By William Noonan Ph.D. The metaphors of folktales help cancer patients in their therapy. Unlikely heroes and heroines lie in hospital beds. Living with cancer is hardly a fairy tale existence, yet the life portrayed in fairy tales metaphorically describes the inner journey traveled from illness to healing. The rich resources of these tales present […]
by Lorna Czarnota. There are two ways to approach the challenges we face in life’s journey. We can run into them head-on and try to move them out of way or push them before us or we can learn to dance with them. When we dance with the challenges, we can look into their eyes,
Learning to Dance: Archetypes and Stories as Models for Life’s Journey
by Shelia Darr. I have a story. Actually only the beginning of a story, so far, but this story could be the mother and grandmother and great-grandmother to hundreds, perhaps thousands of other stories; stories of life changing adventure and healing for college students from the U.S. and for the people of Belize. Here’s how
Journey to Belize: First Steps in Healing Story
By Caren S. Neile (response to September 11). I founded the Storytelling for Social Action Discussion Focus Group and agreed to serve on the HSA Board in order to promote awareness, conversation and action on the role of story in social issues concerning the public and the planet. Seen in this light, the terrorist attacks
By Laura Simms (response to September 11). Early morning of September 11th before the planes hit the World Trade Center, I was awakened by a dream. I saw the door of my loft, which in reality is a dark blue painted metal Manhattan door, now turned into a window with frilly white curtains looking out
By Lorne Browne. (response to September 11) First the Canadian favorites – Bob Homme (the Friendly Giant) and then Ernie Coombs (Mr. Dressup) died. Then Fred Rogers retired from his Neighborhood. Three gentle television storytellers for children now gone, their places filled with frenetic, over-produced kids’ shows. I found myself longing for the more innocent,
By William Noonan Ph.D. Once upon a time, an evil sorcerer stole a magic crystal orb, a troll-like imp turned himself into a poisonous fruit tree, and a giant abducted a princess and hid her in his Castle of No Return. These are images from folk tales that you would expect to find in Grimm’s
By Meg Gilman. I develop storytelling programs for people with ABI (acquired brain injury) and for clinicians who work in that field. While there are common problems and struggles for people with ABI, the unique nature of the brain and it’s response to trauma begs that anyone telling stories to survivors, for any purpose, be
Using Story with Aquired Brain Injury
By Allison Cox © 2001. Each month I tell stories to the teens in the Remann Hall Juvenile Detention Center as part of my health education work for the local Health Department where I am employed. Our goal is to prevent of violence and substance abuse. We have found that stories offer these youth a
By Deborah Freedman. Images are powerful medicine. There are internal images that develop out of thought, experience and imagination, and grow into stories of information, narrative and fairytale, touching the mind, the heart and the soul. There are two words that seem appropriate to our awakening as listeners – integration and transformation. The format I
