Description …Having her book at hand is like having a medicine chest filled with homeopathic remedies for all conditions – and, like homeopathy, Susan’s stories are guaranteed to produce no unwanted side effects. Healing Stories includes chapters on creating stories and on the art of storytelling, as well as stories selected for their ability to heal. This is a resource that is so vast in its usefulness that we predict it will become one of the most sought after parent/teacher resources ever printed. — Waldorf Books Susan Perrow is a “story doctor.” She writes, collects, and documents stories that offer a therapeutic journey for both the storyteller and listener—a positive, imaginative way of healing difficult situations. Healing Stories for Challenging Behaviour gathers the fruits of Susan Perrow’s work in story-making. It is richly illustrated with lively anecdotes from parents and teachers who have discovered how the power of story can help resolve a variety of common childhood behaviors and situations, including separation anxiety, bullying, sibling rivalry, nightmares, and grieving. This comprehensive resource offers: † An overview of therapeutic storytelling † Checklists for readers to evaluate the challenging behavior or situation and identify their desired resolution † Guidelines for adapting stories for different age groups and cultures † An extensive collection of new stories and traditional folk tales categorized by behavior or situation † A story-making model to help the reader create stories directly relevant to their own circumstances. Susan Perrow’s inspirational adventures with storytelling have grown into this inspirational book. May its pages encourage you to speak healing words that help both children and adults to flourish. — Nancy Mellon, author of Storytelling with Children Susan Perrow gives us the tools to use and create stories that respond to the way children imagine their world. Practice what she teaches; it will enrich your life. —Michael Moran, storyteller and psychiatric nurse C O N T E N T S Foreword by Nancy Mellon Introduction: The Healing Light of Stories SECTION ONE: MY STORY JOURNEY 1. From Dried Prunes to Juicy Plums: Why Use Stories? 2. Weaving Stories into the Family Fabric 3. Weaving Stories into the Teaching Fabric SECTION TWO: WRITING THERAPEUTIC STORIES 4. “Story” and “Behavior” 5. A Construction Model for Story Writing 6. Different Stories for Different Ages 7. Truth and Morality 8. Story-Making Exercises SECTION THREE: STORIES FOR CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR 9. Bored or Whingeing 10. Dishonest or Sneaky 11. Disrespectful or Uncaring 12. Greedy or Unable to Share 13. Irritating or Impatient 14. Lazy 15. Noisy or Disruptive 16. Pinching, Hurting, or Fighting 17. Shy or Introverted 18. Teasing or Bullying 19. Uncooperative 20. Wild or Restless SECTION FOUR: STORIES FOR CHALLENGING SITUATIONS 21. Change or Transition 22. Tidy-up Time 23. Fear or Nightmares 24. Illness, Grieving, or Death 25. New Baby in the Home 26. Separation Anxiety SECTION FIVE: THE ART OF STORYTELLING 27. Storytelling and Story Reading 28. Multi-cultural Thoughts 29. Storytelling for Different Audiences and Occasions 30. Props and Presentation Ideas 31. Guidelines for Assessing Storytelling 32. Conclusion: A Story a Day Appendix 1 – Recommended Books and Websites Appendix 2 – Completed Story Charts Susan Perrow, MEd, is an Australian author who works with “story medicine.” She writes, collects, and documents stories that offer a therapeutic journey for the reader—a positive and imaginative way to address challenging behaviors and traumatic situations, including environmental grief and loss. Susan has an extensive background in teaching, writing, and therapeutic storytelling. She travels nationally and internationally giving keynotes and leading seminars for teachers, parents, and therapists, offering online training and talks, as well. Her therapeutic story work has led to the publication of four resource books published by Hawthorn Press: Healing Stories for Challenging Behaviour (2008); Therapeutic Storytelling: 101 Healing Stories for Children (2012); An A–Z Collection of Behaviour Tales (2017); and Stories to Light the Night: A Grief and Loss Collection for Children, Families and Communities (2021). The first two have been translated into several languages, including Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, Slovenian, Serbian, and Croatian. Perrow also has released an app—Rainbow Tales: Healing Audio Stories for Children—a therapeutic tool for parenting, teaching, and counseling children, ages 3 to 9 (available in online app stores).
