When typhoon Ondoy hit and swept Metro Manila
in 2009, my family and I found ourselves relocated in the home of my in-laws in
San Pedro, Laguna. It took us a month to get back to our house in Pasig and two
more months to fully clean up and rebuild whatever was left from the
devastation and the loss. Those three months were trying times, indeed. I look
back at how we have survived and risen from the natural disaster. Needless to
say, there was an overflowing aide, help and support from family and friends.
The typhoon took away many of our material possessions but hope was restored
with the generosity and kindness shown by relatives and members of our
communities.
It
was during that year when I further developed the workshop module on Storytelling for Growth and Healing. I
have always believed in the power of stories and storytelling as educative and
restorative tools. In stories, we find ourselves. When we encounter a story,
especially if it is a good one, we discover our deepest longings. It illuminates
our dreams. When stories are told to us by people we know, especially those who
belong in our community, they amplify the significance of our human
experiences.
The nervous excitement of the first day of school. A visit to the dentist. Getting sick with chicken pox. Being picked last in a football team. Winning in a dance or singing competition. First crush. Watching a concert without a chaperone. Getting in to college. Falling in love. Suffering a broken heart. Learning to trust again.
Stories
and storytelling allow us that space to identify and reflect on our feelings
against the backdrop of a world and process them into concrete actions. Or at
times, leave them as they are and allow the chips to fall where they may. It is not impossible that in a time of
displacement and chaos, such as the recent eruption of Taal volcano, we turn to
stories to fill the gaps in our fractured lives. The use of stories and
storytelling as designed to alleviate lives affected by conflict and confusion
is therapeutic and inspiring.
This
guide and module on the use of stories and storytelling is anchored on the
beliefs mentioned above. Furthermore, it is designed for parents, teachers, librarians,
adults and professionals working with children. This is a product of more than
a decade’s work and research on bibliotherapy and a culmination of trainings
and workshops on storytelling conducted from 1997 to the present. Bibliotherapy
is defined in the guide and a timeline of its development is included for a historical
perspective. The bibliotherapy process incorporates art, music and play activities
as well as guide questions for young readers and listeners of the selected stories.
These are but samplers to the conduct and facilitation of a bibliotherapy
session. The “bibliotherapist” is free to make revisions and inclusions in his
or her plan. It is advised that a bibliotherapy session be documented as it
will merit research in the disciplines of Psychology, Education, Library and
Information Science and Social Work.
I
intend to distribute this guide and module for free for a period of time. There
is no fee in the access of its
contents. But, it is under the Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0
Philippines License. Please attribute the source and make use of
the references mentioned in the guide accordingly.
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