informed clients. We are fortunate that we are in an age of therapy where we have some solid evi-
dence about what therapeutic techniques work well and what do not work so well. There is ample
literature to guide therapists in efficacious interventions, such as Kazdin and Weisz’s Evidenced-Based
Psychotherapies for Children and Adolescents(2003), a compilation of studies by pioneering clinical re-
searchers who provide evidence of effective therapies and strategies for applying them.
The art of skilled child therapists largely lies in their ability to develop a sound working alliance
with the child and to translate the evidence-based data into an accessible, understandable, and appli-
cable format for that given child client. How do you convert the language of scientific journals into
the language and experience of an enuretic child or suicidal teenager? How do you communicate
to a depressed child about cognitive distortions (Beck, Brown, Berchick, Stewart, & Steer 1990),
learned patterns of helplessness (Seligman, 1990, 1995), and attributional styles (Yapko, 1992, 1997)?
“Overcoming Adversity” (Stories 71 and 72) are built on the evidence-based, cognitive, attributional
styles of people who cope well with adversity, and those who do not. The child version (Story 71) is
an easy-listening tale that compares and contrasts the opposing cognitive styles of two young di-
nosaurs who respond differently to the same situation. One models optimism, specific thinking, an
outward focus, concern for others, flexibility of thought, hopefulness, and a style that is based in ac-
tion. The other is pessimistic, global in its thinking, and more self-focused. The second dinosaur’s
cognitive style is more fixed and rigid, oriented toward the past, and ruminative or worrisome. This
fictional tale of the dinosaurs is based on the evidence about the differing cognitive and attributional
styles between people who are depressed and those who are happy or more optimistic.
To say to a child, “You need to be more optimistic and less pessimistic in your thinking” may
not have a lot of meaning—or a lot of impact—and may even have a negative impact. To quote re-
search data that indicates, “You will handle life better if you think specifically rather than a globally,
or if you are more action-oriented and less ruminative” is not likely to bring about the desired cog-
nitive or behavioral changes. However, to wrap the evidence in a story such as the two young di-
STORY IDEASWhere Do I Get the Ideas for Healing Stories? 241
EXERCISE 15.1 METAPHORS BUILT ON A BASIS OF EVIDENCE
■ Note the specific symptoms or problems with which a child presents.
■ Study the evidenced-based literature for that particular condition, examining in par-
ticular the therapeutic interventions that work.
■ Examine which of those particular interventions are most likely to help the child
reach his or her therapeutic goal.
■ Structure a metaphor around the utilization of those effective interventions in a way
that will make them understandable and relevant for the child.
■ Bear in mind each of the following:
■ The character who will match the challenge and model the outcome
■ The particular aspects of the problem to be addressed
■ The resources necessary for the client to reach his or her outcome
■ The evidenced-based interventions that will lead to new learning and discovery
■ A valid and obtainable outcome