THERAPEUTIC LIFE STORY WORK
Every child has a story.
Sometimes they need help making sense of theirs.
Who is it for?
This approach is particularly suited to children who are looked after, adopted, or in kinship or foster care, and to any child whose history includes changes, loss or trauma that would benefit from being explored and understood rather than left unaddressed.
It can be introduced alongside — or as a natural extension of — ongoing Play Therapy, in consultation with carers, schools and other professionals involved.
How can it help?
Life Story Work aims to help a child make sense of difficult or confusing parts of their past — moves, losses, changes in family or experiences they were too young to understand at the time.
Done well, it can support a child to build a closer, more secure bond with their current carers and develop a more positive sense of who they are.
What is Therapeutic Life Story Work?
Therapeutic Life Story Work is an approach that helps a child build a deeper understanding of their own history, and how that history may be shaping their present.
Based on the model developed by Richard Rose of Child Trauma Intervention Services, UK, it gives children the chance to reflect on their past, develop compassion for themselves and move towards their full potential.
What do sessions look like?
As a Play Therapist, I bring the same child-led, playful approach to this work. Sessions look and feel very much like a Play Therapy session, using the same toolkit of sand, clay, puppets, craft and creative media, but with a focus on the child's own story.
As the child is ready, I introduce more directive, structured elements specific to Life Story Work.
Over time, this can build towards creating a book together: a lasting, tangible record of the work done and how the child feels about their journey and progress.
My training
I completed dedicated training in Therapeutic Life Story Work, led by Anthea Benjamin and Julie Burton and based directly on Richard Rose's model.
This sits alongside my wider training as an accredited Play Therapist with PTUK and my background of twenty years working with children, including extensive SEN experience.