ABSTRACT

Kids' Club Letters provides an innovative approach to group psychotherapy for school-aged children who experience a range of social and emotional problems. A narrative therapy approach is adapted, taking the form of letters written by the therapist in the voice of a child who is asking for advice about interpersonal or emotional problems. The child in the letter is asking for guidance from the participants in the group. These letters were devised and written for the purpose of structuring responses in group psychotherapy, allowing the participants to address relevant issues for them individually and at the group level. The children in the groups had previously experienced difficulty discussing these issues spontaneously. Hence the 'Dear Group' letter format was born. The children did not know that the therapist had written the letters.

part |2 pages

Part I: Identity Formation and Understanding Oneself

part |1 pages

Part II Interpersonal Eff ectiveness

chapter 10|16 pages

Living with a Short Fuse

chapter 11|7 pages

Behind Closed Doors

chapter 12|8 pages

Who’s the Boss? “I’m the Boss!”

chapter 13|11 pages

Alone on a Desert Island

chapter 15|8 pages

Th e Sibling Battleground: Friend or Foe?

chapter 16|11 pages

Aliens and Earthlings: Which One Am I?

chapter 17|8 pages

I’m the Best! Right?

part |1 pages

Part III Emotional Regulation

chapter 19|10 pages

“Feeling Blue”

chapter 20|7 pages

Look Out! I’m Going to Explode!

chapter 21|10 pages

Wringing My Hands!