What is Therapeutic Life Story Work?

Therapeutic Life Story Work (TLSW) is an intervention that allows a child or young person who has lived in out-of-home care to work through the developmental trauma they have experienced. Developed by international trauma expert Professor Richard Rose, it has been used worldwide since 1997 to support care-experienced children and young people.

Practitioners draw on a range of creative, play-based and reflective tools to help children make sense of significant life events. Through information gathering, direct sessional work with the child and their carer, and the creation of a personalised ‘Life Story Book’, TLSW demystifies why a child came into care, reduces harmful self-narratives, and strengthens identity, relationships, attachment and resilience.