Night Shift Agenda

About the Book

As a narrative therapist, Ros uses wordplay, poetry, drama, drawing, storytelling, and playwriting as techniques to help unravel inner worlds. People feel less threatened by using these techniques rather than questions and “digging in the psyche.” Peoples’ stories provide rich material of which they are often unaware. This then becomes the therapy agenda. It renders evidence-based therapy techniques such as cognitive behaviour therapy more effective and is less threatening than direct questioning and drawing out—although these too have their place in all therapy. They may or may not be aware of the problems their inner story has caused them, is causing them, as their story/ies remain buried deep. “Playing with Words” or “Wordplay” helps their story to emerge and live.

About the Author

Ros Holland had a career in education, including working as a special needs teacher, before becoming a lecturer and researcher in education and health education at Southampton University. She was the UK coordinator for the Europe Against Cancer Programme while at Southampton University. Ros, retired, now runs her own counselling and psychotherapy practice in Salisbury; writing, though, is her life (visit www.focuswriting.co.uk ). Poetry has long been a hobby for her, which Ros refers to as “playing with words” or “wordplay.” Ros uses narrative therapy with children and adults in her work with clients. Narrative Therapy (Martin Payne and colleagues, 2006), and others, encourages people—those who seek help—to explore through language, writing, drama, and the arts in general their inner narratives and inner world. It encourages therapists to use this material to help them heal, grow, and achieve, as well as integrate the past with the present, encouraging personal growth and success (a technique also use in personal-professional coaching as well as sports coaching). Ros uses and explores this writing technique in her personal memoir, The Black Pencil Woman: A Portrait of My Mother, Ros Holland (Book Guild, 2012). Her first poetry workshop, on National Poetry Day, will be held at Newcastle City Library and is entitled “Playing with Words.” As Philip Larkin said, “Prose is about other people; poetry about the self.” Ros was the UK coordinator for the Europe Against Cancer Programme while at Southampton University as a lecturer and researcher. She had two international research scholarships to Holland and Australia, developing research techniques for evidence-based health interventions.