1. Setting Up Therapeutic Storywriting Groups
Day 3
Dr Trisha Waters
Day 3 takes place about 4 weeks after Day 2.
Resources: Register, Laptop, data projector, speakers, flip chart + pens; Bells; 2 white slips for feeling words; Therapeutic Storywriting published book
2-3 examples of pupils’ books; Bells; Timer (mobile); DVD with Story Links video; published Therapeutic Story to read e.g. The Frog Who Longed for the Moon to Smile by Margot Sunderland
Room layout: tables and chairs arranged in horseshoe format
Handouts: Ppt slides (3 to a page); Certificates of Attendance; Evaluation forms
Internet connection essential: Ensure you have 2 windows open i.e. ppt + online training manual. You will regularly need to switch between these.
For note on timings see final slide.
Trainer’s pre-reading for Day 3: Chapters 6 & 8.
Should also be familiar with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman and Frames of Mind by Howard Gardener (see Bibliography on website)
2 min
Welcome
Recap Day 2 session: We looked at how we receive the children’s stories: open questions to help pupils identify with significant subpersonality characters in morning; reflective statements using tentative openers about the feeling expressed in the story in afternoon

2. Therapeutic Storywriting: Day 3
: 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
4 min
Brief revision of what was covered on Day 2: open questions to identify a significant subpersonality character + Reflective active listening statements using tentative openers.
Go through outline for Day 3

3. Mindfulness Tuning 10 min Repeat MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY given on day 1.
As before turn off slide or move back to opening slide. Ask delegates to close their eyes.
Reflection on the Mindfulness activity will take place as each delegate checks in.

4. Check-in and feedback from groups
Name
Feelings (person on right provides active listening reflection using tentative openers)
How is your group going?
minutes (will vary depending on size and nature of delegate group)
Have notes from day 2 on delegates groups for reference – shows they have been ‘held in mind’ by you.
As on Day 2 this feedback on school groups is a key part of the course supervision. This can take a fair bit of time as all delegates need to be given time to share their experience of running the groups.
Remember to share your feelings- either at beginning or end of round so that person on your left gets the chance to practise active listening skills.
Reminder (day 2) that some background information on pupils is important: Just as much as is available through the Senco and their files – do not need to have intimate details. Delegates should know:
Behaviour of child in class;
Literacy levels
How they get on with peers
How they get on with adults
Any significant information shared with the school about home life
Possible issues:
Non-engagement/disruption – have 1:1 conversation after session. Be congruent, i.e. say their behaviour may make you feel cross/fed up but add you really want them to be in the group. What can the pupil suggest might help next week?
If pupil writes very little due to poor writing skills and they add something verbally that is significant, you can add this in italics to the pupil’s story.
Make sure professionals are remembering to bring one pupil’s story from the previous week to be read aloud to the group and reflected on.

5. Revision: Active listening exercise
Begin your response with one of the following:
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”
After each person shares their feeling words (and before they talk about their group) the person on their right provides an active listening reflective statement using one of these tentative openers.
If a delegate does not use a tentative opener, ensure that you remind the next person to do so – people often forget!

6. Look at one pupil’s set of stories and pictures
Exercise: Emerging Themes and Revision of Written Emotional Literacy Comments
Look at one pupil’s set of stories and pictures
- 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)
45 – 55 min (15 min in pairs min in large group)
Provides revision of the emotional literacy comments covered on Day 2.
With partner:
Choose set of stories of one pupil. Outline their presenting issues i.e. relationship to peers, adults & educational tasks esp writing in class
Read through all the child’s stories written so far and look for emerging themes e.g. friendship issues, food. For the last story record 1 open question re significant subpersonality and 1 reflective/active listening question on the character’s feelings, use e.g. ‘I wonder if...’
Large group discussion:
Ensure each presenter starts with pupil’s presenting issues. They then read all of the chosen pupils’ stories in full without discussion.
Engage whole group in thinking about the last one of the pupil’s set of stories.
Who is the significant subpersonality character? What are they wondering about this character (open question)? Go round circle.
Each person gives a reflective statement about this character using a tentative opener (put these up if necessary - see slide 6)
©Centre for Therapeutic Storywriting

7. Addressing the ending Preparing for the end Making the final book
What happens to the book
Celebration of completion
Post evaluation
20 min
Refer delegates to notes on website re final session
3 weeks before end start the ‘count down’ for number of sessions left. Contributes to emotional containment. Some children find endings difficult but opportunity for a more mindful ‘completion’.
Final session does not involve story writing but making of the final published book that pupils will take away. Teacher keeps the draft books.
Teacher makes professional judgement on which stories to include. Trainer gives an example of a story that may not be appropriate to include. e.g. negative parental character, ‘toilet’ stories etc.
Session outline:
Take in typed copies of stories + colour photocopies of pupils’ original drawings. Pupils stick into book.
Children read through their stories and choose one to illustrate further on their cover- add name etc.
When complete pupils choose one story to read from their book to the group.
Small celebration to mark end of sessions e.g. drink, piece of fruit
Meet with children individually to do post evaluation.
Children take away book at post evaluation meeting and choose what to do with published books e.g. put in book corner; take home.
Complete final session (need at least 8 sessions) and the following week carry out the evaluation questionnaires.
©Centre for Therapeutic Storywriting

8. 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
10 min
Prior to TSW have the My Support Plan/learning targets for each child.
Use the TSW intervention to provide assessment information for class teacher/SENCo e.g. observe unaided/independent writing; socials skills; speaking and listening skills.
Provide new extension targets for My Support Plans. Children’s own evaluations can feed into this.
Refer on if emerging themes indicate significant issue.
Consider what interventions can be used to address emerging themes e.g. Circle of Friends for bullying issues; Story Links if concerns about home/parenting

9. Extension work with parents
Story Links video
12 min
Show video (8 min) from home page of Story Links training manual.
If download is slow and video halting use DVD backup disc.
Story Links follows on from TSW Groups and addresses the needs of particularly vulnerable pupils –can be used for children at risk of exclusion; attachment anxiety.
TSW Groups is Wave 2 intervention, Story Links is a Wave 3 intervention.
TSW Groups focuses on emotional literacy + writing skills
Story Links focuses on emotional literacy + reading skills.
Ethics – Tracy and Lewis wanted their names used and not to use option of being greyed out. Lewis asked if his stories could be used help other children with anger problems. All filmed in the library (not home).
The Story Links model uses a shared enjoyable activity to promote positive attachment. While it can look deceptively simple, like a party game, the sessions will also be dealing with deep seated underlying patterns of both parenting and learning.

10. 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
5 min
Theory to provide underpinning to next slide
Emotional Literacy definition draws on work of Daniel Goleman author of Emotional Intelligence. Goleman drew on work of Howard Gardener ‘Frames of Mind’ multiple intelligence theory which led to ‘learning styles’: kinaesthetic, visual etc.
Gardener divides emotional intelligence into two aspects
Intrapsychic intelligence: within person i.e. awareness of our own internal emotional world. Example of someone with well developed Intrapsychic intelligence is Freud. Right hemisphere activity.
Interpersonal intelligence: social skills, ability to read the feelings of others i.e. theory of mind. More left hemisphere activity. Example Gandhi
Sense of self – falls between intrapsychic and interpersonal- link with Corpus Callosum part of brain.

11. 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
15 min
Show Psychosynthesis Egg Diagram on website if time though not essential – can just refer professionals to this if they are interested.
‘Egg model’ – this is not the ‘truth’, (Assagioli says) just a model/map.
TW has taken this model and adapted it to story metaphor.
Intrapsychic: Lower and higher unconscious
Fantasy metaphor correlates with intrapsychic emotional intelligence e.g. dreams in which anything can happen.
Intrapsychic relates to the unconscious which can be divided into lower and higher.
Lower unconscious (relates to past) – corresponds to Freudian unconscious i.e. overwhelming issues in childhood put out of awareness. Lower unconscious images include big bad wolf; wicked stepmother; poison apple.
Higher unconscious (relates to future) – beyond/trans personal. Self-Actualization (Maslow). What is our dream/vision for our life? Where would we like to be going in our bigger picture for our life? We may contact his part of ourselves through religion, music, nature, meditation, ‘still small voice’. Transpersonal Psychology.
Higher unconscious Images from fairytales: fairy godmother; genie & lamp; magical object – wand/crystal/magic beans – provides shift to a different state of consciousness
Middle unconscious (relates to present)
Relates more to interpersonal issues that are in present time but not brought into awareness e.g. bullying, mother’s health. Images in mundane metaphor – a child like me in a school like mine.
Younger children/more traumatic difficulties based in lower and higher unconscious. Emotional safety preserved by keeping away from everyday external reality.
In children’s stories some will include a shift from lower to higher unconscious images – indicates capacity for emotional resilience. Other pupils may be solely in lower unconscious (reflect sadness, do not make it ‘alright’). In later sessions (week 6 or 7) you might suggest a transformational metaphor be included e.g. magic crystal. Need balance between accepting pain/ reflecting/empathising with suggesting something as a ‘bridge for change’ to give shift.

12. 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
25 min (10 min in pairs + 15 min in large group)
Flag up what metaphor the child is using – does it suggest internal resilience.
If short of time, this exercise can be done in the whole group.

13. Ways into Story Opening sentence that names a feeling
Opening sentence that describes the behaviour associated with a feeling
1 min

14. 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
10 min
A fantasy opener will encourage pupils to use fantasy metaphor.

15. Metaphor settings in the Teacher’s Story
Use animal or fantasy settings in the teacher’s story as a model for the pupils
External reality setting is useful for addressing interpersonal issues with older children and used more in PHSE settings.
2 min
Pupils will use a range of metaphor genres in their stories but good for the TSW teacher to use animal or fantasy settings in order to encourage pupils to also write in this way.
Writing in external reality can compromise confidentiality.

16. 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
2 min
Personal meaning e.g. Apple image - treat v wicked witch
Media imagery – children exposed to more imagery than any other time. Not ‘just’ image e.g. from cartoon but why is this image resonating with the child.
Archetypal imagery – not specific characters – keep generic in teacher’s story.

17. 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 emotional engagement
Remember the importance of just showing the child that their story has been heard and thought about
2 min
Revision points:
Significant subpersonalities; active listening (day 2);
Notice emerging themes
Communicate to the child that you have heard and thought/wondered about their story.

18. 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
3 min
Recap from Day 1.

19. 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
25 min (5 min story, 4 min paired brainstorm, 10 min silent writing, 4 min paired sharing, 2 min group feedback)
Read a published Therapeutic Story e.g. The Frog Who Longed for the Moon to Smile by Margot Sunderland
Ask delegates to think of a particular pupil in their group.
Ensure all are engaged with silent writing task. Need to do this on their own. Use timer.
Don’t need to finish the story.
Encourage them to think about the ‘bridge for change’ (links to higher unconscious).
Discuss with partner.
If time, read out some stories to the large group and refer to the bridge for change.
Sharing with the group is parallel process to our asking the children to share their stories.
While delegates are writing:
FILL IN CERTIFICATES OF ATTENDANCE IF NOT ALREADY DONE- HANDOUT WHILE DELEGATES WRITE STORIES
GIVE OUT EVALUATION FORMS

20. Course Evaluation
10 min
Delegates complete and hand in TSW evaluations. If your LA has their own evaluation you may wish to ask delegates to also complete this.

21. Supervision & Final Words
Minimum of supervision once per term
Final word or statement on how you are feeling at the end of Day 3
2 min
Discuss what supervision you might be able to offer. Recommendation is that there is at least 1 supervision session available per term of implementing TSW Groups.
If this is not possible facilitate discussion to see if delegates can arrange peer reflective practice sessions e.g. 2 delegates getting together to think about the stories and pupils.
Go round circle and ask each person to say in one word or short phrase how they are feeling.

22. Therapeutic Storywriting Information, Research & Resources
Centre for Therapeutic Storywriting Online training manual
5 min
Add your contact details to this slide
Ask if there are any final questions from the group
Final group round: invite each delegate to give one word/short phrase to say how they are feeling at the end of the course.
Note on timing
Timings need to be flexible to respond to needs of group and maintain flow in the learning process.
Timings on slides are indicative only.
Training Day is 6 hours: 1hr breaks + 4 hr allocated to slides + 1 hr contingency for questions, task extension etc
Total allocated slide time: 240 min