Name
Gene Combs, MD (1946–)
Introduction
Gene Combs is internationally recognized for his advances in narrative theory and training. He has been involved for the last quarter century in the development of narrative therapy as a distinct approach to individual therapy, family therapy, and community work. In his current day-to-day work, he is developing ways to help primary care physicians become more skilled at understanding and working with the particular hopes and fears of the people who consult with them. With his partner Jill Freedman, Gene has practiced, studied, taught, and written about narrative therapy for over two decades.
Career
Gene received an MD from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in 1972, which he followed with a Psychiatry Residency, at the same institution. He specialized in Family Therapy through live supervision with Jay Haley and Cloe Madanes, residential workshops and supervisory experiences in Italy with Luigi Boscolo and Gianfranco Cecchin, and...
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Key Citations
Books
Combs, G., & Freedman, J. (1990). Symbol, story, and ceremony: Using metaphor in individual and family therapy. New York: Norton.
Freedman, J., & Combs, G. (1996). Narrative therapy: The social construction of preferred realities. New York: Norton. (Also in Russian, Taiwanese, Korean, Chinese, Czech, and Serbian Translations).
Freedman, J., & Combs, G. (2002). Narrative therapy with couples… and a whole lot more! Adelaide: Dulwich Centre Publications. (Also in Korean Translation).
Articles
Chang, J., Combs, G., Dolan, Y., Freedman, J., Mitchell, T., & Trepper, T. S. (2012). From Ericksonian roots to postmodern futures. Part I: Finding postmodernism. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 31(4), 63–76.
Chang, J., Combs, G., Dolan, Y., Freedman, J., Mitchell, T., & Trepper, T. S. (2013). From Ericksonian roots to postmodern futures. Part II: Shaping the future. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 32(2), 35–45.
Combs, G., & Freedman, J. (2002). Relationships not boundaries. Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics, 23(3), 203–217.
Combs, G., & Freedman, J. (2012). Narrative, postructuralism, and social justice: Current practices in narrative therapy. Counseling Psychologist, 40(7), 1033–1060. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000012460662.
Combs, G., & Freedman, J. (2016). Narrative therapy’s relational understanding of identity. Family Process, 55(2), 211–224.
Freedman, J., & Combs, G. (2000). Therapy relationships that open up possibilities for us all. Dulwich Centre Journal, 1 & 2, 17–20.
Freedman, J., & Combs, G. (2001). Facilitating a narrative culture in a school. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 20(3), 49–59.
Freedman, J., & Combs, G. (2009). Narrative ideas for consulting with communities and organizations: Ripples from the gatherings. Family Process, 48(3), 347–362.
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Rodríguez, I. (2018). Combs, Gene. In: Lebow, J., Chambers, A., Breunlin, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_887-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_887-1
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