The Child’s Own Story: Life Story Work with Traumatized Children

The Child’s Own Story: Life Story Work with Traumatized Children
Richard Rose and Terry Philpot, Jessica Kingsley Publishers,
ISBN 1843102870,
£14.95

STAR RATING: 4/5

This is an excellent guide for professionals undertaking life story work with children or practitioners working with traumatised children, writes Rebecca Eden.

It has useful sections on general work with children. For example, it briefly outlines attachment theory and breaks down the process of interviewing, offering advice about each stage.

It is easy to read and the format makes it simple to find or recap particular sections. Although it promotes the view that this work is best undertaken by specialist
practitioners who can give it priority and expertise, it will better equip any child care professional to undertake the work more effectively and sensitively.

The authors offer examples from practice and also suggest a series of exercises which prompt and provoke the reader to empathise with the child involved in this process.

The worker is encouraged to move away from viewing the process as the production of a book but rather to see it as an effective therapeutic tool.

Rebecca Eden is an independent review manager for North Tyneside Children’s Services