the storyteller’s ideas rather than allow the listener to search for his or her own meaning—and this is
a real concern about which we need to be cognizant. Obviously, if the child is contemplating the
meaning of the story or appears reluctant to discuss it, that response needs to be respected. Some-
times it may be better to allow listeners to engage in their own search for meaning than to interrupt
what might be a useful time of processing.
On the other hand, there are metaphor therapists who consider that discussing the story helps
make it practical and relevant for the child. I do not know that there is any hard or fast rule on this
issue. It is not about having a rule that you alwaysfollow, as suggested by Berg and Steiner, but more
a matter of listening to the needs of the child. If the child wantsto talk about the story, not doing so
seems to devalue his or her needs. If the child says something like, “It was funny when the little li-
oness found she could roar as loud as the other lions,” or “I liked it when the lonely, lost little bear
found his way out of the forest,” the child may be opening the way to talk about his or her own ex-
perience of the tale. This gives a therapeutic opportunity to follow up with some outcome-directed
questions like, “What was the most helpful thing the lioness or little bear did to help fix the prob-
lem?” or “If those characters were in a similar situation in the future what do you think would work
best for them then?” This is not interpreting the story for the child but helping listeners find means
for applyingtheir own important learning from the story.
I think part of the confusion here arises out of the fact that two issues are involved and often get
lumped together without being clearly differentiated. The first is the meaning the child attributes to
the story. It is important to bear in mind that there is no one necessary conclusion or outcome, and
that the intent that you had in telling the story may notbe the message that the child derives from it.
Healing stories are likely to have their greatest impact when you assist listeners to seek, and find, their
own meaning—and that may be by quietly letting them discover it for themselves.
The second consideration has to do with how the child incorporates that learning in a useful and
practical manner. Here some discussion and guidance may help the child take a valuable learning or
insight and apply it usefully for the resolution of his or her problem.
44 Effective Storytelling for Kids and Teens