Nicky Morris

Find Your Way – A Story and Drama Resource to Promote Mental Wellbeing in Young People

Paperback

Find Your Way contains ten illustrated short stories developed specifically to promote recovery, resilience and positive mental health among adolescents and young adults.

£37.00

Description

Find Your Way contains ten illustrated short stories created especially to promote recovery, resilience and positive mental health among adolescents and young adults.

Stories are an invaluable tool for connecting with people, especially those reluctant to engage with more direct approaches.  The stories tackle a wide range of specific mental health challenges such as trauma, separation, independence, rejection, hope and recovery.

The resource was originally developed with clients challenged by difficulties including depression, autism, eating disorders and emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), the stories are proven in practice and supported by case studies, scripts, tableaus and activities. Each story concludes with reflective questions that empower and guide young people to choose their own ending to the story – and in doing so to begin moving beyond adversity in the way that suits them best.

Find Your Way can be used in both the classroom and consulting room.

Details

Publication Date: June 2020

Table of Contents

Foreword by Sue Jennings

Introduction:
• Promoting Mental Wellbeing in Young People
• Drama and the Arts for Mental Health
• How to Use This Resource

1. ‘The Glow Fish’
Attachment, Separation and Personality Types

2. ‘The Lost One’
Past, Future, Present

3. ‘Guardian of Dogs’
Rejection, Abuse, Trust and Recovery

4. ‘Boy In A Tree’
Avoidance, Self-Preservation, Fear and Courage

5. ‘Little Blue’
Immigration, Expectations, Relationships, Prejudice

6. ‘The Glass Wall’
Confinement, Freedom, Attachment, Separation

7. ‘Silver Angel’
Friendship, Transformation and Loss

8. ‘Born of Shadow and Light’
Emotional Balance

9. ‘Survivors’
Inner Strength and Courage

10. ‘Nature’s Spirits’
Environmental Issues and Personality Types

Format: A4 Spiral bound

ISBN No: 9781913414115

Author

NICKY MORRIS is an experienced and HCPC registered dramatherapist whose approach is broadly humanistic and person-centred.

After working for eight years in the NHS with a range of client groups, she joined Cygnet Health Care in 2006 providing music-based dramatherapy sessions on a secure ward for women diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Her work has since extended to women with mood disorders, psychotic disorders, personality disorders and eating disorders.

She is the author of Dramatherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder (Routledge, 2018), which was included on Book Authority’s list of the best personality disorder books of all time.

Reviews

  1. Dr Kevin Healy, Retired Consultant Psychiatrist, ex-chair of the Faculty of Medical Psychotherapy, Royal College of Psychiatrists, ex-chair Association of Therapeutic Communities

    ‘It is a real pleasure to read, engage with, and learn from the therapeutic approach outlined in this book by Nicky Morris. Nicky highlights the therapeutic benefits of creating a ‘psychological safe space’, of being alongside the patient in experiencing their difficulties, and seeking a co-created way forward through development of a meaningful narrative that blends the patient’s present, past and future truths – ‘each finding their own way’ in doing this. Nicky’s contributions to the therapeutic work with these patients, brought to life in this book and in their treatments, incorporates and guides all the values of an effective Multi-Disciplinary Team working together with distressed, young people on their therapeutic, developmental journeys. Reading this book, reflecting on it, and making the approaches clearly outlined here, your own to use, is time well spent for all professionals and young people engaged in, and seeking to learn through, this intensive and rewarding therapeutic work.’

  2. Kate McCormack, NHS Senior Dramatherapist

    ‘As a Dramatherapist of almost twenty-five years, stories are a staple part of my work and I am always on the look-out for new ones.
    In her new book, Nicky Morris offers ten new stories and a unique structure of ways to work with them.
    Young people are the future and yet are vulnerable as they struggle to emerge as adults in an ever changing society, with new stressors and challenges.
    The stories that Nicky has written, offer opportunities to explore these challenges contained within metaphor and character, often animals, which allows for dramatic distancing and an oblique way to explore the trials of 21st century life. In addition, eternal and pervading issues such as identity, attachment and separation, companionship, moving on from trauma, loss, starting anew and integrating aspects of the self, are present within the narratives. The stories are beautifully written and illustrated.
    In this book, Nicky explains the prevalence of struggle and mental health issues in adolescents and the power of story. She then expertly and in great detail demonstrates how to work with the stories. The guide includes exercises to lead into the stories, a script for each, how to work and respond with artwork and writing and with drama and improvisation.
    Each story is incomplete so that the ending can be explored and found by the individual or group working with the story. This avoids offering a moral or direction that precludes choice. Instead, an experience of empowerment is offered through the client or pupil defining the ending.
    The book also describes how the stories were created and vignettes of therapeutic and school-based sessions, where the stories have been used.
    This book will be a unique resource for dramatherapists, teachers, students, individuals who would like to explore the stories independently and other health and education practitioners – and I cannot recommend it highly enough.’

  3. Andria Zafirakou, MBE, Global Teacher Prize Winner 2018, Consultant on Creativity and Innovation, Speaker, Art and Textiles Teacher. Founder and CEO of Artists in Residence (AiR) Charity.

    “This is great. I really found this so enjoyable and easy to read/navigate, which is a good thing for a busy teacher. I feel that the layout and the scenarios are easy to connect with and easy to imagine implementing in any classroom. I can see this being a great go to resource for many teachers, to help navigate some of the challenging topics that exist in our school communities that can help them feel empowered and secure to deliver. This book also shows the importance and value of Drama being an important subject that enables a safe and vital place to explore these activities.”

  4. Dr Clive Holmwood, Associate Professor, Department of Therapeutic Arts University of Derby.

    “This book shows us the innate power of story. The carefully chosen stories and structures offered in Nicky Morris’ book offer huge potential for them to be used in a variety of clinical, creative or educational settings. Not only are we introduced to a range of differing stories and the theoretical notions behind them, but a series of structured suggestions including, discussion, dramatic performance, art work, creative writing and improvisation. All of this is followed by examples of how Nicky has used the stories herself. This book offers both the novice and experienced therapist, artist or teacher a treasure trove of ideas which can be used at different levels and in different contexts for many years to come.”

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