Exploring young people’s experiences of the Tree Of Life narrative intervention through participatory research

ABSTRACT This small-scale, qualitative, participatory study explored a group of young people’s experiences of the Tree of Life narrative intervention and ways of conducting participatory research with this particular group. The research was carried out with five co-researchers (aged 12–13 years) who attend a specialist secondary school for students with autism/social communication needs and related social, emotional and mental health needs. Visual approaches were used to answer the research question: “What did we think of the Tree of Life group?” The data were analysed using an adaptation of thematic analysis and the findings included the following themes: friendship, knowledge, fun, and self-expression. The findings suggest implications for educational psychologists regarding the usefulness of the Tree of Life approach to improve friendships, group cohesion and foster self-reflection. The research also has implications for EPs as practitioner researchers in supporting the use of participatory approaches to promote the autonomy of young people.