polish as you continue to build your storytelling abilities. Right now it might be helpful to select a
story that you enjoy—whether one from your own experience, something you have read in a book,
or a tale you have heard from another person. Tell it to some children of different ages, different gen-
ders, and different interests. How is the story received? What do your listeners respond to? Are they
responding to your techniques or simply your enthusiasm?
- Use Your Intelligence, Integrity, and Ethics
Stories do not need to be factual. The sky can be green, trees can talk, elephants can fly, and fairies
can exist; but, despite the fantasy, stories contain a reality that communicates a truth, a value, or a way
of being. This is part of a story’s beauty and the joy of working with stories. They offer the listener
the paradox of suspending reality testing at one level while presenting a very real message at another.
Ta ke, for example, the traditional story of the Three Little Pigs. Both storyteller and children
who are listening accept, at least for the length of the tale, things they otherwise would hold to be
untrue: that pigs can talk among themselves and even with wolves; that pigs can build houses as well
as any qualified builder; that they can walk around on two legs and use their front feet for dexterous
skills such as laying bricks or putting big pots of water on a fire. But amidst this fantasy, the tale com-
municates some very real values: If you do something, do it well; hard work has its rewards; solid is
better than flimsy; goodness and intelligence can triumph over cunning and evil.
Therapeutic storytelling needs to assume a responsibility and accountability to our clients—es-
pecially our youngest ones. It needs to offer messages that responsibly help children achieve what
they want or need. Having the child’s therapeutic outcome in mind helps to communicate a story
with intelligence, integrity, and a sound base in ethics. Setting outcome goals for metaphors will be
discussed further in Chapter 16.
18 Effective Storytelling for Kids and Teens
EXERCISE 2.2
■ Find a story that you like or enjoy and practice telling it to other people, enthusiasti-
cally. Let yourself express your feelings, your involvement, and your enjoyment.
■ Do the same with a child. Practice telling a story you can relate enthusiastically.
■ Tell another story that you do not find stimulating, enjoyable, or exciting to tell.
Watch for the verbal and nonverbal feedback from your listener.EXERCISE 2.3
■ Experiment with being both responsible and bold in your storytelling.
■ If you have a relationship with a child, whether personal or therapeutic, in which
storytelling has not been a common part of your communication, test it out: Tell a
story and see what difference it makes for both you and your listener.