by Nancy Mellon. A sturdy Israeli lawyer and devoted father, Hanan experiences the great joy of storytelling almost every day with his young children. He insists that he would have missed this pleasure were it were not for his wife, Tsipori, who has been practicing storytelling as a healing art for several years in the […]
by Suzanne Montz Adams. I used to think that myths were simply old stories that had little relevance for twenty-first century dilemmas. Yes, I admired their wildly imaginative content, the occasional unexpected twist, and the characters’ fantastical feats; but important to me personally? Not a chance. There was a slight glimmer of contemporary relevance, however,
by Bobby Seigetsu Avstreih. The Alternatives to Violence Project started in the mid- 70’s by men in New York’s Greenhaven Prison who sought assistance from the local Quaker Meeting in developing ways to lessen the violent prison atmosphere. When I joined in 1986 A.V.P. had both national and international branches. I joined to seek out
The Three Paths of Transformation; Stories from the Alternatives to Violence Project
by Sharon Mathis. As a teller of healing stories, I know that a story invites the listener into suspended time, a landscape of possibilities where even the lies are true. Story creates a vessel big enough for the whole person, with delights for ears, intrigue for the brain, safe places for the heart, and spaces
Stories Transforming the Teller: Sacred Theatre
Compiled by Cristy West. Cristy West: I thought it might be interesting to consider what we mean when we talk “transformation” in the context of story. How are we hoping to transform our own lives? What sorts of transformative goals do we have for those we work with? What do we mean when we speak
Story and Transformation: A discussion from the HSA list serve
by Dr. Brian W. Sturm & Dr. William A. Sturm. There was once a stonecutter who wanted to be the most powerful being in the world. As he was working, the king rode by, and the stonecutter wished to be that king . . . and so it was. He felt powerful as King, very
by Sunwolf, Ph.D. At nightfall the cuckolded and damaged king ordered another maiden and her slave brought to his chambers and took his pleasure. As the night wore on the slave spoke，”Mistress if you are not sleepy tell us one of your lovely little tales to while away the night before I must bid you
Grief Tales: The Therapeutic Power of Folktales to Heal Bereavement and Loss
by Diane Rooks. “Remember the children,” Matt Heavilin wrote, as he autographed the book for me that he and his mother coauthored. Their book, Grief is a Family Affair, offers many examples of how children are often the forgotten grievers following the death of a family member. Not only do most people think children can
Children: the Forgotten Grievers
A Tlingit Tale Retold by Cristy West. In the Queen Charlotte Islands there was a young chief whose wife fell sick and died shortly after their marriage. The young chief was deeply saddened. No one could console him. Then a wood carver from that village came to the chief and offered to carve an image
by Fran Yardley. Over the past ten years, I have been following the path of working with healing story often. At first, I wasn’t sure how this would manifest. The 22 years of experience I have had working as a storyteller has taught me that usually, we do not choose our stories; they choose us.
Mourning into Daylight: The Place of Story in a Bereavement Group
