Setting Up Therapeutic Storywriting Groups Day 3 Dr Trisha Waters

Therapeutic Storywriting: Day : Check-in & feedback from groups Active listening exercise (revision) Identifying themes and written emotional literacy comments : Coffee : Preparing to end the group Assessment and referring on Metaphor set in fantasy or external reality : Lunch : Structuring a therapeutic story Course evaluation Plenary

Book References for Day 3 Waters, T (2004) Therapeutic Storywriting, London: David Fulton Chapter 6: Ways into Story and their Settings in Fantasy or External Reality Chapter 8: The Teacher’s Story

Mindfulness Tuning

Check-in and feedback from groups Name Feelings (person on right provides active listening reflection using tentative openers) How is your group going?

Revision: Active listening exercise Begin your response with one of the following: I wonder if you are feeling… I imagine you feel… You seem to be feeling… Perhaps you might be feeling... It sounds as if you are feeling… Do not give advice, try to solve the problem or say “Oh, that happened to me”

Exercise: Emerging Themes and Revision of Written Emotional Literacy Comments Look at one pupil’s set of stories - Identify any emerging themes - For their last story write down: 1 open question about a significant subpersonality character 1 reflective (active listening) statement that focuses on the feelings of this character (use tentative openers) ©Centre for Therapeutic Storywriting

Addressing the ending Preparing for the end Making the final book What happens to the book Celebration of completion Post evaluation ©Centre for Therapeutic Storywriting

Assessment and reporting to other professionals ‘My Support Plan’ targets Children’s own evaluation Literacy assessment Sharing stories with child’s permission Indications for referring on

Extension work with parents Story Links video

Emotional Literacy ‘the ability to recognise, understand and appropriately express our emotions’ Gardner’s definition of emotional intelligence includes: - the intrapsychic or intrapersonal intelligence the interpersonal intelligence the sense of self

Fantasy and external reality Fantasy metaphor- myths, fairy tales, legends, dreams, intrapsychic Fantasy metaphor can be divided into lower unconscious and higher unconscious (transpersonal) External reality metaphor is set in contemporary everyday reality and is useful for addressing more specific interpersonal issues

Exercise: Metaphor set in fantasy and external reality Using a pupil’s story: List metaphor you might associate with the lower unconscious List metaphor you might associate with the higher unconscious List some metaphor set in external reality

Metaphor settings in the Teacher’s Story Useful to model either fantasy or external reality settings in the teacher’s story External reality setting is useful for addressing interpersonal issues with older children

Sources of Metaphor Personal meaning of imagery in children’s stories Don’t discount modern media imagery Archetypal imagery useful in the teacher’s story

Empathic response to significant metaphor Ask open questions and keep statements tentative Look for repetition which indicates a need for assimilation Stay with the child’s interest and engagement rather than bringing in your own Remember the importance of just showing the child that their story has been heard and thought about

Ways into Story Opening sentence that names a feeling Opening sentence that describes the behaviour associated with a feeling

Exercise: Story Openers (2) Using a fairy tale or fantasy setting, write 2 or 3 story openings (no more than 2 sentences) which describe the character's behaviour in order to show the character is feeling one of the following emotions:-  Lonely  Scared  Angry  Miserable  Worried  Fed up  Irritated

The Teacher’s Story  Establishes a writer’s environment and engagement with story  Models academic literacy skills  Nurtures empathic relationship through the use of story ‘reverie’  Provides choice points for emotional literacy discussion  Addresses particular emotional issues in the safety of the story metaphor

Structuring a Therapeutic Story Think of a child you work with and make a few notes about some of their presenting issues. Using a mind map:-  Identify a core emotional issue  What behaviours relate to this issue  Write a story beginning that projects this behaviour onto a fantasy character- taking care not to make the character directly match the child  Extend the story by magnifying this behaviour and showing how it does not serve the real interests of the character  Identify a bridge for change- meeting a wise person, a magic object etc  Allow the changed behaviour to gradually unfold  Finish with acknowledgement/celebration of what the character has achieved Share with a partner Write the beginning of your story

Course Evaluation

Supervision

Therapeutic Storywriting Information, Research & Resources Centre for Therapeutic Storywriting Online training manual