narrative of a mother describes how she was able to have an alternative journey when her first daughters' journey was proven unsuccessful. She describes through finding an alternative way to hospitalizations with collaborative conversations and using welcoming language helped save her daughters life. Please share with other parents out there who are experiencing hopelessness. This person wants other parents "to keep hope in their hearts." If you have any experiences to share or would like us to speak about please let us know.

An inspiring person, shares their journey in the mental health system and the importance of experiencing hope. It is important for this speaker to share, because when she was looking for other stories to relate to, "they were very difficult to find. It was discouraging to not be able to find positive and hopeful ways forward”. Listen to what was helpful in her journey. 

Now I See A Person Institute on Collaborative Dialogical Practices: Finding strength in severe symptomatic challenges.  We are inspired by our colleagues and the people we are in conversations with. We share thoughts about different understandings of depression, psychosis, anxiety and other symptoms traditionally viewed in mental illness narratives.  This episode for us reflects the courageous journey of someone who experienced severe trauma and concurrent symptoms but because they were not labeled with a diagnosis they were able to protect their personhood and ability to make decisions on them being a person rather than a diagnosis. More and more symptoms are being seen as created from trauma and that they served a positive purpose in someone's journey to 'wellness'. 

A person describes her healing journey and the courage she found in trusting the humanity of others when others in her life have not been supportive of her. Please see www.nowiseeaperson.com for further info.

An interview with a person that we have been in therapeutic conversations with. They discuss their experience of previous therapies and a part of her journey where she felt coerced. This will be the first of a series of interviews.

How safe conversational spaces lead to wellness. In journeys to wellness, it is important rather than calling it mental health challenges, we create a space where the person's voice is heard and how their voice is prominent. As Harlene Andersen says it is about being a conversational artist. We consider how we hold these conversational spaces as sacred.

We reflect on a person we are in conversation with. This person's powerful expression on mental health services goes as follows: "People who received diagnoses shouldn't let themselves get discouraged because the mind is so much bigger than the categories and our mind and our experience are so much bigger than those made to put us in a box. It's dark inside this box."