Review
------
I found it an easy book to read an would recommend it to peole who work with traumatized children, such as
social workers, support workers, and arts therapists. -- Dramatherapy This 188 page book presents very clearly the roots
and stages of Life Story Therapy, adequately supported by clear diagrams. As the author explains in the preface: he s
to show how life story therapy can be considered a form of therapy in its own right and to understand the potential of
the intervention and find the practice, the theory and the activities useful and creative for your own role and
professional approach... This reviewer heartedly agrees with the author's view that templates, computer-generated life
story work or "All About Me" books off the shelf should not be used... What may be less familiar is the study of how
memories are held within the body. This subject is covered in some very informative pages... Each of these chapters
contains a wealth of practical techniques including the HIDE principles, movement boxes, ecos, interviewing
approaches, question types, the use of "Jenga" (tower blocks), charades, "Feelings" theme chart, "All About Me" books,
fact - fiction - fantasy heroism template, the behaviour game, the thinking game and the use wallpaper to paint the
journey of the child... For any Certified Play Therapist working with traumatised children this is an essential book to
enable you to consider adding Life Story Therapy to your tool-kit. It is also recommended for other qualified members
who may be encourage to work with this group of children combining this approach with their existing skills. -- Play for
Life Richard Rose's book will help professionals in many fields (counsellors, social workers, family support workers,
teachers and guardians ad litem) to make difference to the psychological lives of children by finding creative and
sensitive ways to work with painful parts of children's stories. -- BACP - Children & Young People The value and power
of the Life Story approach to reconstructing and reconnecting a child using personal narrative cannot be underestimated,
and the way that Richard Rose lays out the core elements of this approach is both practical and elegant. This is a
refreshing and renewing clinical approach that is both developmentally sensitive and "trauma-informed." -- From the
Foreword by Bruce D. Perry, Senior Fellow, The Child Trauma Academy, Houston, USA Good practice is promoted throughout
this book. Rose's emphasis on careful preparation and information gathering and the use of various techniques,
particularly wallpaper work, to help children process and internalise past experiences is inspiring. Involving primary
carers in life story sessions to promote attunement and attachment, and highlighting the importance of play in engaging
children in this highly sensitive work is an approach others should strive to adopt. -- Joy Rees, Adoption Team Leader,
Family Futures Associate and author of Life Story Books for Adopted Children Richard Rose makes a solid case for placing
life story therapy alongside other important approaches for working with children who have been traumatized. He
emphasizes working through care givers and using sensitive interventions to help the child explore and make sense of his
or her past in order to improve current functioning. The book is loaded with specific techniques and guidance so that
therapists of all levels can begin using life story therapy immediately in their practice. -- Todd Nichols, Executive
Director, Family Attachment and Counseling Center, Minnesota, USA, and co-author of Connecting with Kids through
Stories, 2nd edition
Review
------
I found it an easy book to read an would recommend it to peole who work with traumatized children, such as
social workers, support workers, and arts therapists. (Dramatherapy)
This 188 page book presents very clearly the roots and stages of Life Story Therapy, adequately supported by clear
diagrams. As the author explains in the preface: he s to show how life story therapy can be considered a form of
therapy in its own right and to understand the potential of the intervention and find the practice, the theory and the
activities useful and creative for your own role and professional approach... This reviewer heartedly agrees with the
author's view that templates, computer-generated life story work or "All About Me" books off the shelf should not be
used... What may be less familiar is the study of how memories are held within the body. This subject is covered in some
very informative pages... Each of these chapters contains a wealth of practical techniques including the HIDE
principles, movement boxes, ecos, interviewing approaches, question types, the use of "Jenga" (tower blocks),
charades, "Feelings" theme chart, "All About Me" books, fact - fiction - fantasy heroism template, the behaviour game,
the thinking game and the use wallpaper to paint the journey of the child... For any Certified Play Therapist working
with traumatised children this is an essential book to enable you to consider adding Life Story Therapy to your
tool-kit. It is also recommended for other qualified members who may be encourage to work with this group of children
combining this approach with their existing skills. (Play for Life)
Richard Rose's book will help professionals in many fields (counsellors, social workers, family support workers,
teachers and guardians ad litem) to make difference to the psychological lives of children by finding creative and
sensitive ways to work with painful parts of children's stories. (BACP - Children & Young People)
The value and power of the Life Story approach to reconstructing and reconnecting a child using personal narrative
cannot be underestimated, and the way that Richard Rose lays out the core elements of this approach is both practical
and elegant. This is a refreshing and renewing clinical approach that is both developmentally sensitive and
"trauma-informed." (From the Foreword by Bruce D. Perry, Senior Fellow, The Child Trauma Academy, Houston, USA)
Good practice is promoted throughout this book. Rose's emphasis on careful preparation and information gathering and the
use of various techniques, particularly wallpaper work, to help children process and internalise past experiences is
inspiring. Involving primary carers in life story sessions to promote attunement and attachment, and highlighting the
importance of play in engaging children in this highly sensitive work is an approach others should strive to adopt. (Joy
Rees, Adoption Team Leader, Family Futures Associate and author of Life Story Books for Adopted Children)
Richard Rose makes a solid case for placing life story therapy alongside other important approaches for working with
children who have been traumatized. He emphasizes working through care givers and using sensitive interventions to help
the child explore and make sense of his or her past in order to improve current functioning. The book is loaded with
specific techniques and guidance so that therapists of all levels can begin using life story therapy immediately in
their practice. (Todd Nichols, Executive Director, Family Attachment and Counseling Center, Minnesota, USA, and
co-author of Connecting with Kids through Stories, 2nd edition)
