Therapeutic Storytelling
“There is no greater power on this earth than story.” Libba Bray
Have you ever been in the heart of a crisis, at a significant crossroads, or simply not sure what to do next? And then someone told you a story that opened your eyes to a new way ahead or a new course of action?
If so, you’re not alone.
Hearing someone else’s story can provide hope, clarity, courage, solace, comfort, and understanding. Often, the only thing that can help someone who is in the middle of great tragedy or simply tough circumstances is the account of someone else who has been through something similar and made it to the other side, wounds and all.
This is the power and magic of Therapeutic Storytelling!
Therapeutic Storytelling, also called Healing Storytelling, uses creative metaphors to tell individualized stories to address challenging experiences; offer possible resolutions; and provide the opportunity for insight and reflection.
This form of narrative is so much more than “just” a story.
A story can move you.
A therapeutic story can move you to action.
A story can transform your perspective.
A therapeutic story can heal your perspective and transform your life.
A story can transport you to another world for awhile.
A therapeutic story can help you create another world for yourself where you can live forever.
Quite simply Therapeutic Storytelling can be your key to healing and happiness!
“We are all storytellers. We all live in a network of stories. There isn’t a stronger connection between people than storytelling.” Jimmy Neil Smith, Director of the International Storytelling Center
Therapeutic Storytelling is at the heart of my business and all of my products and services. I use books, webinars, blogs, and videos to tell my stories; share the stories of others who have joined me on the voyage of discovery; and provide a roadmap to anyone who wants to be on this path with us.
Sharing stories is a powerful way to connect with others, which can facilitate the healing process for ourselves and those we’re sharing our stories with. Storytelling can help us learn about the tragedy and comedy of life and make us feel less alone, confused, or troubled.
Stories are also a bonding tool because everyone can identify with and relate to a story. They unite people in their quest to overcome turmoil, to find a new perspective, or to change some aspect of their present circumstances.
“If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you.” Gospel of Thomas
It’s just as important to know and share your own story as it is to hear the stories of others. When we write our own stories, we stop feeling confused about the events in our lives and thus begin to access the wisdom that we might have lost as we’ve constructed our world by our current thoughts, beliefs, assumptions, and experiences.
Storytelling can help you to develop self-compassion for your life and can inspire a new idea for change. Storytelling is the means by which you can rewrite your narrative in increasingly positive and authentic ways. Storytelling can weave all of the individual elements of your life together.
“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.” Brandon Sanderson
So how does it work for me? It begins with an experience, event, or situation in my own life that compels me to examine my current perspective, beliefs, or assumptions.
I begin by writing about the experience to make sense of it for myself. I write my own stories to heal myself.
Then I share those stories in the hopes of being able to heal others. My goal is to provide a “frame of reference” to enable people to see their present circumstances in new ways in order to imagine new horizons.
Interested in reading my stories and the stories of others who have preceded you on this journey? Take a look at My Books for a summary of each book and links to where you can purchase my books in print and eBook formats.
Want to join other like-minded personal exploration adventurers in a live online setting? Then sign up for my monthly webinars. The focus of my webinars is on showing people how they can put the power of my three-step process, Examine Envision Emerge, into practice and turn thought into action! Each class is comprised of fun-filled, interactive exercises; eye-opening feedback, insights, and guidance from fellow students; tangible takeaways; and easy-to-use strategies for continuing to move forward long after the event is over! All of my webinars for 2024 are described in detail on my 2024 Webinars page.
Enjoy wandering at will through some of my own life-changing (or at the very least, thought-provoking) experiences and encounters? Go to My Blogs and jump right in!
Eager to see how you can put the power of Examine Envision Emerge into practice? You can view the videos on my YouTube channel.