Fairytale therapy: what is it for and how to do it

An entire industry is now actively working to promote the development of children. Books and toys, educational activities and educational Internet programs - all this is designed to help a child become a harmonious and self-confident person.

However, such an effective technique as fairy tale therapy is used in raising children. It has a good effect on the overall development of the child, and also mildly corrects emerging psychological problems.

The essence of fairy tale therapy

The essence of the method is that the baby tries to analyze the situation obtained from one or another fairy tales. He seems to put himself in the place of the main character, and thinks about what he would do in a similar case. Fairytale therapy helps a little person see his own problems and find ways to solve them.

Sometimes this type of therapy helps even in cases where all other methods of resolving the situation have failed. For example, if your child has become constantly act up or offend other children, persuasion or threats to be punished may be powerless. If you interest him in an entertaining story, the child, drawn into the world of fairy tales, will begin to experience everything together with their characters and will understand that he behaved badly.

In order for a child to better perceive fairy tales, it is better to read them before bed. In addition, if he finds himself in an unpleasant situation and you want to help him with a fairy tale, it is better to wait a while so as not to traumatize the delicate child’s psyche.

Fairytale therapy methods

Fairytale therapy is a multifaceted phenomenon. In order to use it as effectively as possible after reading, there are several methods:

• Telling and composing a fairy tale. According to psychologists, it is better to tell a child a fairy tale rather than read it. In addition, you can invite your child to finish the story himself. From what scenario the child comes up with and what emotions he will show at this time, the specialist can learn a lot about the child’s psychological state.
• Method of drawing a read fairy tale. Here the child is asked to show his imagination by sketching everything he heard. By making a drawing, the baby embodies in it everything that worries him, what he feels. This method helps to free yourself from anxiety, and the quality of the image does not matter.
• Making dolls and various manipulations with them. A fairy tale can not only be drawn, but also, for example, molded from plasticine. Such crafts also have great psychological significance: dolls play the role of those objects that are important to a person and onto which he projects his concerns.

The combination of these methods helps not only to get rid of problems, but also to develop the child’s creative abilities, as well as his communication skills.

Fairy tales for fairytale therapy

Fairy tales that are used in such therapy are divided into certain types:

• Artistic. In such tales, special emphasis is placed on relationships between people, mutual understanding, the study of traditions and the experience accumulated by people.
• Didactic. These are educational fairy tales, from which the child learns about new phenomena and concepts in a fun way. You can animate any objects, letters, numbers in them.
• Preventive. These types of fairy tales help shape the child’s personality. A certain model of behavior is laid in the consciousness, various situations are given and options for the development of events are proposed.
• Diagnostic. Here the child identifies himself with a specific character and adheres to his chosen model of behavior.
• Therapeutic and psychological. Such fairy tales are usually written by professional psychologists. Children, along with the main characters, experience victories and defeats, which gives them the opportunity to look at themselves from the outside. After returning to real life, the child tries to apply the acquired knowledge and skills and begins to cope better with problems.
• Meditative. These fairy tales help the baby calm down, relieve nervous tension and get a good night's sleep.

Every person has imagination and can become a bit of a wizard. With the help of fairy tale therapy, you will help your child get rid of anxiety and emotional depression, develop creative abilities and learn to communicate with others.