John Foster (St Mary's Student Counsellor) presented the following talk at the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) conference on Thursday, 5th May 2016 in Dublin.


Storytelling and narrative traditions run deep within both Irish and American traditions. If we believe a client is in charge of their counselling, then a role of the counsellor is to help clients explore, examine and express their story when they have been the subject of a traumatic experience.

This illustrated presentation on Trauma Talks focused on the tangible benefits in trauma counselling when genuine attention is given to the intangible values of time, truth and trust.

Trauma therapy works when storytelling is used as a therapeutic technique to try to interpret and learn more about a client in need. The type of therapeutic relationship for such work to occur is carved out of trust. This trust is to be earned by the counsellor. The aim is to take the client from self-silencing and confusion to self-expression, exploration and eventually a healthy sense of self.

Drawing from a range of disciplines and theories, the talk demonstrated how the trauma healing process is not one of archaeological reconstruction, but it is rather the active construction of a narrative that fits the client’s history. Attention was given to the time in the therapeutic relationship when the client and the counsellor are more “pattern-makers” than “pattern-finders”.

The creative importance of narrative truth as compared to the interpretation of the historical truth of the causes of trauma was presented. The talk proposed that in trauma just as in recovery, sometimes we just have to “die a little” inside to be reborn and rise again as a stronger and wiser version of ourselves.