Therapeutic Life Story Work
Therapeutic Life Story Work provides children with an opportunity to explore their history, through asking questions and processing life events. This helps children to process and make sense of past trauma that they may have experienced.
The approach is designed to strengthen the relationship between the child and their parent or carer, and directly involves them from the beginning to the end of the process.
The therapeutic process often lasts between 6 – 9 months of fortnightly sessions. We follow the Richard Rose model of Therapeutic Life Story Work which involves three stages:
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The Information Bank – the therapist gathers historical information about the child pre and post birth and then collates the information gathered. Careful consideration is given to what the child may want to know.
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Internalisation – the child is supported therapeutically to share their thoughts, feelings and emotions about the areas shared in the stage one process.
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The Life Story Book – the child is given time to develop their own life story book. It is up to the child to decide what is included as a representation for others to see. The Life Story Book is a co-production between child and therapist.
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'Therapeutic Life Story Work can help children to identify and understand the ghosts of the past so children are no longer haunted by them'.
Richard Rose (2012)
'There is no greater agony than bearing an
untold story inside of you' ​Maya Angelou