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Foucault's concern with the production of subjectivity has led to the development of positioning theory, as it has been called by Bronwyn Davies, Rom Harré and Luk van Langenhøve. The concept of discursive positioning has particular value for counselling because it shows how people are positioned in discourse in particular moments by their own and by others' utterances. Positioning theory also points to the efforts people make to resist and refuse discursive positions they are called into in conversation. This article demonstrates how listening to the nuances of discursive positioning in a conversation can enrich professional practice. I shall use several examples from narrative counselling conversations in order to demonstrate these principles in action.

The philosophical groundwork of Gilles Deleuze is examined for its relevance for narrative practice in therapy and conflict resolution. Deleuze builds particularly on Foucault's analytics of power as ''actions upon actions'' and represents power relations diagrammatically in terms of lines of power. He also conceptualizes lines of flight through which people become other. These concepts are explored in relation to a conversation with a couple about a crisis in their relationship. Tracing lines of power and lines of flight are promoted as fresh descriptions of professional practice that fit well with the goals of narrative practice.

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