As a child, we enjoyed listening to grandmother's fairy tales before going to bed. Magic stories excited our imagination, taught us to distinguish good from evil, and gave important parting words. But, believe me, the influence of the fairy tale on our life is not limited to this …
Lest you think that this is a lesson in white magic, I want to note that fairy tale therapy is a direction in psychotherapy that uses in the work the composition of new and the elaboration of existing fairy tales. You can apply some of these techniques yourself.
When composing a fairy tale, you are engaged in a dialogue with the Unconscious, which reveals secrets to you: your hidden desires, fears, strengths and resources. As a result of this dialogue, you independently find a solution to your problem.
You will need a pen and a few sheets of paper. Sit in a quiet and peaceful place where no one will disturb you. Take as the basis of the plot your most unpleasant problem, which requires an urgent solution. Describe it in a few sentences on the draft.
Now translate the unpleasant situation into a fairy tale. Think about what fairytale hero you look like? And what about your enemies, friends and assistants? Don't ponder for hours, use the first ideas that come to your mind. Now write down your translation into the fairytale language. Don't think about what your literature teacher would say. The artistic side of your piece is completely irrelevant. The main thing is healing, the solution to your problem.
Be creative until you describe the situation completely. For example:
“Once upon a time there was a Tsar. Lived did not grieve. Everything was good with him: goldfish in ponds, mountains of gold in barns, expensive brands of horses and a beloved wife. But for some reason he was not happy. He himself did not understand what, but something saddened him.”Stop there.
Now you need to turn on your imagination and come up with the completion of a given situation that you would like to translate into reality. Your Unconscious will definitely tell you the right path. Just keep writing a fairy tale, and do not rush to build a plan for overcoming the crisis. The continuation can be a meeting of a sage, the appearance of a wizard or a fantastic beast, a feat or a miraculous transformation. The main thing is to let the fairy tale end well.
If you find it very difficult to come up with an ending, put aside your "pen" for a while, but do not forget about the fairy tale. Perhaps you will be illuminated in half an hour, or maybe only by the end of the week. The main thing is that there will be work going on inside you to solve this problem.
When the tale is finished, reread it. Think about what a happy ending might look like in real life. What can you do to accelerate positive change? Do what depends on you, and otherwise trust your fairy tale. She will definitely take you where you need to go.
