How to Access the Healing Power of Story

Ever since the events of September 11th I have been grappling with what to write in this storytelling column that might be helpful to everyone who is suffering a loss, feeling fear of the future, trying to explain the horrendous events to youngsters and to themselves, or just mixed up and traumatized as I am. As healer and storyteller Allison Cox states, “Story crosses over all boundaries for it speaks the language of the heart.” I have decided to share some resources and ways in which storytellers all over the world are working together to use story to bring peace and healing to many.

If we were ever in need of telling and listening to stories, now is the time. In the past two weeks, I have heard more personal stories than I can remember. Everyone has been so touched that they want to share — and I have too — where they were when they heard what was happening in New York, the story of someone they know who was involved or nearly involved in some way, how they have reacted, and how they feel. Barry Lopez wrote, “The Stories people tell have a way of taking care of them. If stories come to you, learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive." So, tell your stories and listen to others stories, because stories bind us and sow the seeds of peace and healing. I am now going to tell you about some of the other story healing resources that are available.

Become familiar with the Healing Story Alliance. A Special Interest Group of the National Storytelling Network, the Healing Story Alliance’s purpose is stated as: “Our purpose is to explore and promote the use of storytelling in healing. Our goal for this special interest group is to share our experience and our skills, to increase our knowledge of stories and our knowledge of the best ways to use stories to inform, inspire, nurture and heal. We also wish to reach beyond our storytelling community to share with those in other service professions; therapists, clergy, health care practitioners of all kinds, anyone who can see the benefit of story as a tool for healing.” You will find their helpful, beautiful and informative website at http://www.healingstory.org. They have set up Guidelines for Applied Storytelling that serve as good touchstones to remember when using story in healing. And, if you click on “What’s New” you will find healing stories for children (and also for us, too. I just finished reading all of them and they each spoke directly to me). I describe this project in the next paragraph.