101 Healing Stories: Using Metaphors in Therapy

Using folktales and other metaphoric stories can aid the healing process

Just as stories have the power to enrich our lives, shape the way we perceive and interact with the world, and reveal the wonders of the human spirit, so too can they play an important and potent role in therapy-helping people develop the skills to cope with and survive a myriad of life situations. 101 Healing Stories celebrates the rewards of using parables, fables, and metaphors in therapy as a nonthreatening means to help clients discuss problems and consider possible solutions.

George W. Burns examines the healing value of using metaphors in therapy and provides 101 inspirational story ideas that therapists can adapt to share with clients for effecting change. He explains how to tell stories that engage the client, how to make them metaphoric, and where to find sources for such tales. Burns also shows readers how to build stories from personal experiences or their own imagination to use in session, making this thoughtful book an especially creative therapeutic tool.

Contains 101 stories grouped by desired therapeutic outcome, highlighting each story's applicability to a variety of presenting problems

Offers talking points for therapists such as speci?c insights, outcomes, or skills that are illustrated by the stories

Features shaded tabs that index stories by therapeutic outcome for easy reference and selection

GEORGE W. BURNS is a clinical psychologist and Director of the Milton H. Erickson Institute of Western Australia. He is also a trainer of therapists and the author of Nature-Guided Therapy: Brief, Integrative Strategies for Health and Well-Being.