In sum, a simple guide is to planthe metaphor in the order Outcome, Resources, Problem, and
Character, then present or tell the metaphor as a story that moves from the Problem, through the Re-
sources, to the Outcome. In this process, it may be helpful to revisit the guidelines for effective story-
telling that I discussed in Chapter 2, along with the use of the storyteller’s voice. My encouragement
is that you experiment with these guidelines to help enhance the effectiveness of the therapeutic mes-
sage. Test them out, see the things that work for you and your clients. Use those things that help
engage your listeners and involve them in the process of storytelling. Discard those that do not.
- STOP, LOOK, AND LISTEN
It is a useful skill for a therapist to be a little dissociative, by which I mean the ability for one part of
you to be engaged fully in the storytelling process with the child, and another part to be standing back
a little, observing the child’s responses and adapting your tale to their needs. As you tell the tale, you
may want to look for, and listen to, the individual reactions that communicate whether your tale is
having an impact or missing the mark. Is the child sitting still, looking at you wide-eyed, appearing
curious about what happens next? or restless, swinging his legs, fidgeting with her fingers, gazing
around the room to find something more interesting? And, when you have made the observation,
what do you do with it?
If signs of distraction are present, it is usually a good indication that a child is not engaged in the
therapeutic process, or has not identified with the story and, as a result, your words may be falling on
deaf ears. Part of the art of good storytelling is the flexibility to adapt and adjust to the needs of the
listener and the situation with questions to yourself, like, do I incorporate the child’s behavior into
the story and have the character reflect the distraction that the child is experiencing? Do I change the
story in an attempt to engage the child more? Do I stop and ask the child, if he were the character,
what he might do at this point of the story? Do I change the character or problem to better match
the interests, hobbies, or sporting activities of my listener? These are the type of questions that will
help keep your story relevant and the outcome beneficial. So in saying “stop, look, and listen,” I want
to emphasize the value of taking a mental pause in your storytelling to observe what is happening for
your listener, then adapt and adjust your tale, if necessary, for the effectiveness of the story and ben-
efit of the listener.
- GROUND THE STORY IN REALITY
In the northern part of Australia there is an Aboriginal value legend that is soundly grounded in the
reality of the local environment. The story tells of a young man who attempted to have incest with
his sister high on a cliff ledge. In struggling to get free, the girl fell over the cliff—but not before
plucking a feather from her brother’s headband. The feather landed on the cliff top and was petrified
into the rocks. The elders chased after the young man and, as he fled, he ran through a fire that burned
his skin, plunged into a waterhole, and turned into a crocodile, his skin hard, wrinkly, and darkened
from the burns. Every time one of the tribe walk by the cliff and see the feather-shaped rock at the
264 Creating Your Own Healing Stories for Kids