Therapeutic Story Work

 When Stories nestle in the body, soul comes forth.” -Deena Metzger, Storyteller and Author       

Stories are powerful. Whether they are Fairy-tales, Myths, Folk-tales  Legends or our own Personal Biographies, they have a unique and evocative way of opening up the areas of our life that are hard to reach. The painful, traumatic, hidden or buried parts of ourselves that need attention, care and understanding can be reached through the safety and distance narratives and characters provide. Stories are a tool to open oneself to deeper discoveries, to explore our capacity to both accept and transform, uncovering and learning about who we truly are and the potential to be the best of ourselves. 

Individual:

Storywork on an individual basis is effective for adults and children alike. It is particularly invaluable for those who cannot or will not communicate ‘verbally’ due to physical or emotional limitations, fear or the lack of an emotional language. Certain stories, particularly those which connect to cultural or religious traditions or carry strong familial or biographical significance can provide a safe outlet, a vehicle to explore issues, themes, relationships or events which aren't as easy to talk about. Through the perspective of characters, narratives and images we explore the inner world ‘at a distance’ where difficult feelings and experiences are explored safely, within the shelter of a well-known narrative or familiar character.

Group:

In interactive story-making groups, we create narratives, images, characters and events which take their form from the undirected, creative play within the group. From the stories created we examine issues, themes or feelings that arise to the surface both the group impulses as well as the individual feelings. Using our bodies, voices, props, costumes, sensory objects and fabrics to explore and role-play these stories, powerful feelings and emotions can be addressed and supported safely by the group. The creative play in stories also builds confidence, enabling clients to expand their own imaginative capacities as well as entering the experience of others and sharing their own.

The objective of Therapeutic Storymaking is not to create something fantastical or worthy of publishing but to play creatively with the impulse of each person, exploring what emerges and supporting a greater awareness of each other’s personal experience.

Timings

Individual Sessions can vary between 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Groups can range between 2 and 4 hours at a time and day or week long workshops

The period of the sessions can vary between bespoke, single workshops (4-7 hours) or regular weekly, monthly or fortnightly sessions.