The Story Within - Myth and Fairy Tale in Therapy
The Story Within - Myth and Fairy Tale in Therapy
The Story Within is a creative arts therapies approach which uses myth and fairy tale to help clients work with difficult personal material. Clients begin by choosing their own myth or fairy tale character, and embark upon a guided journey with this character which will help them uncover and work with hidden, unconscious aspects of themselves.
This book outlines every part of the process, with step-by-step instructions for implementing it in practice. It gives detail of the theory behind the approach and provides guidelines for specific creative exercises to follow at each stage. It also includes clinical case vignettes and personal reflections from those who have experienced the process.
Whether you are a creative arts therapist looking to expand your practice or a health professional searching for a new, creative way of working with clients, The Story Within is for you.
PART I: FRAMEWORK
1. Introduction
2. Creative Arts Therapies, Creative Projection, and Aesthetic Distance
3. Creative DNA and Perception Differences
4. Stages of Creative Process
5. Therapeutic Guidelines
Compassion, empathy, imperfection
Comfort and ability to work with story, myth and metaphor
Comfort with no interpretation, no agenda, entering the unknown
Comfort with creative process
The power of being a witness and containment
Safety First
Attention and Intention
6. Elements in Myths, Fairy Tales, Traditional Stories
7. How to go through the steps
PART II: STEPS OF THE PROCESS
1. Encounter
2. Chaos and Order
3. Finding the Story/Telling the Story
4. Making a Mask
5. Placing and Embodying the Mask
6. Finding the Moment
7. Soundscape
8. Environment
9. Directing Someone Else
10. Obstacle and Helper
11. The Edge
12. Final Presentation/Ritual
13. Afterwards
PART III: Alumni Writings
PART IV: Additional Resources, Training
