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COURRAGE and O.U.T.T.R.A.G.E.D.

A one day workshop with Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo

In London on Tuesday October 7th and in Manchester on Friday October 10th

Cost: £145, 20% discount if you are funding yourself, ie £116

Click here  for an application form

We are delighted that we will be hosting this one-day workshop with Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo who is widely renowned for her work developing the Tree of Life. In this workshop she will be bringing two other approaches that she has developed to share with workshop attenders, the COURRAGE methodology and the O.U.T.T.R.A.G.E.D. methodology.

The COURRAGE Methodology is a culturally sensitive narrative therapy intervention designed to support women and others who have experienced complex trauma and psycho-social distress—especially those affected by violence, poverty, and marginalization.

COURRAGE is deeply rooted in narrative therapy principles, particularly:

• Externalizing problems: separating people from their problems
• Re-authoring identity: helping individuals reclaim alternative stories of strength and resilience
• Collective storytelling: emphasizing community and shared healing
• Cultural relevance: integrating indigenous wisdom and practices, especially through Ncube’s Imbeleko Approach, which honors home-grown knowledge

COURRAGE has been used in South Africa and beyond, especially with:

• Women raising children with disabilities
• Survivors of gender-based violence
• Refugees and marginalized communities

It’s a powerful example of how narrative therapy can be adapted to honor local cultures and lived experiences while promoting healing and transformation.

Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo’s O.U.T.T.R.A.G.E.D. methodology is a powerful narrative therapy based framework designed to support individuals—especially women—who have experienced trauma, injustice, and marginalization. While detailed public documentation is limited, the acronym O.U.T.T.R.A.G.E.D. itself is intentionally evocative, signaling a therapeutic stance that validates emotional responses to oppression and centers dignity, resistance, and healing.

The methodology draws heavily from:

• Externalizing conversations: separating the person from the problem
• Re-authoring identity: uncovering stories of strength, survival, and resistance
• Collective narrative practice: fostering solidarity and shared meaning-making
• Cultural humility: honoring indigenous knowledge and lived experience

In practice, O.U.T.T.R.A.G.E.D. likely involves:

• Story circles or group sessions
• Creative expression (e.g. writing, drawing, metaphor)
• Personal storybooks or documentation of healing journeys
• Facilitated reflection on identity, values, and hopes

These methodologies are not as widely known in the UK as the Tree of Life and this workshop provides a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself further in the work of Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo.

Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo, Psychologist, Narrative Therapist, and Psychosocial Specialist

Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo is an internationally renowned narrative therapist and psychosocial specialist, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. With over 18 years of experience, she has worked extensively with children, youth, women, families, and communities, addressing challenges such as HIV/AIDS, poverty, conflict, and trauma. Her dedication to improving mental health and psychosocial well-being began in response to the rise in violent crimes committed by children in South Africa, severe bullying incidents in schools, and the increasing rates of teenage pregnancies and violence against women and girls.

Ncazelo holds a degree in Psychology from the University of Zimbabwe and a Master’s

degree in Narrative Therapy & Community Work from the University of Melbourne. She has spent much of her career developing culturally sensitive mental health interventions that resonate with the unique needs of diverse communities.

A key innovation in her career is the development of The Tree of Life (ToL) approach, which she co-created with David Denborough in 2006. Rooted in Narrative Therapy principles, ToL uses the tree metaphor to empower individuals, particularly those who have experienced trauma, to reconnect with their roots, skills, hopes, dreams, and relationships. This method fosters emotional safety, enabling people to reflect on their lives from a strengths-based perspective and break free from negative, dominant narratives. ToL has now been implemented in over 30 countries, including the UK, Australia, India, Brazil, Canada, and across Africa, providing support for a diverse range of groups, including children, people living with HIV, refugees, and ethnic minorities.

In addition to ToL, Ncazelo has developed several other targeted methodologies, such as COURRAGE, Narratives in the Suitcase, and O.U.T.T.R.A.G.E.D., a program aimed at preventing gender-based violence (GBV) through engagement with men and boys. These methodologies continue to shape mental health practices worldwide.

In 2015, Ncazelo founded PHOLA, a nonprofit organization focused on providing culturally sensitive mental health services to those affected by trauma, violence, and abuse. PHOLA’s mission is to promote healthy emotional development, offer mobile mental health and trauma counseling to women and children in schools and communities, and train mental healthprofessionals using indigenous knowledge and practices. The organization’s work has had a transformative impact on communities facing severe deprivation and trauma. It also operates a respite home for women and children experiencing abuse.

Ncazelo’s work in training mental health professionals globally is highly regarded. She has trained over 750–1000 practitioners annually, including clinical psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers, and school mental health teams, in her unique, culturally sensitive methodologies. She has been recognized by leading institutions such as the British Psychological Association (BPA), Tavistock, the Black, African, and Asian Therapy Network (BAATN), and numerous NHS Trusts in the UK.

Ncazelo’s training is also sought by universities worldwide, including University College London, the University of Melbourne, the University of Calgary, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, and others.

As an academic, Ncazelo has supervised numerous postgraduate students researching her methodologies and is part of the faculties at the Dulwich Centre (Australia) and the Narrative Therapy Initiative (NTI, USA). She has been invited as a keynote speaker at international conferences such as:

• Global Mental Health and Psychosocial Conference (UK, 2018)
• Community Psychology Conference (UK, 2019)
• Narrative Therapy and Community Work Conference (Rwanda, 2022)
• CNCF International Conference for Psychologists (Mongolia, 2023)
• Australia and New Zealand Refugee Trauma Conference (Australia, 2023)
• TLSWi International Conference (London, 2024)
• Liverpool Conference “Journeys and Hope” (2024)

Recent Awards

In 2025, Ncazelo was honoured at the Women Changing the World Awards, where she received:

1. Winner – People’s Choice Award for Social Enterprises and Non-Profits

(featuring PHOLA NPO)

2. Winner – Women in Mental Health and Counselling Services
3. Second Place – Golden Heart Award, presented by the Duchess of York

With a focus on empowerment and healing, Ncazelo’s work continues to have a lasting global impact, helping individuals and communities reclaim their rights, rewrite their narratives, and achieve positive transformation.

For more information about Ncazelo’s work, visit www.phola.org

Click here  for an application form