Narrative Focused Trauma Care® Level III

The Allender Center is committed to developing therapists and leaders who can effectively apply the Narrative Focused Trauma Care® approach to effect change and foster healing for individuals and communities.

Narrative Focused Trauma Care Level III at the Allender Center is an in-depth continuation of our Narrative Focused Trauma Care Training. This program offers advanced training to leaders exhibiting a unique aptitude for the Narrative Focused Trauma care approach.

An immersive and interactive monthly training experience, Level III combines live teaching, interactive workshops, and hands-on group facilitation practice under the care and supervision of an experienced Allender Center Lead Facilitator.

Thank you for your interest in this training. Applications for the 2025-26 cohort of Narrative Focused Trauma Care Level III will open soon. If you have completed, or will be completing, NFTC Level II and would like to be notified when applications for the 2025-2026 cohort open, please join the Interest List below. 

Join the Interest List

Who Is This For?

• • Clinicians
  • Lay leaders
  • Helping professionals
  • Social workers
  • Leaders with missional alignment to do story work within and/or outside of the Allender Center context

Key Takeaways

• Develop expert knowledge and deep understanding  of the Narrative Focused Trauma Care model 
• Learn to effectively utilize Narrative Focused Trauma Care in individual or group settings
• Learn to identify and skillfully respond to various dynamics, for example the reenactment of story in group
• Learn to engage and lead through relational rupture within a story group, and move toward repair to bring about restoration and healing
• Develop your personal application of the methodology and hone in on your particular style of facilitation that is informed by your unique story
• Learn the practical skills involved with starting and running a story group from beginning to end in your own context

Benefits of Completing Level III Training

• Eligibility to be listed in the NFTC Directory as a Level III Trained in Narrative Focused Trauma Care
• Upon successful completion of the program, earn the designation of Level III Trained in Narrative Focused Trauma Care
• Upon completing the capstone project, Level III Trained participants can also become a Certified Narrative Focused Trauma Care Provider
• Eligibility to apply to be hired as a Facilitator within Allender Center Programs

Schedule

The Narrative Focused Trauma Care Level III program will take place online from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm PT on the following dates :

Your Experience Includes:

Live Sessions:

• An immersive experience of teaching and hands-on praxis applying Narrative Focused Trauma Care to group story work
• A total of 65 hours of training and coaching toward developing your practitioner skills 
• A monthly meeting rhythm designed to help you break down, understand and apply the content, and increase competency of theory application as it applies to group work
• Condensed, focused teachings that supports extensive workshopping and robust discussion groups around key concepts
• A seamless learning environment hosted by Zoom technology

Between Sessions:

• Preparatory reading, films, and writing assignments to support your learning and development
• Videos to teach core learning concepts and provide examples of small group facilitation to further develop your story engagement skills
• Individual consultation with a Level III Lead Facilitator to view a video of yourself engaging a story in a small group context for the purpose of receiving individualized feedback and coaching from an experienced Allender Center Leader
• Monthly Consult Groups with peers from your cohort between training sessions which offer:
  • Consult on Story Groups
  • Facilitation practice
  • Training support

Leading a Story Group in your own context (Level III Capstone Project):

• To best train participants to become competent in leading story work in a group setting, participants will lead or co-lead their own 7-8-week Story Group in the winter/spring of 2025. 
• Our desire is that story groups will be set up and take place within a participant’s own context and will be filled through personal invitation and recruitment within the participant’s network. The Allender Center will provide registration and fee collection services, and the necessary group resources, support, and supervision that will simulate an Allender Center facilitated story group. Included in Level 3, participants have access to To Be Told Story Group Edition online course that provides week to week guidance as a companion as they lead their story group
  • To Be Told Story Group Edition includes psychoeducation and teachings from Dan Allender around trauma and the importance of engaging their stories
  • Downloadable resources and guides, self reflection questions to support the participants in between weekly story groups
• For participants who do not have access to starting a group within their context, the Allender Center may provide them the support to do so.  
• Story Group peer consulting will be an integral part of the NFTC Level III training sessions.

How to Prepare:

• Locate a space in your home or other location that is comfortable and offers privacy throughout the program
• High-speed internet connection and device: All small groups and teaching sessions will take place online. Stable internet connection with video and audio capabilities is required to participate.

Eligibility to Apply

To be eligible to apply for Narrative Focused Trauma Care Level III, you must have completed the Allender Center’s Training in Narrative Focused Trauma Care Level II.

Continuing Education Units

Participants in the Certificate in Narrative Focused Trauma Care Level III at the Allender Center receive a certificate of completion verifying 65 seat hours. Participants may apply for recognition of these hours for CEU credit with their respective licensing bodies. The Allender Center is housed within The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. The Seattle School is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), is authorized by the Washington Student Achievement Council, and meets the requirements and minimum educational standards established for degree-granting institutions under the Degree-Granting Institution Act.

The Allender Center at The Seattle School will not be held responsible for professional licensing boards or states that do not recognize the requested CEUs.

Join the Interest List