InSight Opera Workshop
July 26-27, 2019


Instructor: Donald Fineberg, M.D.

Santa Fe Opera

Santa Fe, New Mexico


Ethical Dimensions of Narrative in Psychotherapy

as illustrated by Mozart’s Così fan Tutte and Puccini’s La Bohème


Core Objectives:


At the conclusion of the seminar you should be able to: 

1.  Demonstrate how psychotherapy ethics is an ongoing process rather than a set of    

     rules, by applying concepts of this seminar to one or your cases.

2.  List the three most common ethical violations in clinical practice according to this   

     conference presenter.

3.  Define the term “narrative” as applied to psychotherapy.

4.  Describe one psychotherapy narrative in the opera Cosi fan Tutte.  

5.  List two aspects of “narrative” that raise ethical questions on psychotherapy.


Session Objectives:

Friday, 9:00-9:45, introduction.  At the conclusion of the introduction you should:

1.  Be able to list the seminar Objectives and content.

2.  Define what is meant by “Ethical dimensions in psychotherapy.”

3.  Provide a one sentence definition of “Narrative” as incorporated into this seminar.


Friday, 9:45-10:45 - Psychology in opera- At the conclusion of this part you should:

1.  Describe the main narrative of Cosi fan Tutte

2.  Be able to list the main characters in Cosi fan Tutte and describe psychological 

     conflicts in each.

3.  List three fundamental characteristics of the psychological interpretation of all operas.


Friday, 11:00–1:00 – Ethical dimensions of Cosi fan Tutte - At the conclusion of this part you should:

For one character in Cosi fan Tutte, explain how the characters’ conflicts could be   

amenable to psychotherapy.

2.  List three means of assessment of the characters’ conflicts.

3.  List three types of intervention for the conflicts presented above.


Friday, 2:00–3:15 - “Thinking” about ethics – At the conclusion of this part you should:

1.  Differentiate between ‘fast and slow thinking’ as it pertains to ethical practice.

2.  Specify an ethical dilemma suggested by Cosi fan Tutte. Explain the nature of this 

                 ethical dilemma from three different viewpoints.

3.  Differentiate “moral” from “ethical” concerns.

4.  Give three examples of how cognitive development affects moral and ethical choices.

Friday, 3:30–4:45 – Narrative therapy: theory and practice – After this part you should:

1.  Identify four basic principles of “narrative” therapy.

2.  List five common techniques of “narrative” therapy.

3.  List three ethical issues raised by these techniques.

4.  Delineate how “narrative” therapy evolved from basic approaches to psychotherapy.


Saturday, 9:00–10:45 – The opera experience and ethical dimensions – After this part you should:

1.  Be able to describe the application of narrative therapy to an opera of your choosing.

2.  Given an opera of your choosing, identify three psychological and ethical concerns.

3.  In a paragraph, explain how your opinion of the psychological implications has been 

     affected because of this course.


Saturday, 11:00–12:30  Summary

1.  Describe three ways that the narrative approach to therapy might be used in your 

                 clinical practice.

2.  Describe three ways that the narrative approach might help sensitize you to ethical 

                 issues in your practice.

3.  For any new opera, be able to identify psychological ethical issues and apply  use of 

                 narrative therapy to assessment and the means of therapeutic intervention.