The strength of a forest: lessons learnt from a Tree of Life workshop with people who have experiences of homelessness

Purpose This paper aims to share experiences of using a collective narrative methodology to help people explore their stories and skills in the context of experiences of powerfully negative dominant social narratives around homelessness. It aims to share peoples’ experiences of using these methods in hope to inspire other services to try similar creative techniques to support people who have experienced homelessness to recognise individual and collective strengths and challenge blaming and pathologising narratives. Design/methodology/approach Working within a local branch of a national charity supporting people to end their homelessness, the author consulted with members to consider how the author might best introduce narrative ideas in a workshop using the Tree of Life methodology. The author co-developed a two-part workshop, observed the process and collected feedback. Findings The workshops were found to be valuable to both facilitators and attendees and fit well within service provision. Workshop staff and attendees also identified key themes in their collective and individual strengths, which they felt may benefit from sharing with the wider field and might usefully inform the commissioning and development of supportive services in this sector. Originality/value Although there is existing evidence of narrative methodologies being useful in the homelessness sector, to the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first report of the use of the Tree of Life methodology being used in these settings. Attendees of the workshop were keen for the work to be published for wider dissemination and learning.