Nancy Davis PHD - Suggestions for Using Therapeutic Stories

Do not interpret the stories as they are designed to talk to the unconscious which interprets the stories according to the needs of the listener. Interpreting moves the story into the conscious mind and diminishes their power. Make sure that you change and individualize stories to fit the listener.
For children 7-8 years or younger, make an audio tape of about 30 minutes with stories designed for the presented problem during the first or second therapy session. If the child is young, tell “The Hero” first, inserting the name of the child. Ask the child questions as you record stories, since a young child likes to hear their own voice. If the child seems to have been traumatized and needs to talk about it, include the story “Rags” or “Taffy”. Have the parent or caretaker play the story tape as the child goes to bed. It does not matter if the child is asleep while the tape plays since the messages from the stories are heard by the unconscious.

Add new stories to the story tape as therapy progresses and the needs of the child changes.
If a parent calls about a first appointment for a child who has been traumatized and will not talk about their trauma, send the child a tape of stories with your voice so that they will already find you a comfort when the first session begins.
Stories can be grouped for a variety of problems including the following: symptoms and problems related to experiencing abuse and trauma, grief and loss, school and academic problems, social difficulties, rebelliousness and oppositional behavior, self-image, expression of feelings, questions as to why something happened, anxiety, fears and phobias, rape, trauma, distorted perceptions, etc.
Record stories on child’s tapes that are designed for their parent; the parent’s unconscious will listen and learn.
Have family listen to the tape when leaving or coming to therapy.
Give the parent stories to read to their child. Have the parent make tapes of the stories for their child. These stories can heal both the parent and child. (Only do this if parent will not sabotage the stories.) This technique can be used in therapy sessions, i.e., parent of child removed from home because of abuse can read a story picked by therapist to their child in a session.
If a child or adolescent begins therapy and refuses to talk, begin reading therapeutic stories. Do not explain why you are reading the stories. Read stories that you believe will help their problems. If you read stories that are not for their problem, their unconscious will ignore them and focus on the stories that are appropriate for them. When the session is over, say “See you next week.” If the child goes to sleep during the session, continue reading anyway...their unconscious will listen. Generally by the third session, the child begins to talk. The messages of the stories tell them you understand and are there to help them to heal.
If you are a psychologist assigned to test a child who refuses to be tested, after establishing that you are going to sit with them until they take the test, begin to read therapeutic stories. Generally they will begin taking the test after several stories are told.
Read a story at the beginning or end of a group therapy session or have a member read one. Do not interpret these stories.
Have a teenager or adult edit the story book or some of the stories; they learn as they edit.
Have a teenager or adult rewrite a story to deal with their own issues or a story directed for someone else.
Read the stories to a client of any age while they are in a hypnotic trance.
Read a story at the end of the session.
Make a book for a child with a collection of stories, and allow the child to take them home. While you are reading the stories or making the book, include the pen & ink drawings and allow the child to color them or have them draw pictures and/or a cover for their book.
Have the child retell a story on tape that you have already told them to assess their issues by the way they changed the story. You can then retell the story making corrective and positive changes to help them see in a new way. Child: "John got very angry and hit the bully and punched him." Therapist: "John got very angry and said to the bully, ‘You are a bully and if you learn to like yourself, you won’t be a bully anymore.’" Or "You are a bully and I’m going to figure out how to handle you so you don’t bother me.”
Have the child read the story on audio or video tape.
Tape a story and play the story to your secretary while client is in waiting room---this is particularly good for angry, resistive adolescents and adults.
Use “The Princess and The Snake” for female adults and adolescents in abusive relationships with men. If the woman is willing, give her a copy and tell her read it to herself daily. I have found this story to be the most powerful change agent in women involved with sadistic men. The relationship with the man must be over for this story to work, since, it has been my experience, that sadistic and abusive men use powerful brainwashing techniques that hook the woman to in the relationship.
For adolescents that are “shut down” or in the numbing stage of PTSD, read stories either in or out of trance.
Use a technique where the therapist begins a story, then points to the child. The child continues the story and then points to the therapist. Using this technique, the child’s issues and problem solving style can be diagnosed and the therapist can correct poor problem solving illustrated in their version of the story.
Therapist: "Once upon a time a boy went for a walk in the woods. He walked and walked. Suddenly he realized he was lost." (Points to child)
Child: "So he sat down and began to cry. He didn’t know what to do." (Points to therapist)
Therapist: "But he was very smart so he figured out how to solve this problem. He looked at the sun and began to walk in a straight path toward the sun.
Use the person’s own symbols or metaphors to either make up a story or find a story that already fits these metaphors. Use metaphors or symbols from giving the Rorschach Projective Test.
For children who must testify in court, make a collection of stories that empower. Use the stories for court that are appropriate. For small children, use the “Teddy Bear and The Truth”. On the day of court, play the stories to the child as he/she waits to testify. The child does not have to consciously listen to the stories for the messages to be heard by the unconscious.
For children who have a parent leaving them for a vacation, a trip, or hospital stay, have the parent make a tape of stories specifically for their child. The voice of the parent and the message will comfort the child in their absence.
Have child act out stories, draw as the stories are told, or videotape the stories being told.
Use stories to decrease nightmares. Individualize the stories to fit the child’s particular nightmare.
Use stories as a basis for art therapy, play therapy and sand therapy.
Teachers may read a story a day to their class.
Ask the child or patient to indicate his/her favorite story. Use more stories with that particular theme.
Give copies of stories to adults, particularly those related to abuse; suggest that they read the stories before going to sleep.
When loss (human or pet) has occurred, read “Thor” or copy stories about loss for adolescents and adults.
Read stories while tapping shoulders (Using Multi-Sensory Trauma Processing (MTP) to process trauma).

As you read a therapeutic story, allow your unconscious, your intuitive, wise side to learn and to heal and perhaps you may discover that you can create therapeutic stories.