Adapting and evaluating a tree of life group for women with learning disabilities

Abstract

Accessible summary The tree of life group is based on ideas from narrative therapy. Narrative therapy is about using stories about ourselves to understand how we make sense of our lives. We ran a tree of life group for women with learning disabilities. In the group, people drew trees to show different things that were important in their lives. People liked hearing about each others' lives and hearing what other people liked about their trees. AbstractBackground: This study describes how a specific narrative therapy approach called ‘the tree of life’ was adapted to run a group for women with learning disabilities. The group consisted of four participants and ran for five consecutive weeks.Materials and Methods: Participants each constructed a tree to represent their lives and presented their tree to the group who responded with positive feedback and affirming statements. This led to discussion about overcoming the storms of life and a celebration of the journey the group had been through together.Key Results: Although no change was found on quantitative measures of well‐being and self‐esteem, participants reported benefitting from the peer support and social connectedness that the group offered, particularly in relation to themes of loss and change in their lives.Conclusions: ‘The tree of life’ approach has potential value as an intervention for people with learning disabilities. The benefits and challenges of this approach within the context of working with people with learning disabilities are discussed.