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Letters can be used by social workers, professionals and carers to support life story work, mark transitions or reflect on shared experiences. Trainer and arts psychotherapist, Ciara McClelland, offers some guidance on writing letters which are trauma-informed and which build trust and connection.
I grew up on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic during the 1980s, directly impacted by The Troubles and the trauma that shaped my community and family of emergency service workers. My personal healing journey, through therapeutic exploration, academic study, and self-discovery, has inspired my commitment to helping others find peace in their relationships.
As a qualified Arts Psychotherapist (Dramatherapist) and independent social worker with over 14 years of experience, my practice is grounded in trauma-informed care and integrates creative and somatic body-based approaches to healing.
In a world that often rushes past the child’s voice, therapeutic letter writing offers a gentle shift. It invites us to slow down, to see, and to hold space, especially for children and young people who haven’t had their needs met, who feel unseen, unsafe, or misunderstood.
In systems where support is time limited and stretched thin, a letter can offer so many things: an anchor, a container, a bridge between disconnection and belonging.
A therapeutic letter is more than words on a page. It’s something that says, I have taken the time to think about you, and I care about you. It can affirm their worth and offer a sense of felt safety.
A trauma-informed approach embodies the six trauma-informed values: safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural humility.
Letters offer a safe container. They can be revisited, held, tucked away and returned to when needed. The language used should be gentle, predictable and paced. It should not overwhelm but soothe. A letter can say, “You are held in mind,” even when the child feels alone.
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In systems where children experience broken promises and abrupt endings, a letter can be a consistent thread of connection. It shows follow through. It says, “I meant what I said, and I am still here.”
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Therapeutic letters can be child or young person led. They can include metaphors, stories or characters that reflect the child’s strengths. For example, “Leo the Lion reminds me of you, brave, strong and full of heart.”
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Letters can be co-authored or part of a shared ritual. They can reflect joint experiences, shared memories or mutual hopes. They say, “We are in this together.”
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A letter can affirm a child’s place in the world. It can name their resilience, growth, and uniqueness. It says, “You matter. You are enough.”
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Therapeutic letters should reflect the child’s cultural identity, values and lived experience. They are written with care, curiosity and respect. The language we choose matters deeply. As Dr Lisa Cherry reminds us:
“The language we use is the mouthpiece for stigma, trauma and power OR connection, compassion and empathy.”
This quote invites us to pause and reflect. Every word in a letter can either reinforce disconnection or become a bridge to healing. When we write with trauma-informed awareness, we offer children not just information but dignity, safety and relationship.
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Foster carers can use letters to:
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Letters can support:
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Types of letters to consider
Therapeutic letters are a gentle offering in a hurried system. They give children and young people something many never received: to be seen, heard and held in mind. They build connection, foster relational healing and remind us that even the smallest gestures can carry profound meaning.
On 21 January 2026, Ciara will deliver an online Live Classroom on therapeutic letter writing.
Ciara has over 14 years of practice experience and specialises in working with children, young people, parents, families, and caregivers whose lives have been impacted by adverse childhood experiences. In addition, Ciara works on relationship repair within traumatised systems, organisations and communities. Her approach is innovative, creative, therapeutic, and trauma-informed, combining psychodynamic, dyadic, and somatic therapies. Ciara McClelland is a training practitioner from Trauma Informed Consultancy Services, which offers an extensive range of training sessions related to all aspects of applying a trauma-informed framework to settings, services, and systems. Trauma-Informed Consultancy Services works with education settings, children’s services, the criminal justice system, and adult services.
