Write and tell stories - is an ancient tradition which is both one of the most exciting forms of entertainment, as well as an effective learning tool. The tale can also be a means of therapy, with which you can resolve many behavioral and emotional problems. Fairytale can not only develop their imagination, but also to promote better understanding of their own actions and urgent problems.

In addition, it allows a person to learn how to better control their emotions in situations that cause him fear, depression, stress, and sometimes even provoke aggressive behavior. Tales - is not just a fantasy world designed exclusively for children; It is a universe of characters where there is no age limit, and where anyone can find answers to important questions for yourself, and find incentives to inner growth.

The healing power of stories

Fairytale - a kind of bibliotherapy in which the symbolic language of fairy tales, myths and legends used to solve a wide variety of psychological problems. It has long been known that fairy tales are very useful from a pedagogical and psychological point of view, but only recently started to use them for the development of not only children but also adults.

Fairytale can be both individual and group - depending on the needs of the patient and techniques that prefers to use the therapist. As tales contain ancient, universal symbols, they allow you to work simultaneously with the conscious and subconscious - when reading or writing information from the tales of these two levels is integrated and it allows for both the therapist and the patient to see the roots of many problems and find solutions.

During skazkoterapii person learns:

• Frankly abstracted and talk about their problems (in the discussion of the problems facing the fairy tale characters), and gradually weaken the protective barriers and suppressed emotions come to the surface;
• To better understand and express the feelings that he is any reason suppressed;
• In another relate to situations that previously caused the greatest difficulties, and find rational solutions to pressing problems.

In general, skazkoterapiya helps a person learn how to use his imagination to go beyond the usual settings to change their attitude towards themselves and the world around them, to see the maximum number of possible solutions to problems and to choose the best of them.

Types skazkoterapii

We can distinguish the following main types skazkoterapii:

• Reading and discussion of fairy tales .  Here, the therapist can pay attention to what causes an emotional response in the patient or that the characters and events, and what association he posed in different symbols present in fairy tales .  Reading aloud by patients also opens up opportunities for observing nuances such as changes in tone of voice, reservations reading, gestures, facial expressions, etc. .  Discussion read fairy tales can often reveal even those issues - perhaps from the distant past - the existence of which the patient may not be aware of .  This is very conducive questions about why one character is a patient sympathy, and the other - a dislike, what emotions he cause different animals in the fairy tales, why he agrees or disagrees with the decisions of the characters, and that he himself made on the site of a Hero .  This discussion helps to create a fairly clear picture of the system of human values ​​and to identify contradictions in it .
• Overwriting and appending tales. The therapist can offer the patient completely finish some tale to retell the same tale on behalf of one of the secondary characters, to come up with an alternate ending, or write about what happened to the characters after the final. The way the characters patient pays more or less attention, which excludes the characters and what adds how it changes the subject, has much to say about his experienced psychological state, fears, unrealized ambitions.
• Writing stories. Sometimes within skazkoterapii therapist offers the patient to write his own story. This tale can give more information about the inner world of the patient, as when writing it will not restrict the characters and storyline of the original tale. On the other hand, interpret this tale can be tricky.

  

Stages skazkoterapii

• Preparation. In most cases, skazkoterapiya not used in the work with patients who first came to the therapist. As a rule, they expect as soon as possible to find an effective solution to their problems and expect the doctor will talk to them very seriously, immediately climb into the depths of their souls. Skazkoterapii usually offer when between patient and therapist trust is established, and the patient is resigned to the idea that any psychotherapy - the process is quite lengthy and high-speed tablets from emotional wounds do not exist. The therapist can choose a fairy tale, the story of which is similar to the history of the patient's life - it makes it easier to identify with the characters. In preparation is not expected and not even recommended that patients attributed the plot of fairy tales and their own lives, although, of course, they will notice the similarities between the problems and plot twists and turns.
• Immersion. The patient gets used to identify with the characters and not just listen to fairy tales, but also more openly talking about appearing in his associations and emotions. At this stage, the patient alone with the therapist or group can discuss the various aspects of fairy tales - the motives of the characters, plot development alternatives (what would have happened if the character did in another way?), Moral aspects of the characters' behavior, and so on. Through identification with the characters and the analysis of fairy tales, patients learn to identify their own repressed feelings and talk about them.
• Completion. When finished reading a story to the end, patients discuss how the characters cope with the challenges they face, as well as - as they themselves can cope with their own problems. Skazkoterapiya often helps to see a very varied and sometimes unexpected solutions to problems that are opened through an active imagination works.

Of course, to achieve high-quality and stable changes several sessions skazkoterapii enough - you may need more than one month before the patient learn to analyze their own thoughts and behavior, not only in the therapist's office, but also in everyday life.

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