Therapeutic Fairy Tales are a series of short, modern tales, dedicated to supporting young children through challenging situations of life and loss, covering diverse themes such as family breakdown, untreatable illness, and parental depression. Each short story is brought to life by engaging, gentle and colourful illustrations, and can be used by professionals and caregivers to support children’s mental and emotional health. This set also includes the Storybook Manual, which offers practical and creative ideas on how to use illustrated storybooks therapeutically. Exercises have been designed to encourage children’s imagination and creativity, develop confidence and emotional literacy as well as deepen engagement and understanding of storybooks. Books in the series include: Storybook Manual: An introduction to working with storybooks therapeutically and creatively, The Storm: For children growing through parent’s separation, The Island: For children with a parent living with depression, The Night Crossing: A lullaby for children on life’s last journey, Designed to be used with children aged six and above, each story has an accompanying online resource, offering therapeutic prompts and creative exercises to support the practitioner. These resources can also be adapted for wider use with siblings and other family members.

In our distant childhood, mothers and grandmothers told us fairy tales, not suspecting, perhaps, that by doing so they used one of the most effective methods of psychological correction – fairy-tale therapy. A fairy tale is a means of introducing a child to the world of human destinies, to history; this is the «golden key» to changing the environment, its creative, constructive transformation. The child half lives in an imaginary, unreal world, and not just lives, but actively acts in it, rebuilding it and himself. It is from this treasury that he draws information about the reality that he does not yet know, the features of the future, about which he still does not know how to think [12]. Surprisingly simple, but at the same time instructive stories were breathtaking, plunging the world of dragons, woodpeckers, brownies, beautiful princesses and evil witches. Are these simple stories simple, as it seems at first glance? Is it just an entertainment tool or a universal educational program that helps children to settle in this difficult world? The process of fairy tale therapy allows the child to actualize and realize his problems, as well as to see different ways to solve them [12, p. 84]. A fairy tale metaphor, due to its inherent special properties, turns out to be a way of building mutual understanding between children, an attitude towards oneself as an individual. In fairy tales you can find a complete list of human problems and ways to solve them. Fairy stories contain information about the dynamics of life processes. Therefore, a fairy tale can give a symbolic warning about how the situation will develop, which is important in corrective work [118, p. 35]. K.I.Chukovsky believed that the purpose of a fairy tale «is to educate a child in humanity – this marvelous ability to worry about other people's misfortunes, to rejoice in the joys of another, to experience someone else's fate as one's own. After all, a fairy tale improves, enriches and humanizes the child's psyche, since a child listening to a fairy tale feels like an active participant in it and always identifies with those of its characters who fight for justice, goodness, and freedom». A fairy tale is a means of working with the inner world of a child, surprising in terms of the strength of its psychological impact, a powerful tool for development. It is the psychological content of fairy tales, the symbolic reflection of psychological phenomena that make folk tales an indispensable tool for influencing a person [12]. A school psychologist constantly asks himself two questions: «What? » and «How?». In the sense that every day, in the case of providing psychological assistance to a child, a specialist tries to figure out what is actually happening and how to help a small client overcome the difficulties that have arisen. Searching for the answer to the question «what? » are carried out with the help of various methods of psychodiagnostics, observation, conversations with parents and teachers, etc. But when the answer to the first question becomes more or less clear, the question «how? » arises with all its cast-iron simplicity and inaccessibility. At this stage, many school psychologists, unfortunately, give in, because it is necessary to move from diagnostics to full of surprises and risk, the path of psychocorrection and psychotherapy. The enrichment of practical psychology with new means of effective work with children, provided, in particular, by such a direction as fairy tale therapy, is a gratifying fact of the last decade. Now to the notorious question «how? » found one of the beautiful and effective answers. The developing and psychotherapeutic potential of fairy tales, for all its obviousness, was not used enough by the practical psychology of education. But fairy tale therapy is effective in working not only with preschoolers or younger students, but also with teenagers and high school students. Moreover, there are psychotherapeutic fairy tales for teachers. Even a simple reading of fairy tales (especially specially created ones) gives an amazing effect and helps a person overcome various life difficulties. Fairy tales are important to child development, both educationally and psychologically, and have been shown to be therapeutically efficacious. O.Breusenko-Kuznetsov, G.Nyzhnyk, D.Sokolov, L.Terletska, N.Tsybulya and others are developing the method of fairy tale therapy in Ukraine. Studies by L.S. Vygotsky, O.V. Zaporozhets, N.S. Karpinskaya showed that a fairy tale is vital to a child, and it is a means for him to know the world around him and himself. In recent literature, fairy tales are often the object the study attracts the attention of representatives of various schools and branches of science, in particular folklorists, literary critics, psychologists, etc. A fairy tale needs a thorough new look using effective tools. In in this regard, the study of issues related to the analysis of fairy tales as a psycho-corrective method of psychological assistance to preschoolers in terms of psychological and pedagogical aspects is appropriate. The research of the above experts is about the possibility use of the method of fairy tale therapy not only in psychological, but also in pedagogical practice for didactic and developmental purposes. As for application of this method in the professional activities of a psychologist, the research on this subject is just beginning to appear on the pages scientific publications. Yes, the possibility and feasibility of using fairy tale therapy in socio-pedagogical practice indicate S. Savchenko, O. Ivanovska, N. Shkarin and others, who consider the fairy tale as a wonderful social pedagogical means of socialization, development and education of personality. At the present stage of development of education the problem of increasing the number of children with behavioral disorders and, accordingly, the problem of preventing and overcoming school non-adaptation, manifested in low performance, deviations from norms of behavior, difficulties in relationships with others. Central in the correctional education of schoolchildren is the optimization of children's activities. The method of fairy tale therapy allows solving a number of problems that arise in children of different ages. The process of fairy tale therapy allows the child to actualize and realize their problems, as well as see different ways to solve them.

Somewhere hidden in the depths of each story lies a treasure waiting to be discovered... This creative arts therapies approach uses myth and fairy tale to explore personal challenges. Clients begin by choosing a myth or fairy tale character they feel drawn to, but don't know why. They and their chosen character then embark on a guided creative journey that leads them to discover hidden, unconscious, aspects of themselves. The process is holistic, using all the arts. In addition to explaining the theoretical background of this approach, the book provides detailed step-by-step instructions for readers to follow for their own personal exploration, including specific creative exercises at each stage, and guidelines for using the approach with clients. Also included are clinical case vignettes, reflections from people who have experienced the process, and the authors own personal journey. Whether you are a creative arts therapist seeking to expand your practice, or a health professional searching for a new, creative way of working with clients, The Story Within is an exciting new resource.

In this text, Arthur Robbins explores the interaction between patient and therapist in depth, examining the concept of therapeutic presence, and the therapist's ability to maintain it.

The potential for healing available in well-known myths and stories is increasingly recognized, but many practitioners are unsure how to tap into this rich and often culturally-specific source of insight. What sort of story is best for what sort of situation? How can it be introduced naturally into the session? What is the best way of using the story? These are some of the questions contributors to this book set out to answer. They explore the historical and cultural context of story-telling and provide examples of specific stories for specific situations. Covering emotional themes such as anger, anxiety, fear, shame, guilt, separation and bereavement, the authors show how they work through stories with many different kinds of client groups and individuals of all ages in educational, health and social science settings. The Therapeutic Use of Stories provides a sound theoretical framework for the use of stories, examples of stories with a high therapeutic value, and practical advice on how to use them to best effect.

Encyclopedic in its coverage, this one-of-a-kind reference is ideal for students, scholars, and others who need reliable, up-to-date information on folk and fairy tales, past and present. Folktales and fairy tales have long played an important role in cultures around the world. They pass customs and lore from generation to generation, provide insights into the peoples who created them, and offer inspiration to creative artists working in media that now include television, film, manga, photography, and computer games. This second, expanded edition of an award-winning reference will help students and teachers as well as storytellers, writers, and creative artists delve into this enchanting world and keep pace with its past and its many new facets. Alphabetically organized and global in scope, the work is the only multivolume reference in English to offer encyclopedic coverage of this subject matter. The four-volume collection covers national, cultural, regional, and linguistic traditions from around the world as well as motifs, themes, characters, and tale types. Writers and illustrators are included as are filmmakers and composers—and, of course, the tales themselves. The expert entries within volumes 1 through 3 are based on the latest research and developments while the contents of volume 4 comprises tales and texts. While most books either present readers with tales from certain countries or cultures or with thematic entries, this encyclopedia stands alone in that it does both, making it a truly unique, one-stop resource.

Poetry and short stories can act as powerful springboards to growth, self-enhancement and healing. With the guidance of a skilled facilitator, participants can engage with their own creative expression, and with that of others, and in doing so find opportunities to voice their truth, affirm their strengths, and find new ways of coping with challenges. This book explores the therapeutic possibilities of poetry and stories in turn, describing how to select appropriate works for discussion, and providing techniques for facilitating personally-relevent and growth-enhancing sessions. The author provides ideas and suggestions for personal writing activities that emerge from or intertwine with this discussion, and explains how participants can create their own poetic and narrative pieces using non-literary stimuli, such as music, photographs, paintings, objects, and physical movement. A useful appendix contains titles of individual poems, stories, and literary anthologies that the author has found particularly beneficial in her work, as well as useful further resources and contact details for readers who would like to train to be registered or certified poetry therapists or facilitators. Combining theory with innovative ideas for practical, experiential exercises, this book is a valuable tool for creative arts therapy students and practitioners, mental health and medical professionals, and anyone else interested in the healing possibilities of creative expression.

Art therapists work with diverse people experiencing life-changing distress that cannot be expressed verbally. From its early beginnings in the UK and USA, art therapy is now attracting international interest and recognition. To meet ever-changing needs in uncertain times, art therapists worldwide are currently advancing socially just and culturally relevant practice and research. This book presents original contributions, highlighting innovative research and culturally diverse practices that are transforming art therapy with new insights and knowledge. It captures an internationally vibrant and truly client-centred profession, and will be of interest to arts therapists, artists in healthcare, psychotherapists, counsellors, and professionals who use art therapeutically in their practice.

Advances in Psychology Research

Incorporating mindfulness and family therapy into play-family sessions. When a child is offered a space to relax the “busy mind,” his experience is comparable to mindfulness meditation. Therapists can help children remain in this calm state—in the state of the present moment—if they have the right tools and techniques to do so. During this stillness, a child can reach a level of consciousness that is parallel to the deepened awareness that occurs during mindfulness meditation. Conducting play sessions in this stage allows for healing and progress. Not only can the symptoms of children’s pain be reduced in intensity and duration, but their self-esteem can be enhanced. This book presents a new and comprehensive framework for helping children through play therapy within the context of the family and incorporating ideas from the practice of mindfulness. This experience-based therapeutic model respectfully derives from the best roots of traditional family therapy and play therapy modalities. Additionally, it draws from child development theory, interpersonal neurobiology, and mindfulness. Either spontaneous play or directed play can be used according to the need.