Join us for a thought-provoking evening exploring the transformative power of storytelling in later life, as we welcome the contributors of Narrative Therapy with Older People to discuss their ground-breaking new book.

Healthcare for older people often focuses on physical limitations or cognitive decline, overlooking the person’s own story, strengths and perspective. Narrative therapy turns this on its head – centring individuals as the experts of their own experiences and recognising the rich histories, relationships and cultural contexts that shape their lives.

Written by a team of experienced psychologists, group facilitators and service users, Narrative Therapy with Older People offers a practical and compassionate guide to using narrative therapy with older adults, including those living with dementia or age-related conditions. From Tree of Life facilitation to approaches for navigating loss and trauma, each chapter provides practical tools and real-world examples to support individuals, groups and communities.

At its heart, this book – and this event – challenges ageism and stigma by asking a simple but profound question: Who is this person, and what do they have to say? This is an essential event for anyone interested in psychology, mental health, social care, or the power of stories to connect, heal, and empower at every stage of life.

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Rosslyn Offord grew up in Nottingham and moved to Cardiff to attend university. She completed her clinical psychology training in Sheffield, where she had the privilege of meeting some brilliant older adult psychologists who inspired her to work with older people.  After qualifying, she returned to the coast of South Wales, where she has lived and worked with older people for over twenty years, specialising in dementia, for which she is the consultant clinical psychology lead in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.  Rosslyn has been active in pursuing her passion for narrative therapy and bringing people together who share this interest.  She was awarded the Bill Downes award by the British Psychological Society’s Faculty of Psychology of Older People in 2024 for her work in promoting narrative therapy and her commitment to the psychological care of older people in Wales and to the Welsh language, which she has been learning over many years.  Outside of work, Rosslyn loves to swim in the sea, walk the coastal paths and play in a local orchestra.  She lives with her husband Nick, and sons Osian and Ioan in Penarth.
Karen Gibbs was married for forty years to Nick and spent the last ten of those years supporting him through the challenges of Young Onset Dementia until he died at the age of sixty-four.  Together with her husband, she enjoyed a stable marriage and a happy family life, bringing up three loving daughters. She is now fortunate to have two young granddaughters and another grandchild on the way. While Nick pursued a career in marketing and business management, Karen worked for many years as a teacher of German and French. She loves cooking, sewing and knitting, participates in regular ballroom and Latin dance classes and attends weekly yoga sessions. She lives with her cat in Penarth.