Therapeutic Life Story Work helps Mia heal from childhood wounds
Early intervention
Growing up, 11-year-old Mia* experienced family violence and neglect, as her parents struggled with substance use and ongoing mental ill health.
From a very young age, Mia took on a ‘parental’ role by caring for her three younger siblings. Sadly, Mia and her siblings experienced family violence from both their father and then their mother’s new partner. When violence would flare up at home, Mia would take all her siblings to the park and hide there, well into the night.
At just five years of age, Mia entered out-of-home care. As with countless other children and young people, Mia’s journey through the care system was one of instability. She moved between several different foster carers and briefly returned to her mother's care before finding a more stable place to live. Three years ago, Mia found a safe and nurturing home with her foster carer, Eli*.
Mia's healing journey begins
Therapeutic Life Story Work (TLSW) is an evidence-based program that supports children and young people aged 5-18 to understand and express how their past experiences have impacted their current thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Through a narrative approach, along with creative and play therapy techniques, the program supports children and young people in out-of-home care to make sense of their past trauma and loss experiences; and how these experiences influence their present thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
Mia's healing journey with Berry Street's TLSW program was guided by Sarah*, a TLSW consultant and supported by her foster carer. With the support of these trusting adults, Mia delved into her past. Sarah encouraged Mia to develop compassion for herself, guiding her to process her complex history and explore her thoughts, feelings, and questions related to her memories.
Together, they worked to address themes of grief, loss, and resilience, to help her to:
- make sense of the sadness she felt at not having a safe and stable childhood
- begin the process of recovery and healing from her trauma
- improve her self-narrative and self-esteem.
“Mia felt a lot of rage towards her mother that she was struggling to move past. Together, we worked on learning to accept her mother’s limitations, as well as her relationship wounds. Most importantly, I wanted her to understand that she and her siblings did not deserve their childhood – they deserved much better."
“Through our sessions together, I have developed a strong relationship with Mia. By using therapeutic tools and activities, and playing lots of games together, we’ve been able to sensitively explore the challenging topics of Mia's life and have begun teaching Mia how to regulate her emotions.”
With the stability of a safe and caring home with Eli and access to therapeutic supports, Mia is given the opportunity to heal, with hope for the future.
Help provide specialised therapy to young people, like Mia
With the right help and support, children and young people can recover from trauma and lead healthy, happy lives. Through evidence-based programs, like Therapeutic Life Story Work, we can help create lasting change for children and young people.
Help us continue to provide trauma-informed care for children, young people and families who have experienced abuse, neglect and trauma. Donate today to support young people, like Mia, who are getting the specialist support they need to build the life they imagine for themselves.
*Name has been changed to protect the privacy of the young person in our care. The model pictured is not connected to the case study.
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