Life Story Louise

31/08/2026

🌟✨Tomorrow, Life Story Louise turns 4 🎉

Four years ago, I took a leap of faith and started Life Story Louise, with hope in my heart but no real idea where the journey would lead.

Over the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some incredibly courageous children and young people as they explored their stories, asked difficult questions, made sense of their experiences, and discovered more about who they are 🧩

I’ve also been humbled to meet courageous first parents who have trusted me with their stories. Parents who, often in the midst of their own pain and loss, have allowed me to listen, understand, and help tell their story in a way that recognises their experiences, trauma, love and humanity. It has been a privilege to help ensure those stories are shared honestly, sensitively and with compassion 🌸

Along the way there have been life story books, creative resources, supervision conversations, training, laughter, tears, and countless moments that have reminded me of the strength and resilience people carry, even in the most difficult circumstances 🫶

Above all, I feel incredibly privileged.

Privileged to have met children and young people brave enough to ask difficult questions about their lives 🧡

Privileged to have sat with first parents and listened to stories often filled with loss, love, trauma and hope 🧡

Privileged to work alongside parenting parents, adoptive parent’s and practitioners who keep children at the centre of everything they do🧡

Thank you to everyone who has trusted me with their stories over the last four years. It is a responsibility I never take lightly 🫶

Your courage, honesty and trust have shaped me far more than you will ever know 💖

23/08/2026

23/08/2026

Just a Therapeutic Life Story Work practitioner giving her latest Vinted haul a little wash 🧼 🦖

These dinosaurs might have spent millions of years roaming the earth, but now they’re preparing for a very different adventure.

Soon they’ll be helping children explore:

🦕 Family trees and genograms
🦖 Feelings and emotions
🦕 Identity and belonging
🦖 How our brains work

It’s amazing what can start with a pile of second hand dinosaurs and a little imagination 💭

16/08/2026

This week I've been learning, creating and gathering together resources that help bring family trees and genograms to life.

After completing Dr Karen Treisman's brilliant online genogram module, I've spent hours painting pebbles and wooden discs inspired by the symbols children often choose to represent important people, feelings and experiences. Anchors, ghosts, octopuses, volcanoes, rubbish bins, rainbow hearts... and of course, I couldn't resist recreating Taya the Tortoise 🐢 💖

What fascinates me about this work is that often a pebble, a puppet, a tiny figure or a symbol can be just what is needed to support begin to explore their histories and the important people, pets and memories.

I can't wait to welcome other practitioners to this space by the sea to explore creative, child centred approaches to therapeutic life story work together 💖

Big thank you to Knit-for-Nowt for my beautiful colour monsters and finger puppets 🫶

📍 Life Story Work Workshop by the Sea 🗓️ 8th & 9th September
Link in bio or message for information.

13/08/2026

A core part of a trauma-informed culture is recognising that behaviour communicates something deeper. What do you do to help create a trauma-informed culture in your work, families, relationships?

The Trauma Recovery Global Team

11/08/2026

The life story lesson I learn again and again 💖

I was once commissioned to undertake therapeutic life story work with a child who had lived with multiple families.

The adults around them recognised they would benefit from the work, but when we started, nobody could tell me what questions the child wanted answered.

And neither could the child…. at first.

Over the following weeks, we spent time getting to know one another. We played, talked, wondered, and slowly built a relationship.

Then something shifted.

The child began to ask questions.

Not easy questions. Deeply held questions.

Questions about their story, their experiences, and the people who had cared for them.

Back then, long before I had my pink detective hat, I would often say:

‘I can be like a detective and try my very hardest to find out what you want to know.’

What this child taught me was that before children can ask their questions, they need to feel safe enough to trust someone with them.

So often in life story work, we focus on gathering information and finding answers. Of course, those things matter.

But first comes connection.

First comes felt safety.

First comes the feeling that your questions will be held carefully, without judgement, by someone who will stay alongside you while you search for answers together.

The answers mattered.

But what mattered most was that this child knew they didn’t have to hold their questions alone anymore.

At the end of our work together, the child told me they would miss me.

Their parents later shared that they had never heard them say that to a professional before.

It remains one of the greatest privileges of my work 💖
Because the most important thing this child taught me wasn’t how to find answers.

It was that trust makes questions possible 💖

01/08/2026

The sea yesterday was a reminder of why I've chosen to host my life story workshop by the coast: a space to slow down, reflect, connect, and think creatively about the stories we're helping children to hold and understand. 💙

01/08/2026

The sea yesterday was a reminder of why I’ve chosen to host my life story workshop by the coast: a space to slow down, reflect, connect, and think creatively about the stories we’re helping children to hold and understand. 💙

31/07/2026

Swipe to the end to see the sea view where your workshop will take place... 🌊

When I planned my Life Story Work Workshop by the Sea, choosing the venue mattered.
I wanted somewhere that felt warm, welcoming and nurturing. A space where practitioners could step away from busy workloads, slow down, connect with others and have the time to think, reflect and create.
That’s why I’ve chosen to host the workshop in my home.

Surrounded by creative resources, we’ll spend the day exploring practical, trauma-informed approaches to life story work, sharing ideas, trying activities and building confidence in a relaxed and supportive environment.
There’ll be no rushing from one session to the next. Just space to learn, connect and be inspired.

✨ Last chance to book your place. Join us for a day of creativity, connection and practical ideas that you can take straight back into your work with children and young people.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1983370968959?aff=oddtdtcreator


🌊💛