Therapeutic Stories
​​​​​The Healing Power of Stories
Have you ever read or heard a story that stayed with you? One that made you think about your own life in a new way?
That’s the power of storytelling and few people understood it better than Dr. Milton H. Erickson (1901-1980) who was a pioneering psychiatrist and hypnotherapist.
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Erickson believed that stories could reach the unconscious mind, the part of us that holds habits, emotions and deep beliefs. Rather than giving advice, he shared gentle, symbolic stories that helped people see their challenges from a new perspective. Through his stories, people began to imagine change and once the mind can imagine something, it becomes possible.
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Why Stories Can Help You Heal
When we hear a story, our mind naturally relaxes and becomes open. We identify with the characters and see parts of ourselves in them. This is why Erickson’s approach worked so well. His stories didn’t tell people what to do, they invited them to find their own answers.
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A simple story about a gardener learning to trust nature, or a traveller finding their way home, could carry a message about patience, confidence, or self-acceptance. The lesson didn’t need to be explained....it was felt!
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This is why my therapeutic approach is based on story and metaphor - my clients create their own story through characters based on the different parts of the 'self' which allows exploration of identity, their functions and finally parts integration and self-healing.
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How to Write (or Reflect On) Your Own Therapeutic Story
You don’t need to be a therapist to use this approach. You can write or imagine a story that helps you understand your own life better. Here’s a simple framework inspired by Erickson’s method:
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Choose a Theme
Think about something you’re working through - maybe fear of change, feeling stuck, or learning to let go. -
Find a Metaphor
Pick a simple image or situation that represents that theme. For example, climbing a hill for persistence, planting seeds for personal growth, or sailing through storms for resilience. -
Create a Character
Imagine someone who faces the same struggle - it could even be an animal, a traveller, or a version of yourself. -
Let the Story Unfold
Allow the character to face challenges, learn something and find a new way forward. -
End With Hope
Finish your story with a small but meaningful sense of resolution - a feeling that change is possible.
An Example
Instead of saying “I need to stop controlling everything,” you might tell yourself a story about a gardener who learns that flowers grow best when given space and sunlight, not constant pruning. ​As you think about the gardener, you might feel something shift inside you. That’s your own wisdom speaking through the story.
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Finding Your Own Story of Change
You can use this kind of storytelling in journalling, meditation, or simply as a way of understanding yourself. The goal isn’t to write a perfect story - it’s to connect with the part of you that already knows how to grow.
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Every person has a story of resilience, healing and discovery waiting to be told. When you begin to tell it, you begin to live it!
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Therapeutic storytelling can also be used in counselling, coaching, hypnotherapy and education. Whether spoken, written, or visual, these metaphoric stories invite growth by awakening the imagination - the most natural pathway to change.
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Join me on my next course:
Your Life, Your Story: Finding Meaning and Change Through Metaphor - further details here.
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