Literacy work can provide a therapeutic context in which to support children with emotional and behavioural difficulties in mainstream schools. This text provides a clear theoretical rationale for therapeutic storywriting.

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Working with imaginative journeys and the mystery and magic of metaphor, the author has developed the art of therapeutic storytelling for children's challenging behaviour.

Life Story Therapy is an approach designed to enable children to explore, question and understand the past events of their lives. It aims to secure their future through strengthening attachment with their carers and providing the opportunity to develop a healthy sense of self and a feeling of wellbeing. This comprehensive overview lays out the theory underlying life story therapy, including an accessible explanation of contemporary research in neurobiology and trauma. Featuring tried and tested ideas, with tools and templates illustrated through instructive case studies, the author identifies how life story therapy can be implemented in practice. Finally, the relationships between life story therapy and traditional 'talking' therapies are explored. Life Story Therapy with Traumatized Children is essential reading for those working with children and adolescents, including social workers, teachers, child psychotherapists, residential care staff, long-term carers, psychologists and other professionals.

Healing Stories for Challenging Behaviour brings together the fruits of Susan Perrow's work in storymaking. It is richly illustrated with lively anecdotes drawn from parents and teachers who have discovered how the power of story can help resolve a range of common childhood behaviours and situations such as separation anxiety, bullying, sibling rivalry, nightmares and grieving.

Writing to Awaken is an inspirational investigation of the self through expressive writing, guiding you along the path of awakening through radical truth-telling and self-inquiry. With targeted and revelatory questions, you’ll be prompted to explore your own personal narrative—to write honestly about your deepest wounds, greatest challenges, hidden gifts, yearnings, and opportunities for growth—in order to discover a deeply authentic understanding of yourself and move toward a more liberated, truthful life. We each have our own story, a personal myth constructed from the content life presents us: we connect dots to shape the narrative, devise plotlines from circumstance, change characters, fashion conflicts, and adjust structure, settings, and themes as our lives unfold. But so often, over time, we come to believe that we are our story, identifying so strongly with the tales we’ve told ourselves and others that we cling to them for our very existence—even when they don’t quite fit. The realization that there’s a discrepancy between the narrative you’ve crafted and your authentic self can be disconcerting at first, but the exploration of that gap is a doorway to personal freedom, and this book will lead you through it. The writing exercises in this guide, one for nearly every week of the year, ask you to tell the whole truth about your experience. In doing so, you’ll come to realize that once you engage in this radical truth-telling, expressing yourself with complete honesty, your story changes; and when your story changes, your life is transformed. Rather than sticking with your illusive and tricky “Story of Me,” you’ll be prompted to go even deeper, piercing your personal myth and illuminating aspects of psyche and spirit that give way to profound moments of understanding and personal healing. This is not a how-to book for writers; it’s an invitation on a journey of self-discovery—a guide to facing yourself without flinching, accepting yourself as you are, surrendering to what is, and daring to question and transform what isn’t true. With Writing to Awaken, you’ll learn how to break free from the trance of mistaken identity and discover your essential, authentic self.

The Clinical Practice of Educational Therapy is the first book to provide a comprehensive review of the interdisciplinary profession and practice of educational therapy as it exists today. It describes the scope and practice of educational therapy from its European roots to its growing presence in the United States, and provides case studies to illustrate the work of educational therapists. Key Features: Interdisciplinary Perspective – Other books focus on either educational or therapeutic interventions but rarely discuss the blend and synergy of disciplines that are the hallmark of the profession. Illustrative Cases – The text draws heavily on case studies as a means of understanding the practice of educational therapy, especially the relationship between therapist and client. Expertise – Chapter authors are either experienced educational therapists or allied professionals who have made scholarly contributions to the profession, such as Dorothy Ungerleider, Patricia Waters, Roslyn Arnold, and George McCloskey. In addition to educational therapy students and practitioners, this book is appropriate for those working in related fields including special education, school psychology, school counseling, and social work in educational settings.