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From: Dr Eric Miller (PhD in Folklore, MSc in Psychology) Assistant Director, East West Center for Counselling and Training (and Director, World Storytelling Institute) Regarding -- The Free Introductory Workshop on "Storytelling, Music, and Drama in Therapy", on Sat
16th Nov, 11am-1pm. Storytelling in Therapy: Notes and Possible Activities 1) Introduction. 2) Metaphors. 3) Animal Fables. *** 1) Introduction. A story
can be a model of the past, and a model for the future. Storytelling, and Storytelling therapy, are not just for
children! In fact, to be able to think
about stories in certain useful ways, it is necessary to be an adult. Storytelling
about one's experiences involves sharing -- and this sharing can in itself be
therapeutic. Storytelling
about grandmother stories, and original creative stories, can be an indirect,
non-threatening way of raising and thinking about issues in one's life. These kinds of stories may involve
metaphors that may relate to a teller's or a listener's real life. 3 types
of stories used in Storytelling Therapy are: 1) The
client's Life Story. 2) Associative Stories (these
are stories that are similar to aspects of the Life Story, reminding the
client that others have had similar experiences). 3) Healing or Inspiring Stories (these
are metaphorical stories created for the client collaboratively by the
facilitator and the client, containing personal and social issues from the
client's Life Story, and pointing to a way forward in the client's life). *** 2) Metaphors. A
metaphor is a thing that represents some other thing. Why use
metaphors? Metaphors
‘lift’ us into our imaginations, often extending and refreshing the way we
see the world and understand things.
Metaphors speak directly to the imagination, bypassing our rational
brain, and helping one build connections through images and feelings. If a
metaphor is traditional and conventional, using it could help one to feel related
to and supported by one’s culture and society. If a metaphor involves nature, using it
could help one to feel related to universal processes of nature. Moreover, a metaphor can take an experience
that is intensely personal and relate it to the outside world. Animal metaphors Stop
horsing around! He is
crabby! I will
not be cowed. He's
chicken. Something
is fishy here. Color metaphors She is
blue. He was
green with envy. Metaphors in Sayings, Expressions,
Idioms, and Proverbs Please
stop pulling my leg. Don't
jump to conclusions. I can't
read your mind. Don't put
all your eggs in one basket. Don't
count your chickens before they hatch. Money
does not grow on trees. The cat
is out of the bag. Do not
open that can of worms. I am
turning over a new leaf. I am
leaving no stone left unturned. He sent
me on a wild goose chase. Out of
the frying pan, into the fire. He is
behaving like a bull in a china shop. She is
making a mountain out of a molehill. It is a
tempest in a teapot. A stitch
in time saves nine. A leopard
cannot change its spots. You can't
teach an old dog new tricks. The apple
does not fall far from the tree. The grass
is always greener on the other side of the fence. When in
Rome, do as the Romans do. Rome was
not built in a day. Do not
judge a book by its cover. All that
glitters is not gold. If you
lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas. A bird in
the hand is worth two in the bush. A chain
is only as strong as its weakest link. I am in
the woods. I am at
sea. I am in
the dark. I am going
out on a limb. She's a
star. His head
is in the clouds. Possible activities: Participants could be invited to -- as
individuals 1) Explain the meaning
of each of the above metaphors. 2) Come up with additional
metaphors. 3) Physically act-out
each metaphor. 4) Create (and perform)
stories illustrating or otherwise-relating-to to metaphors. *** 3) Animal Fables
(Panchatantra stories, Aesops' fables, and Jataka tales, etc). Animal fables are one type of Grandmother story. Traditional Animal fables are a type of Folklore -- composed by
communities (not individual authors), and originally passed down orally from
generation to generation. Possible activities: Participants could be invited to -- as
individuals 1) Make a list of their
favorite Animal fables. 2) Tell -- and/or
act-out in groups -- the stories, using voice and movement to uniquely
portray each character. 3) Discuss: A) What are some
meanings of each story? B) What human personality
traits might each animal character be a metaphor for? C) If one might want to
give comfort, guidance, warning, or inspiration to a person (including
oneself) -- which Animal fable might one tell to the person when the person
was having what real-life experience? *** Online Resources Panchatantra stories, Aesop's fables, and Jataka tales could be
read at http://storytellinginstitute.org/87.html Readings
about Storytelling Therapy are at http://storytellinginstitute.org/215.html "Metaphor
therapy", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphor_therapy
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