101 healing stories for kids and teens: Using metaphors in therapy

Burns, GW. (2005). 101 healing stories for kids and teens: Using metaphors in therapy. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

George W. Burns is a Clinical Psychologist and the Director of the Milton H. Erickson Institute of Western Australia. He is also the author of 101 healing stories: Using metaphors in therapy, Nature-guided therapy: Brief integrated strategies for health and well-being, and Standing without shoes: Creating happiness, relieving depression, enhancing life.

In 101 Healing Stories, Burns introduces the reader to the use of metaphors in therapy by way of the art and skill of storytelling. He views storytelling as an effective form of therapeutic communication. This book is the result of requests by Burns' trainees in his metaphor workshops. Their two most common questions are: (1) "How do you tell stories in a way that effectively engages the client?" and (2) "Where do you find the materials or sources to create appropriate stories?" Burns seeks to answer these and other questions by taking the reader through a step-by-step process of creating metaphoric stories from one's own experience as well as from other sources. He instructs the reader on the skill of crafting and delivering stories in such a way as to make the communication therapeutic. While being a longtime recipient, collector, and teller of stories himself, Burns does caution his readers by reminding them that metaphor therapy is not for every client, instead, he sees this strategy as one more "string" on the therapeutic "bow." The overarching goal is to build a rich repertoire of therapeutic strategies from which to draw, aiming always to pay keen attention to the client's response and always adapting to individual clients and their specific needs.

From the outset, I had the impression that Burns has a natural talent for constructing and delivering powerful tales. At the same time, it was also very clear that he puts much time and work into fine-tuning his skills. His exposure to stories began at a very young age with a mother who loved literature and read children's classics to him and a father who told him stories from his own life. The enthusiasm the author conveys throughout the book invites the reader to stand up and take notice of a story's and storyteller's subtle ability to teach, inspire, and heal. As I read the stories, one by one, I noticed a shift in my perspective and discovered alternate ways to view a problem area. The stories are so well-structured and well-written that they can easily spark the reader's own creativity.

The book is divided into four main parts. The grey-shaded rectangular tabs on the pages' edges are convenient for finding the teaching and specific problem area sections of the book. In Part One, "Metaphor Therapy," the author examines the rationale for telling stories. He describes the impact and power that stories have on readers, after which he outlines the necessary components for effective storytelling and follows with guidelines for the storytelling voice. Part Two, "Healing Stories," contains 10 chapters of 10 stories per chapter. The stories are arranged according to specific themes and therapeutic outcomes, such as attaining goals, enhancing empowerment, changing patterns of behavior, and developing wisdom. Each story is prefaced by an outline of the problems addressed, resources developed, and the outcomes offered (i.e., the PRO-Approach as explained later in the book). Each chapter ends with a grey-shaded exercise box with questions, suggestions, and points to consider. Burns guides the reader through each chapter, encouraging the reader along the way to keep a notebook for recording ideas, composing new stories, or taking a new slant on a common problem. The reader can easily gain in skill development and confidence by answering these helpful questions and points to consider and applying them to her or his own work.

In Part Three, "Creating Your Own Metaphors," Burns explains the do's and don'ts of composing and delivering metaphoric stories. He also addresses the question of where to get one's material for stories. His teaching and writing style is clear, easy to follow, and comprehensive. Burns' expertise with this medium is undeniable. He takes an outcome-oriented rather than a prescriptive approach to problem-solving. The format for structuring and presenting metaphors is called the PRO-Approach (Problems, Resources, Outcomes). With the PRO-Approach, Burns emphasizes that it is not enough to have a clear understanding of the problem alone. In addition, the practitioner/storyteller must also have a clear understanding of the outcome. In this way, she or he can handily facilitate the client who is learning how to move forward and out of the problem or issue. With the outcome in mind, it is much easier to explore all of the resources, means, and abilities the client needs to have in place in order to reach the desired outcome. Burns skillfully guides the reader through the detailed yet practical procedures for creating, structuring, and delivering effective therapeutic stories. Burns closes the chapter with Story 101, "Why Do You Teach in Stories," and makes his compelling case for the use of metaphoric story as therapy. In Part Four, "Resources," he offers a comprehensive reference section with research references and the professional literature on metaphors along with references for cross-cultural stories, folktales, myths, legends, religious and spiritual stories, videotapes, and internet websites.

Overall, I found 101 healing stories: Using metaphors in therapy to be an excellent sourcebook. It is well-written, well-organized, and highly instructive, addressing 10 common concerns and issues that clients bring to the therapy office. I would recommend this book to those who are new to using metaphor in therapy, as well as those who have been honing their skills for many years. The stories are absorbing and bring a fresh look and approach to getting clients unstuck from longstanding issues. Burns' personality, focus, and clarity of teaching style come through page after page, leaving the reader with the impression that the author is thoroughly enjoying what he does best. This is a book to take one's time with and to be referred to again and again. The stories are an inspiration and a delight to read, and the teaching sections are meant to be assimilated with attention, creative flexibility, and practice much like any new or ongoing skill. Experimenting with the stories and composing one's own stories can breathe new life into the age-old art of storytelling, perhaps waking up to a skill we all have. While I read and reviewed Burns' later book, 101 healing stories for kids and teens: Using metaphors in therapy, before reading this book, I do suggest that they are both of such high quality that they would both be a welcome addition to the professional's library to be referred to and worked with again and again.

Reviewed by Darlene A. Osowiec, Ph.D., Maximum Potential, Geneva, IL.

Copyright American Society of Clinical Hypnosis Jan 2008
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