Children’s Imaginary Friends
About this episode
In this fourth episode Dr Caron Carter talks to Professor Kate Adams about the concept of imaginary friends. Asking: Are there different types of imaginary friend? How should we react to the presence of an imaginary friend? How can we support children with their imaginary friends?
Guest speaker
Kate Adams is Professor of Education at Leeds Trinity University, Leeds, UK. After graduating from university, she embarked on a career in primary teaching in England before moving into academia. Kate’s research advocates for consideration of the whole child, with a specialist focus on children’s spirituality, uncovering the often-silenced voices of children of all faiths and none. Kate’s current research focuses on friendship, considering the potential spiritual aspects of these important relationships. A key focus of this research is on the phenomenon of childhood ‘imaginary’ friends which take a human form, which she explores from different perspectives. Kate has published widely for over two decades through research papers, articles, and books including Unseen Worlds: Looking through the lens of childhood, and The Spiritual Dimension of Childhood. She has served on the Board of Directors for the International Association for the Study of Dreams and as Co-Chair of the International Association for Children’s Spirituality and is on the editorial board for The International Journal for Children’s Spirituality and the Journal of Religious Education.