We’d like to share a real-life story that a friend generously allowed me to recount. Though I’ve changed identifying details, the story remains as she told it to us. We met over coffee, where she spoke about her family cat’s passing. Lucy is married, with a young son named Luke, who is seven years old. Lucy’s household also included Misty, a cherished cat she adopted from a rescue center fifteen years ago when Misty was just a kitten. Luke had always adored Misty, and as Lucy realised Misty’s life was coming to an end, she began preparing herself and her partner for the loss, but especially for Luke, since this would be his first encounter with grief.
Lucy and I became friends while studying English Literature at University, and she is an avid reader who has passed on her love of books to Luke. She frequently uses stories to guide Luke through his personal growth and throughout his school experiences, now amidst the bustle of primary school. To help Luke cope, Lucy chose Judith Kerr’s book, Goodbye Mog. The Mog books are beautifully illustrated tales centered on a beloved family cat, and in Goodbye Mog, Kerr explores the theme of saying farewell while highlighting the ongoing bond that remains after loss.
Luke finds great comfort in Mog's books, especially Goodbye Mog, which helps him process the reality that his family's cat, Misty, is nearing the end of her life. Luke can identify with this and relate his own personal story to that in the book. Later, Lucy talks with Luke about Misty's impending death, explaining that sometimes, when we have pets, we need to help them have a calm and peaceful passing. This conversation introduces Luke to the concept of euthanasia and prepares him for Misty's final veterinary appointment. The whole family, Luke, Mum, Dad, and Misty, goes together to the vet. Luke is present for Misty's last moments as she receives her final injection. Afterward, as they walk back to the car, Luke actively discusses what has happened with his parents.
When Luke gets into the car, he begins talking about Misty’s ghost, imagining that Misty's spirit is there with them on the ride home. This closely resembles the story of Goodbye Mog, where Mog’s ghost stays with the family as they welcome a new kitten, guiding the newcomer until the family is ready to let Mog go on his final journey. In the following weeks, Luke continues telling his mother at bedtime about Misty’s ghost—what she’s doing and the adventures she's having. Through his vivid imagination, Luke brings Misty back to life in stories, helping him process his grief. Over time, Misty's ghost embarks on ever more fantastical adventures farther from the family and their home, but Luke talks about these stories less frequently, until eventually he is ready to let Misty's ghost go.” (Extract from Episode 5: Navigating Grief and Loss Through Bibliotherapy and Play Therapy, podcast Pages and Play).
Although old memories cannot be erased, we can form new brain pathways through new experiences. Activities like play and reading introduce us to new experiences and open up entire worlds. By providing a secure environment that supports personal development and facilitates understanding, especially during periods of adversity.
In Luke and Lucy’s story, the individual’s capacity for personal growth and self-actualisation is visible. In this story, Luke demonstrates his ability to do just this through the story of Mog, his relationship with his mother, and his ability to freely express himself. He is able to process his grief and address this himself. This shared experience validates his own emotions and feelings around the anticipated loss of his own beloved cat and now, giving him the language to acknowledge and express his own feelings of potential sadness and loss.
By uniting play and books together, we are highlighting the narratives to play, the play to narrate. This collaboration between play therapy and bibliotherapy creates a dynamic space where children can explore their feelings, experiences, and imagination in a holistic manner. Through play, children express emotions and ideas that may be difficult to articulate, while stories provide a framework to make sense of these feelings and offer language for their inner worlds.
When therapists weave together playful activities and storytelling, they offer children a safe environment to process complex emotions, such as grief, anxiety, or change. For example, as seen in Luke’s experience, the story of Goodbye Mog gave structure to his grief, while play allowed him to imagine Misty's ghost and embark on new adventures, gently guiding him through the healing process. This synergy not only fosters creativity and resilience but also encourages self-discovery, helping young people to build new pathways of understanding and growth.
Lucy and I became friends while studying English Literature at University, and she is an avid reader who has passed on her love of books to Luke. She frequently uses stories to guide Luke through his personal growth and throughout his school experiences, now amidst the bustle of primary school. To help Luke cope, Lucy chose Judith Kerr’s book, Goodbye Mog. The Mog books are beautifully illustrated tales centered on a beloved family cat, and in Goodbye Mog, Kerr explores the theme of saying farewell while highlighting the ongoing bond that remains after loss.
Luke finds great comfort in Mog's books, especially Goodbye Mog, which helps him process the reality that his family's cat, Misty, is nearing the end of her life. Luke can identify with this and relate his own personal story to that in the book. Later, Lucy talks with Luke about Misty's impending death, explaining that sometimes, when we have pets, we need to help them have a calm and peaceful passing. This conversation introduces Luke to the concept of euthanasia and prepares him for Misty's final veterinary appointment. The whole family, Luke, Mum, Dad, and Misty, goes together to the vet. Luke is present for Misty's last moments as she receives her final injection. Afterward, as they walk back to the car, Luke actively discusses what has happened with his parents.
When Luke gets into the car, he begins talking about Misty’s ghost, imagining that Misty's spirit is there with them on the ride home. This closely resembles the story of Goodbye Mog, where Mog’s ghost stays with the family as they welcome a new kitten, guiding the newcomer until the family is ready to let Mog go on his final journey. In the following weeks, Luke continues telling his mother at bedtime about Misty’s ghost—what she’s doing and the adventures she's having. Through his vivid imagination, Luke brings Misty back to life in stories, helping him process his grief. Over time, Misty's ghost embarks on ever more fantastical adventures farther from the family and their home, but Luke talks about these stories less frequently, until eventually he is ready to let Misty's ghost go.” (Extract from Episode 5: Navigating Grief and Loss Through Bibliotherapy and Play Therapy, podcast Pages and Play).
Although old memories cannot be erased, we can form new brain pathways through new experiences. Activities like play and reading introduce us to new experiences and open up entire worlds. By providing a secure environment that supports personal development and facilitates understanding, especially during periods of adversity.
In Luke and Lucy’s story, the individual’s capacity for personal growth and self-actualisation is visible. In this story, Luke demonstrates his ability to do just this through the story of Mog, his relationship with his mother, and his ability to freely express himself. He is able to process his grief and address this himself. This shared experience validates his own emotions and feelings around the anticipated loss of his own beloved cat and now, giving him the language to acknowledge and express his own feelings of potential sadness and loss.
By uniting play and books together, we are highlighting the narratives to play, the play to narrate. This collaboration between play therapy and bibliotherapy creates a dynamic space where children can explore their feelings, experiences, and imagination in a holistic manner. Through play, children express emotions and ideas that may be difficult to articulate, while stories provide a framework to make sense of these feelings and offer language for their inner worlds.
When therapists weave together playful activities and storytelling, they offer children a safe environment to process complex emotions, such as grief, anxiety, or change. For example, as seen in Luke’s experience, the story of Goodbye Mog gave structure to his grief, while play allowed him to imagine Misty's ghost and embark on new adventures, gently guiding him through the healing process. This synergy not only fosters creativity and resilience but also encourages self-discovery, helping young people to build new pathways of understanding and growth.
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