Valuable Lessons Children Learn from Therapeutic Storytelling

As a child, you probably witnessed a few storytelling numbers from your parents, friends, and teachers. This simple act of relaying a narrative actually provided a host of therapeutic benefits for you. In the alternative health profession, storytelling is considered a healing process that promotes general well-being. rnChildren and Therapeutic Storytelling rnWhile therapeutic storytelling is effective for both adults and children, it is the latter that is primarily exposed to the approach. Children learn many valuable things while listening and watching to their mentors tell a story. By identifying themselves with the characters involved in the narrative, they are able to pick up a few life lessons here and there, which ultimately leads to their physical and psychological health. rnProblem Solving rnSince conflict is central to most stories, basic problem solving is a skill that can be introduced to children by way of storytelling. Most characters have a goal from which they are separated from by obstacles. They must come up with creative ways to get through those obstacles. As the children become more involved in the story, the more they recognize themselves in the characters. Now it is they who have to come up with solutions to the problems. The skills they learn can be applied in real life. rnConfrontation of Fears rnAnother valuable lesson children can learn from therapeutic storytelling is the confrontation of fears. What the characters in the stories are afraid of may be metaphors for the children’s own feelings. Most likely, there would be a point in the story when the scared character would be able to confront his or her fear. Through the holistic alternative medicine approach of storytelling, children can adapt this attitude for themselves. rnHandling Circumstances rnMost stories for children take a situational path, meaning that the characters are put into different situations and the choices that they make propel the narrative forward. Through the storytelling form of holistic alternative medicine, kids are taught how to handle situations and encounters similar to those of the story they heard. rnThe Aspects of Therapeutic Storytelling rnTherapeutic storytelling involves not only the verbal telling of the tale. Elaborate actions and movements are also essential to engage the audience more. This is especially true for children because of their short attention spans. In order for this method of holistic alternative medicine to be effective, the storyteller must put his heart into the performance.