1st Edition
Storybook Manual An Introduction To Working With Storybooks Therapeutically And Creatively
This resource has been designed to support practitioners and caregivers with practical and creative ideas on how to use illustrated storybooks therapeutically with children. Whilst this book is also available to purchase as part of a set, with three therapeutic fairy tales, all the content, worksheets and activities can be used with any illustrated story.
Exercises have been created to encourage imagination and free play, develop confidence and emotional literacy as well as deepen engagement and understanding of stories. It is a book that can be returned to again and again to inspire creative engagement with stories with individuals or groups.
Key features include:
- An exploration of the importance of stories to modern life, and their use as a creative and therapeutic tool
- Guidance for working with stories and their illustrations, including conversation starters, prompts and worksheets for process-orientated creative activities
- Accompanying online activities designed for specific use with the storybooks in the Therapeutic Fairy Tales series
This is an invaluable resource for all professionals looking to work therapeutically with stories and images. It will be particularly valuable to those working in child and family mental and emotional health, social and youth care, community and participatory arts, school and education, and specialised health and hospital environments.
Introduction to the Storybook Manual Chapter 1: Background The ancient art of storytelling Story and metaphor help us make sense of the unknown and unfamiliar Fairy tales, picture books and storytelling in modern culture The Bedtime Story ritual Chapter 2: Introduction to working with storybooks therapeutically and creatively The use of storybooks to help promote therapeutic art making Storybooks as a creative tool to explore existential challenges Storytelling and storybooks as a prompt to explore therapeutic relationship Chapter 3: Setting the scene for safe therapeutic and creative storytelling Creating the right conditions Attending to psychological processes evoked in child and yourself through storytelling Getting ready to listen to and notice children’s responses to the story Getting ready to enter the world of metaphor and speak its language Chapter 4: Working with story Suggestions for conversation starters and prompts when reading storybooks Example STORY worksheets for process-orientated story activities Chapter 5: Using stories and storybooks as a basis for creative art-making exercises Building upon the Story – setting the scene for creative art-making exercises Guiding principles behind building a creative mindset Creative materials and storage of children’s artwork Helping children warm up with spontaneous creative exercises Example worksheets for process-oriented warm-up creative activities Example worksheets for process oriented creative art making activities Top tips to remember when working with children and creative activities Summary and Conclusions Permissions Bibliography
Biography
Pia Jones is an author, workshop facilitator and UKCP integrative arts psychotherapist, trained at the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education, London. At the core of her practice, Pia uses arts and story to help children and adults connect with inner resources during times of loss, transition and change. You can find out more about her work at www.silverowlartstherapy.com
Sarah Pimenta is an experienced artist, lecturer in creativity and workshop facilitator with children and adults. Her specialist art form is print-making which brings texture, colour and emotion into a variety of educational, health and community environments, in the UK and abroad. You can find out more about her work at www.social-fabric.co.uk
