We welcome clinical psychologist and author, Dr Karen Treisman MBE, to the podcast. Karen draws on her extensive experience working cross-culturally to explain why creative methods are so powerful in refugee and asylum-seeking contexts. We explore how life story work can combat the fragmentation and dehumanisation that displacement can bring, helping young people build identity and belonging. Karen also shares some practical, creative ideas and activities you can use during life story work.

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Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.

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Life story work ideas, tools and inspiration – all in one place

Creative Life Story Work wesbite

Free resources to support life story work with refugee and asylum-seeking children and young people have been created by three organisations working together: Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB), Therapeutic Life Story Work UK (TLSWUK) and Blue Cabin (the charity behind Creative Life Story Work).

In this episode, Michael Nwoye (CFAB) and Paula Price (TLSWUK) join the podcast to share the story behind the resources: how they came to be, what shaped their development, and how practitioners can use them to facilitate meaningful, culturally sensitive life story work.

You can access the free resources here.

Check out the online Live Classrooms we have coming up,​ delivered by our brilliant ​expert trainers!

Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.

Clinical psychologist and author, Dr. Karen Treisman MBE, joins us on the podcast to explore emotional regulation. Karen shares a compassionate, human perspective, moving beyond one-size-fits-all techniques to focus on anchoring, presence and the nervous system. She discusses co-regulation in social work, why our own regulation matters, and how small everyday 'micro moments' can make a meaningful difference. Karen also offers creative, sensory-based approaches and insights into helping children feel safe, understood and supported.

Chair of Therapeutic Life Story Work UK, Paula Price, joins us on the podcast to talk about delivering life story work in school settings. Paula discusses working with teaching staff, challenges particular to working in a school, and how life story work fits within a school environment. She also shares insights into building trust with children, creative approaches, and moments that show the power of using play during life story work - when it has helped children to talk about difficult things which they may never have spoken about before.

Blue Cabin (the charity behind Creative Life Story Work), and Mary-anne Hodd (a care-experienced independent consultant and Therapeutic Life Story Work practitioner) are exploring life story work for care leavers aged 16-25. Mary-anne explains what the three-year Between Chapters project will focus on including why life story work matters for care leavers, how it differs from working with younger children, and what some of the gaps in support are. Mary-anne brings her own lived experience to the project and shares advice for other care leavers who are interested in life story work.

Find out more about Between Chapters here: https://wearebluecabin.com/project/between-chapters/

Artist Elena Miller is an expert in using play and creativity to help children and young people explore their lives and their futures. Elena joins us on the podcast to explain how play and creativity can make life story work more inclusive and can give children empowerment, choice and control. You'll hear practical ideas for creating safe, playful spaces that build agency and connection. And Elena shares real life examples of children finding their voice in both in-person and online sessions.

Hear a new episode of the Creative Life Story Work podcast on the first Thursday of each month.

Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.

Check out the training we have coming up, including an online Live Classroom with Jessica Parker on trauma-informed approaches to eating disorders >>

In this episode we meet Jessica Parker, director of Trauma Informed Consultancy Services, to discuss how we can support young people affected by eating disorders. We talk about misconceptions and worries practitioners might have; the importance of language; and how understanding attachment and trauma can shape our approach. And Jessica shares advice for organisations wanting to foster a safe, supportive environment.

Hear a new episode of the Creative Life Story Work podcast on the first Thursday of each month.

Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here for regular updates on our training and resources.

Check out the training we have coming up, including an online Live Classroom with Jessica Parker on trauma-informed approaches to eating disorders >>

How can therapeutic letters support healing, truth-telling and connection?

Ciara McClelland from Trauma Informed Consultancy Services explains how letters can help young people feel seen, heard and understood. How they can reach people in a way that conversations can't, and how they can help us say things that might be difficult to talk about in person.

Listen to this episode of the Creative Life Story Work podcast for Ciara's tips on where to start with therapeutic letter-writing, techniques you can try, and language to use.

Find out more about Ciara's upcoming Live Classroom by clicking here

Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.

Check out the other training we have coming up, with online Live Classrooms​,​ delivered by our brilliant ​expert trainers>>