The therapeutic life story

As a foster carer, you play a critical role in providing stability, support, and care for children who may have experienced trauma and loss. When children come into care, they often struggle with feelings of abandonment, confusion, and fear. This is why therapeutic life story work can be an effective and valuable tool to help children make sense of their experiences and build resilience.

What is Therapeutic Life Story Work?

Therapeutic life story work is a therapeutic intervention that involves helping a child to create a narrative of their life. This process involves revisiting their experiences, memories, and feelings, and working to integrate these into a meaningful and coherent story. The aim of this work is to help children understand and make sense of their experiences, and to develop a sense of identity, self-worth, and resilience.

What are the Benefits of Therapeutic Life Story Work for Children?

1. Helps children understand their experiences: Children in foster care often struggle with feelings of confusion and fear about their experiences. Therapeutic life story work helps children to make sense of their experiences and understand what has happened to them.
2. Promotes healing: Children who have experienced trauma often struggle with feelings of anger, anxiety, and depression. By helping children to process their experiences and feelings, therapeutic life story work can promote healing and emotional well-being.
3. Improves self-esteem: Children who have experienced trauma may struggle with feelings of low self-worth and self-esteem. By helping children to understand their experiences and feel proud of who they are, therapeutic life story work can improve their self-esteem and self-worth.
4. Increases resilience: Children who have experienced trauma are at risk of developing long-term emotional and psychological difficulties. By helping children to make sense of their experiences, therapeutic life story work can increase their resilience and ability to cope with life’s challenges.

What Can a Child or Young Person Expect Doing this Work?

The process of therapeutic life story work can be different for each child and will depend on their individual needs and experiences. However, children and young people can expect to work with a therapist who will help them to:

1. Explore their experiences: Children will be encouraged to talk about their experiences, memories, and feelings.
2. Create a narrative: Children will be helped to integrate their experiences into a meaningful and coherent story.
3. Reflect on their experiences: Children will be encouraged to reflect on their experiences and understand what has happened to them.
4. Celebrate their strengths: Children will be encouraged to recognize and celebrate their strengths and accomplishments.
5. Build resilience: Children will be helped to develop a sense of resilience and the ability to cope with life’s challenges.

Conclusion

Therapeutic life story work can be a valuable and effective tool for helping children in foster care make sense of their experiences and build resilience. As a foster carer, you play a critical role in supporting children through this process. If you have any questions or concerns, it is important to discuss these with the child’s therapist.

References:

1. O’Hagan, M. (2000). The therapeutic life story. Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 12(2), 5-14.
2. Beech, A. R. (2008). A review of the therapeutic life story approach in forensic mental health. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 19(2), 264-280.
3. Davey, L. (2011). The therapeutic use of life stories: A review of the literature. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 20(3), 369-378.