Long before therapy rooms, textbooks, or clinical language existed, humans healed through story.

 

We gathered around fires, in caves, in circles, in families. We shared myths, memories, metaphors, and imagined worlds. We made sense of fear, loss, love, identity, and change through narrative.

 

Storytelling is one of the oldest and most universal practices we have -  and modern neuroscience now confirms what our ancestors already knew: stories regulate the nervous system, help us process emotion, and allow us to explore our inner world safely and creatively.

 

This service brings that ancient wisdom into a therapeutic space.

 

What Is Therapeutic Storytelling?

Therapeutic storytelling uses imagination, metaphor, and narrative to explore emotions, experiences, and identity in a gentle, creative way. It can be symbolic, playful, profound, or grounding -  depending on what you need.

There are two pathways you can choose from, or we can blend them together.

1. Collaborative Story Creation

A space where we co‑create stories together - based on real life, symbolic themes, or complete fantasy. This can look like:

• building a character who represents a part of you
• creating a world where your worries take shape and can be understood
• exploring a challenge through metaphor
• writing a story that expresses something you can’t yet say directly
• crafting a narrative that helps you make sense of your past or present
• imagining a future self or a safe inner place

This process supports:

• emotional expression
• trauma integration (at a safe, symbolic distance)
• identity exploration
• creativity and play
• perspective‑taking
• nervous system regulation
• meaning‑making
• confidence and self‑agency

It’s powerful for adults, children, and young people -  and especially helpful for those who struggle to articulate feelings directly.

 

2. Guided Visualisation Sessions

These sessions draw on mindfulness, sensory grounding, and narrative imagination to create calming inner landscapes you can return to whenever you need.

You might be guided into:

• a peaceful forest
• a warm, safe room
• a shoreline at dusk
• a mountain path
• a glowing cave
• a symbolic journey of release, grounding, or renewal

These sessions support:

• anxiety reduction
• emotional regulation
• stress relief
• sleep
• grounding after overwhelm
• reconnecting with your inner world
• spiritual or reflective connection (in a non‑religious, human way)

Guided visualisation is especially helpful for people who:

• feel overstimulated or overwhelmed
• struggle with racing thoughts
• need a calm, sensory‑rich space
• benefit from structure and imagery
• want a grounding tool they can use outside sessions

 

Why Story-Based Work Is So Effective

Modern research shows that storytelling and imagery can:

• reduce stress hormones
• activate the parasympathetic nervous system
• support trauma processing through symbolic distance
• strengthen emotional regulation
• increase creativity and cognitive flexibility
• help people integrate difficult experiences
• build resilience and self-understanding

In other words: I believe that story is how the brain heals. And when combined with therapeutic support, it becomes a deeply transformative tool.

 

Who This Service Is For

This work is suitable for:

• adults
• children
• young people
• parents
• carers
• professionals
• neurodivergent clients
• people who struggle with traditional talk therapy
• anyone who feels drawn to creativity, imagination, or symbolism

You don’t need to be “creative” or “good at writing”. You just need curiosity -  and a willingness to explore.

 

What Sessions Look Like

Sessions are gentle, collaborative, and paced to your comfort. They may include:

• talking
• imagination
• drawing or mapping ideas
• co‑writing
• spoken storytelling
• guided imagery
• sensory grounding
• metaphor exploration
• reflective discussion

You choose the direction. I hold the space.

 

Why This Is Part of My Practice

I’m a counsellor, but I’m also a storyteller, an artist, and a worldbuilder. Creativity is woven through everything I do - and I’ve seen first-hand how powerful it is for healing.

This service brings together:

• my therapeutic training
• my trauma‑informed approach
• my experience with children and adults
• my creative identity
• my understanding of narrative and imagination

It’s a space where therapy meets creativity, and where imagination becomes a tool for grounding, insight, and emotional freedom.

 

 If This Speaks to You…

You’re welcome to reach out and explore whether this kind of work might support you or your child. There’s no pressure -  just an open, creative space waiting for you.