Handbook of Therapeutic Storytelling

Stefan Hammel is a child and family therapist, a hypnotherapist and a chaplain in a psychiatric and a general hospital in Kaiserslautern, Germany. He studied Theology in Aberdeen (Scotland), Leipzig and Heidelberg (Germany), and has trained in Systemic Therapy and Child Hypnotherapy. He is a member of the German Milton Erickson Society for Clinical Hypnosis and has led seminars in the UK, France, USA, South Africa and other countries. For further information on the author and a blog with therapeutic stories in English, French and Spanish, see: www.stefanhammel.com

• INTRODUCTION The potential of storiesPART ONE: THE STORIES Promoting understanding Promoting health Promoting wellbeing Promoting successful relationships Promoting developmentPART TWO: THE METHODS Identifying therapeutic stories Developing therapeutic stories through dialogue Inventing therapeutic stories Telling therapeutic stories Experiencing therapeutic stories without words AppendixLiteratureIndex

"Clients present the limitations of their stories. Effective change agents offer stories that speak to the heart and elicit adaptive realizations. Stefan Hammel provides a blueprint for bringing therapeutic stories to life." --Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D., The Milton H. Erickson Foundation"These days, it's possible to learn all kinds of skills to communicate better with other people, but it's rare to find a book that teaches us how to become better at communicating with ourselves. This book is a treasure for learning to speak to yourself in a language that your mind and body can understand." --Ben Furman, psychiatrist, author and solution-focused psychotherapist, based in Helsinki, Finland. www.benfurman.com"Hammel’s Handbook is a gardener’s guide for seeding and cultivating stories that encourage beneficial change towards well-being. He carefully scrutinizes the essential nutrients for stories that heal. He extensively samples their varieties and potential fruits. Then he carefully encourages us to explore own storytelling resources. This is a trove of inspiration for the minds of all who strive to be effective agents of health and care." -- Prof. Laurence Irwin Sugarman, MD, FAAP, Director, Center for Applied Psychophysiology and Self-regulation, Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, USA"The book is like a string of universal pearls of wisdom; the string which unites them is a spiritual dimension of care. Among the pearls there are metaphors, parables, clinical cases, anecdotes, each of which awakens the readers' emotional and cognitive resources. The book is a source of suggestions that therapists, counsellors, and coaches can integrate into their practice." --Consuelo Casula, psychologist, psychotherapist and author, former President of the European Society of Hypnosis"An old friend, a pueblo Indian named Steven Gallegos, refers to human beings as "the animal that tells stories." Thank you Stefan, for giving us this horn of plenty; a great collection of stories, metaphors and similes. This is a true treasure chest, filled with sparkling gems with ability to light up the path for those who wander from desert to desert, and for those who find their way from oasis to oasis. Old wisdom about being alive together, body and soul, here provides an irrigation system of storytelling. The well-structured design of this book helps me as a therapist to find momentary inspiration; dwelling in the book replenishes my own soul…" --Inger Lundmark, Drama teacher, psychotherapist, family therapist and certified hypnotherapist, based in Stockholm, Sweden