Where Ayanle is: helping a school class prepare for loss

Abstract

This paper presents child psychotherapeutic work with a primary school class facing the terminal illness of a classmate. Following consultation to the class teacher and other school staff, groups for the class of nine and ten year olds were co-facilitated by the class teacher and therapist to help the children to think about their experience, and to explore their feelings about the ill child and his family. Positive changes in classroom dynamics as well as a growth in the therapist’s confidence about a child psychotherapy approach emerged from this process.

Keywords:

• child psychotherapy outreach
• children’s groups
• joint-work
• loss