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Life Story Work
Helping Young People Understand Their History & Process Trauma
Trauma Processing
Life Story Direct Work
What Is Life Story Direct Work (LSDW)?
Life Story Direct Work is the second most intensive form of Life Story Work from The Five Approaches to Life Story Work. It centres on a trained practitioner guiding the young person through a coherent written narrative of their life history. This is a structured and planned process where the practitioner can deliver historical and sometimes difficult information in a child-focused way. Life Story Direct Work sessions are scheduled on a regular basis and are consistent over a period of time, acknowledging that the young person is important to the practitioner and modelling a positive example of consistent practice to young people who have often experienced chaotic adults within their network.
Check Out the BJSW Published Paper: What is Life Story Work? How defining approaches can bring clarity to research, training & practice (Neal & Matthews, 2024)
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Life Story Direct Work From Our Practitioners
Life Story Direct Work For A Child You Support
Train To Be A Life Story Direct Work Practitioner
Train In The Life Story PPF Model
More About Direct Work
More About Life Story Direct Work:
Life Story Direct Work is an interactive process between the practitioner and the young person which can include paper-based and play activities. It is a two-way process where the young person is supported to ask questions, express opinions and receive information that may challenge and address misconceptions. Life Story Direct Work delivers a coherent planned narrative of the young person’s history and includes a wealth of information. Therefore, in the context of Life Story Work, ‘direct work’ involves much more than an ad-hoc opportunity to share some new or difficult information.
The work provides content and context to the young person and allows time for reflection and trauma processing. It can help young people who want to know more about their history, have troubled backgrounds or need support around their identity or permanency.
Key components of Life Story Direct Work:
- Includes a written narrative of the young person’s history.
- Guides the young person through their history over a series of meetings between the young person and the practitioner.
- Is undertaken with play and paper-based work.
- Is completed by a trained Life Story practitioner.
- May include a Life Story Book of the young person’s work.
- Will include planned direct work sessions that consider individual outcomes for the young person and their needs and provide content and context about the young person’s history.
- Allows time for reflection and trauma processing.
- Corrects misconceptions and fills information gaps.
- May include parents or carers in direct work sessions.
Why train in Life Story Direct Work?
The need for effective Life Story Work is increasingly being recognised as essential for care experienced young people to support their wellbeing, mental health and integration into the family with which they live. Policy and practice guidance states that it should be integrated into care planning, carer training and practice. Many organisations have however found it difficult to effectively integrate Life Story Work into practice and support skill and confidence in its delivery. For many young people who have complex histories and information gaps regarding their family or history, LSDW provides structured support that can aid their understanding and support their emotional well-being. There is increased recognition that more Social Workers should receive specific training to support young people to navigate their lives and histories.
The five approaches from least to most intensive