The Mutual Storytelling Technique in the Treatment of Psychogenic Problems Secondary to Minimal Brain Dysfunction

Abstract

The Mutual Storytelling Technique is described. In this method, a self-created story is elicited from the child. The therapist (who should be experienced in psychodynamic theory and interpretation) then surmises its psychodynamic meaning and creates a story of his own, using the same characters in a similar setting but introducing healthier adaptations than those revealed in the child's story. Such allegorical communications are generally received with less anxiety than messages presented in an undisguised form. The author describes how this method can be helpful in the treatment of the purely psychogenic problems that are often superimposed on the primary neurophysiological difficulties that children with minimal brain dysfunction exhibit. Verbatim case material is presented.