ABSTRACT

Reminiscence therapy may be used in many group situations where there is a need to stimulate interest and communication. Reminscence therapy can be an enjoyable way of reaching others; it also helps to confirm identity, and provides evidence and reassurance that the past existed, at a time when the present may feel vague and confused. Photographs have been utilised with considerable success at the other end of the age spectrum. The kind of conversation that photographs permit proved especially helpful in the experience of one teacher of emotionally disturbed adolescents. Research in America has shown that photographs can help in the enhancement of the self-esteem in children and adolescents. Social workers are aware of the importance of building a picture of the past with such children, who gain a sense of control and a feeling of co-operative creativity with their worker through making life-albums.