Using Art, Play, Metaphor, and Symbol with Hard-to-Reach Young Clients: Reach Out To Me

221 Pages·2022·34.013 MB·English

by  Aileen Webber, James Webber

“As both a therapist and writer for children and young adults, I found the
chapters of Reach Out to Me compelling, moving and deeply thought-provok-
ing. From both of those perspectives each chapter was an enlightening and
fascinating picture of real-life therapy experience. The bravery and honesty of
each account – from perplexed and inexperienced therapist, to (occasionally
perplexed!) and experienced supervisor – reads like a gripping mini story of
suspense and jeopardy, each told by thoughtful, sensitive, and strong authors.
That these are real therapeutic accounts of encounters with young and very
troubled clients – incorporating all the self-doubt, missteps, and soul-search-
ing that such work entails – makes the book deeply valuable. And that so
many of the stories have positive outcomes shows the urgent need for work
like this. The skill, determination and creativity of the therapists and super-
visors displayed in this book is inspiring. As are the clients’ stories, explored
so elegantly.”
Julian Sedgwick, bodywork therapist and author of
Tsunami Girl; Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black
“This book provides us with stories that bring together the combined depth,
breadth, and aesthetic sensibilities of the wise women who seek to use their
phronetic experience to make a welcoming space for children, who in the
eyes of many may be seen as hard-to-reach. Their stories provide a refreshing
moment to stop, listen, and join with them as they generously share their
practice-based evidence. Through narrative they show the individualised and
deeply relational manner in which they professionally care about the young
people they meet. The book will be a valuable resource for trainee child and
adolescent therapeutic practitioners, particularly those working with an inte-
grative model. McInerny ends the volume with a thought-provoking chapter
entitled ‘Why can’t you reach me!’. This is the key message of the book – not
how do we enable hard-to-reach children to access the models of work we
want to provide, but what must we do as therapists to ensure that our style
of work adapts to children to enable them to connect with us and the world
without being diminished.”
Fiona Peacock, PhD, BACP Senior Accredited Counsellor/
Psychotherapist, Co-Lead Child and Adolescent Psychotherapeutic
Counselling programme, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge,
Co-director Theraplay® UK
“I really enjoyed reading this book and found it profoundly moving and life-
affirming how each of the children, despite complex and sometimes desperate
situations, were reached. Reach Out to Me presents a series of heartwarm-
ing stories that demonstrate a range of approaches which successfully engage
hard-to-reach young people. Whilst the book describes the therapist–client
relationship within the therapeutic space, parallels can be drawn across a range
of professional contexts engaging hard-to-reach young people within a sig-
nificant trusting relationship. The insight which the therapists give into their
own feelings as the therapeutic relationship develops makes this an immensely
relatable book. As an education professional working with young people who
present in many of the ways the clients in this book do, I found the reflections
in the chapters particularly helpful to support my own approaches. This book
is warmly recommended.”
Nadine Herbert, teacher and centre lead of a specialist
provision for children who are hard-to-reach
Using Art, Play, Metaphor, and
Symbol with Hard-to-Reach
Young Clients
This book demonstrates some of the unique ways in which therapists can help
complex and vulnerable clients considered “hard-to-reach”, using arts media and
play.
Using a wealth of case studies, contributors describe their unique therapeutic
attempts to reach clients who, for various reasons, seem unreachable. These mov-
ing therapeutic journeys are described in a phenomenological, auto-ethnographic
way by the therapists themselves, as a series of “snapshot” glimpses into the therapy
room. The therapists describe how combinations of art, play, metaphor, and imag-
ination have helped them navigate the complex pathways to reach their clients.
Each chapter is fully supported by the contributing therapists’ own selection of
theoretical ideas and analysis.
The book will help therapists consider innovate creative approaches in their
work with clients who have been deemed too complex to work with in individual
therapy, emphasising the importance of play and arts resources in helping them
achieve this.
Aileen Webber is a Gestalt and Integrative Arts Psychotherapist who works with
children and adults and also works as a supervisor and consultant to other therapists.
James Webber is an artist, musician and writer. His songs have appeared in
numerous films and TV shows. He is the editor and main contributor of the print
newspaper Le Journal, published by Overheard Le Labo.

Using Art, Play, Metaphor,
and Symbol with Hard-to-
Reach Young Clients
Reach Out To Me
Edited by
Aileen Webber and James Webber
Cover image: © Getty Images
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
© 2023 selection and editorial matter, Aileen Webber and
James Webber; individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Aileen Webber and James Webber to be identified as
the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their
individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections
77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechani-
cal, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British
Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Publication Data
Names: Webber, Aileen, editor. | Webber, James (Editor), editor.
Title: Using art, play, metaphor, and symbol with hard-to-reach
young clients: reach out to me / edited by Aileen Webber and
James Webber.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge, 2023.
| Includes bibliographical references and index.
| Identifiers: LCCN 2022031779 (print) | LCCN 2022031780
(ebook) | ISBN 9780367755720 (hardback) | ISBN
9780367755713 (paperback) | ISBN 9781003163015 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Child psychotherapy--Case studies. | Art therapy
for children--Case studies. | Play therapy--Case studies.
Classification: LCC RJ504 .U85 2023 (print) | LCC RJ504 (ebook)
| DDC 618.92/8914--dc23/eng/20220824
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022031779
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022031780
ISBN: 978-0-367-75572-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-75571-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-16301-5 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003163015
Typeset in Bembo
by SPi Technologies India Pvt Ltd (Straive)
For the lost and unreachable
everywhere

Contents
List of Figures xi
Editors xiii
Contributors xiv
Foreword: Snapshot from the Doorstep xvii
JAMES WEBBER
Introduction: Arrival in the Land of Stories xix
AILEEN WEBBER AND JAMES WEBBER
Meeting a Hard-to-Reach Client xxiv
KOREN WILMER
1 A Sausage Dog Called Daisy 1
ANGELA AMOS AND AILEEN WEBBER
2 My Heart Hurts 15
ELIZABETH BOND
3 The Toad Croakers in the Land of Noise 30
KOREN WILMER
4 Florence Nightingale Is Just Outside the Door 45
JANE UNSWORTH
5 The Ripple Effect: Supervising Jane 60
AILEEN WEBBER
6 The Boy Trapped in a Puffer Fish 76
SARAH ATTLE
7 The Faceless Face: Reaching Shame without Words 93
JUDE ADCOCK