Getting started with NDI

敘事繪畫治療法^®基礎證書課程 

(Foundation Certificate Course on Narrative Drawing Intervention^®)

^{What is Narrative Drawing Intervention®：}

Narrative Drawing Intervention^® (NDI) is a brand new clinical psychotherapeutic model that combines two effective psychotherapeutic interventions – Narrative Therapy and Art Therapy. This model was developed by Clinical Psychologist, Certified Trauma Specialist and Registered Art Therapist, Dr. Monica Wong, through a decade of clinical practice and intensive research.

【Where can NDI be applied?】
The broad application of NDI includes: trauma relief, improvement of psychological wellbeing, facilitation of emotional self-regulation, strengthening of interpersonal relationships, personal growth, prevention of emotional turbulences and enhancement of mental health. NDI has been used by over 10,000 helping professionals with children and youths including SEN students, adults who are struggling with mental health issues, traumatised cases and patients in hospitals etc.

【Theoretical Basis of NDI】
NDI combines the use of drawings and the narratives that clients give about their own artworks, as well as the therapeutic conversations between the client and therapist, to bring unconscious feelings and thoughts into conscious expressions. Through this process of self discovery, the client’s problem-saturated story can be deconstructed, and the preferred story can be reconstructed. Thus, the client is empowered to proactively make better choices and find solutions to their problems.

The first step of a typical NDI session involves goal setting, establishing of therapeutic relationships and engaging in therapeutic conversations. Through   narratives of the story behind the client’s drawings, intrinsic meaning of ‘subconscious thoughts and feelings’ can be externalized to a conscious level, which grants helping professionals the opportunity to observe and understand the inner self of   clients. When clients are able to understand themselves, they can start to accept themselves and to finally play out their potentials to the fullest.  As such, NDI therapist aim to draw out the inner strengths and core values of clients, explore their external resources and support systems, enabling the client to develop self-acceptance and resilience, to replace unconscious defense mechanisms with positive conscious coping strategies. Eventually, self-confidence and hopes of the clients can be harvested.