In homes, classrooms, and communities across Gloucestershire and the UK, thousands of children are living with the invisible impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), traumatic events like domestic abuse, parental separation, neglect, or household substance misuse.

According to Gloucestershire County Council, nearly half of adults in the region report having experienced at least one ACE in their childhood, with 1 in 10 reporting four or more, a level associated with significantly increased risk of mental illness, violence, and poor life outcomes.

But early trauma doesn't have to define a child's future.

The Adventures of Gabriel, a storytelling project created by 11-year-old Gabriel Khan and his mother Kate Markland, began as a quiet attempt to help one child process overwhelming emotions. Today, it's a creative learning approach informed by trauma research, helping schools support children's emotional wellbeing through storytelling and gaining national and international recognition.

Why Storytelling Works for Children Who've Experienced Adversity

Neuroscience and trauma research are clear: children who experience adversity often struggle with emotional regulation, trust, and verbal expression. Their developing brains become wired for survival, not creativity. Standard educational approaches may not reach them in the ways they need.

Storytelling does.

The StoryQuest methodology helps children:

Transform fear into fictional challenges they can overcome
Monsters, shadows, and villains become symbols for real anxieties, but in stories, children control the outcome.

Process grief and anger through metaphor
Characters facing loss, confusion, or injustice allow children to explore their own experiences at a safe distance.

Safely explore real feelings through imagined worlds
Fantasy provides psychological protection, children can express what feels too threatening to name directly.

Become heroes in stories shaped by their own voice
When so much feels out of control, storytelling gives children agency over narrative, characters, and resolution.

Important note: While StoryQuest isn't therapy or clinical treatment, creative storytelling provides children with tools for emotional expression that complement professional support when needed. Teachers report that storytelling sessions often reveal children's emotional states in ways that inform appropriate pastoral care.

This isn't escapism—it's neurobiological and emotional restoration through creative expression.

What Research Tells Us

"Children with four or more ACEs are 32 times more likely to face behavioural challenges. But positive experiences, trusted adults, and supportive environments can offset this risk."
— Gloucestershire ACEs Strategy, 2022

For children impacted by trauma, creative safety is essential. When they feel heard and in control of their narratives, emotional literacy and confidence can flourish, and ACEs begin to lose their defining grip on identity and behaviour.

What the Children Say

"I believed in myself and created things I didn't even know I could do."
— Year 6 pupil

"Normally the teacher tells us what to do. But this time we were free."
— Year 5 pupil

For children who've experienced adults making all the decisions, often decisions that felt unsafe or confusing—having creative autonomy matters deeply. Storytelling becomes a space where their choices drive outcomes, where their voice leads, where they're in control.

What the Data Shows

Research across 465 children in 9 schools documented remarkable outcomes:

✅ 100% positive engagement across all participants, including children with identified trauma histories
✅ 90% story completion rate among participating students
✅ Zero behavioral incidents during storytelling sessions—creative expression channeled energy positively
✅ Children previously disengaged asked to stay behind to keep writing
✅ Teachers reported better emotional regulation and improved classroom cohesion
✅ Students disclosed meaningful feelings through fiction for the first time

These results align with Gloucestershire's child safeguarding priorities, especially given 2023 findings that nearly 3,000 children in the county are living with the impact of domestic abuse, with 70% of referrals to early help services linked to family trauma.

StoryQuest offers what trauma-affected children need most: regular opportunities to express themselves safely, build confidence through creative success, and experience positive relationships with trusted adults.

A Model of Hope

Gabriel's story, shaped from his own experiences as a British-Pakistani boy growing up in Cheltenham, demonstrates that identity, voice, and creativity are powerful tools for healing and growth.

The programme has gained recognition from:

• The British Psychological Society (2025)
• The European Conference on Education (2025)
• The Barcelona Conference on Education (2025)
• Gloucestershire schools piloting the approach to improve wellbeing and writing outcomes

A Message for Parents, Teachers, and School Leaders

We can't erase what children have lived through. But we can create spaces where they can begin to make sense of it—safely, creatively, and at their own pace.

Storytelling, especially when embedded in schools as a regular practice, offers a scalable, evidence-informed way to help children:

• Build emotional regulation through creative expression
• Develop trust with safe adults through collaborative storytelling
• Feel proud of their voice, culture, and identity
• Experience success and agency in school settings
• Begin processing difficult experiences through the safety of metaphor

This is precisely the kind of early intervention promoted by Gloucestershire's ACEs strategy, which calls for "more trauma-informed settings across education, health and community support services."

Storytelling isn't a replacement for therapeutic support when children need it. But it creates conditions where healing can begin—and where teachers can recognize when additional support might help.

Final Word

"Healing doesn't always begin in a therapist's office. Sometimes, it begins with a child being told: Your story matters."
— Kate Markland

Bring StoryQuest to Your School

If your school serves children who need:

• Safe creative outlets for emotional expression
• Engagement approaches that work for every learner, including those affected by trauma
• Evidence-based wellbeing support integrated with literacy development
• Weekly opportunities for children to feel heard and valued

Learn about implementation: my-storyquest.com

For Families 

Explore The Adventures of Gabriel books that started this journey—stories that inspire children to find their own creative voice and imagine worlds where they're the heroes.

theadventuresofgabriel.com

Every child who's experienced adversity deserves spaces where their voice matters, their creativity is celebrated, and their story can be safely told.