Josh LaFort is a psychotherapist in Winnipeg Manitoba since 2019. His clinical work consists of a part-time private practice, and working as counsellors to indigenous youth in First Nations communities through the Southeast Resource Development Council, and as counsellor at a small private high school in Winnipeg for First Nations communities who lack secondary education facilities. [https://www.southeastcollegiate.ca]
He completed the Masters Degree in Social Work at University of Manitoba in 2023. where he learned about the Life Story Board in the graduate course “Application & Critique of Theory & Research in Social Work with Individuals & Families Event” and attended a one-day LSB training workshop in May 2023.
When he acquired his LSB kit, he took time to consider how the process might fit with his own approach counselling youth clients through a holistic lens, and recognizing that they may not have the words to express their situations and experiences.
Initially he used LSB like an assessment tool. “I found this was a really helpful way to say, ‘well, what does your life look like?’ Usually that meant there was a certain situation or a time period in their life. Or maybe it was actually their whole life, which might take more sessions, probably around two or three. But it really helped me get more information, and to guide where the therapy is going.”
“ I was interested in outcome-based measures, and started using the Outcome Rating Scale, the Session Rating Scale [https://betteroutcomesnow.com ], on top of using the Life Story Board so I could see if people were actually finding it useful in the therapy sessions. I didn’t do a ton of SRSs, but in the time that I was using them, clients found the ‘LSB sessions more enjoyable, and felt that they were being listened to.”
“Which was really interesting because I was wasn’t telling them what to do with the board. I told them how they could use it, but then they got a lot of free rein, to be able to fully express themselves. That actually helped the rapport process, at the same time I learn more about them at a deeper level, so it was reciprocal. It helped me figure out where we’re going, how they got to that point of life thus far, what kind of problems they may have had, things like that. And that could really jumpstart the therapy.”
Josh says “I think creative people in general gravitate towards this modality (LSB). It is fairly abstract at first, its practical advantages come through over time. Many modalities can be integrated into the life story board process, once you grasp the theory and its practical implications. It’s a really good tool, once things begin to click together.”
Josh has integrated LSB into his approach with Dialectical Behavioural Therapy sessions with youth clients.
Josh found the web resources of Daryl Chow to be helpful https://darylchow.com
Deliberate Practice Training Program