Abstract
Doris Brett is a clinical psychologist working in Melbourne who is also an author; she has published a collection of her poetry, In the Constellation of the Crab, about her experience of breast cancer. Annie Stories is a manual for parents on using stories to tell children so as to help them negotiate difficult transitions in their lives. The technique of using stories to instruct and empower while entertaining is time-honoured. Joseph Campbell has explored this in his many books on mythology [1, 2]. Milton Erikson used the technique in his psychotherapy (e.g. [3]) and his methods were formalised by the neurolinguistic programming group [4, 5]. The current book shows these influences, enriched by Brett's own creativity and her maternal sensitivity (she has tutored in the Australian Society of Hypnosis course in clinical hypnosis in the area of the hypnotic techniques of Milton Erikson).
The book begins with a chapter explaining how these therapeutic stories seem to work, telling of the genesis of Brett's own ‘Annie stories’ when her daughter Amantha expressed anxiety about the impending commencement of kindergarten. Amantha's father had already tried a rational approach in vain, but Brett found that when she made up a story about an imaginary girl (with a similar name and experiences to Amantha) who eventually overcame her anxiety, Amantha was instantly enthralled, relieved, addicted to hearing the stories again, and entirely successful in her first day of kinder. Brett's clear language and humour make the book pleasant to read throughout.
The next chapter is an introduction to important themes in child development, explained simply and lucidly for parents, showing influences that include cognitive behavioural therapy and also psychoanalytic ego psychology. Brett explains in simple lay language how the story-telling method uses psychological techniques such as desensitisation and social learning. The next chapter explains how parents can devise their own stories for their own children, and the kinds of situations in which they might be useful.
Then follows a set of chapters around six common difficult stages in a child's growing up, including: nightmares, fears (in this example, the fear of dogs), the birth of a new sibling, parental separation and divorce, how to relax, and death of a loved one. For each, Brett begins with an explanation of how children experience and think about these issues, along with some suggestions about how parents might manage each situation. This is followed by an example ‘Annie story’ depicting each theme, with many annotations explaining the psychological issues represented, and also how parents might adapt parts in the sample story to their own child's circumstances. The stories are also delightfully illustrated by Brett's own daughter Amantha, demonstrating the inspiration and empowerment she derived from the stories.
There is a brief glossary of a few terms from psychotherapy and child development, and an eclectic list of recommended reading on child development, including paediatric, behavioural, and psychoanalytic authors.
So, would I use this book in my clinical practice as a child psychiatrist? Probably not, because I do not tend to recommend books to parents as I prefer to discuss relevant issues with them and encourage them to develop their own techniques. Would I recommend the book if asked about it by a parent? Yes, as it is marked by clarity, warmth, humour, information, sensitivity and understanding. Colleagues might find it a suitable gift for friends or relatives, or even for use with their own children.