Healing Tales
Reading Your Tale
A few tips to help you get the most from your therapeutic story.
Before you read
Take care of the time and atmosphere
Choose a calm moment. Read the tale at the child's pace – without rushing, with tenderness.
Not everything needs to be explained
A tale works through symbols, not logic. The child will find in it what they need – even if they don't say it out loud.
Ask open-ended questions
Instead of analyzing, ask: "Which part of the tale moved you the most?", "With whom from this story do you identify the most?".
Return if the tale is memorable
Some tales work in the background. Returning to them after some time can open a new layer of understanding or comfort.
Adapt the tale to your needs
You know the recipient best. You can change names, elements of reality – so that the tale is truly "yours".
Most importantly: Your presence
It's not the tale that heals. What heals is the relationship in which this tale is told. Your attentive presence, gaze, tone of voice. The fact that you are there – with all your tenderness.