My Magical
Story Journal
Therapeutic Storytelling
Stories can play an important and
potent role in therapy with children and adolescents
– helping them develop the skills to cope with and survive
a myriad of life situations. In many cases, stories provide
the most effective means of communicating what kids and teens
might not want to discuss directly.
Storytelling
metaphors can be used in a variety of healing and therapeutic
settings, both at home and in professional practice. All how
work with young people will find therapeutic storytelling a
great tool which can be combined with other inventive-based
techniques like play, art, music, drama and movement. Parents
and professionals can use ready-made stories or be guided through
a process for creating original therapeutic stories.
Why therapeutic metaphor?
The task of therapeutic metaphors can be initially daunting.
However, you select the therapeutic metaphor related to the
need expressed by the client/parent. These are not intended
to moralise or induce guilt, but to reflect what is happening
(for example, a fear of the dark), and, through the story ‘journey’
provide acceptable means of dealing with it and/or a future
resolution (for adult and child).
How do we approach the creation, development
and presentation of therapeutic stories? The beauty lies in
the individuality of each person to create stories using metaphor
and the individuality of people (be they the children you care
for or teach, or clients) to receive them. Each
story using metaphor carries its own meaning to meet the
needs of each situation and each individual.
Supporting the capacity of children through
the realms of the Imagination:
Storytelling courses, workshops and resources are offered as
a springboard for teachers, parents and therapists to work in
an imaginative way in their relationship with young children.
Young children come to this work with rich and vibrant imaginations.
Fostering children’s imagination has importance for all
aspects of the child’s healthy development. Also, the
re-development and use of the adult’s imagination in working
with, managing and guiding young children must not be underestimated.
(Susan Perrow, 2003).
My Magical Story Journal
is a tool to help create therapeutic stories for children and
to enrich the imaginative powers of adults.
Echoes
in the Mind is a self-paced distance education
course designed to take adult learners through the process of
constructing and presenting therapeutic stories for children.
These tools combined make a wonderfully
imaginative learning journey for your family, your class or
your clients.
This book
is a gift of ideas
It allows parents, grandparents, carers, friends and teachers
to help children develop curiosity, imaginative thinking, knowledge,
values and attitudes, all leading to more positive behaviours
and outlook. Their stories can be absorbing, enlightening and
enriching.
My Magical Story Journal is a practical workbook
for children and adults to capture their ideas, real or imaginary.
As a workbook, it encourages children and adults to express
their thoughts, verbally, illustrative and in the written format.
Simple words become sentences which in turn lead to stories.
From any of these points discourse is possible , probable and
productive.
My Magical Story Journal is not a prescriptive
program, an assessment tool or a measure of reading and writing
ability. It is fun, playful and light. The educative undertone
is magically interwoven into the fibre of the book. Do not approach
this product thinking and feeling that it is a collection of
‘worksheets’.
“Our children
need to be keepers of the old stories and makers of the new.”
How
will this book help me and my child
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Original artworks for this website were scanned from
illustrations in My Magical Story Journal.
They express the imaginative powers and talent of local
artist, Lee Sturgess.
See Lee at her studio during the Arcadian Artist weekend.
Website designed by Wildtribe
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