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3.5 Use of stories and metaphors when working with survivors
Aim . To understand how and why it may be useful to employ stories and metaphors .
In the manual , we have used stories to describe experiences of sexual abuse and their consequences ( trauma reactions ). The stories describe how traumatic experiences engender strong psychological reactions . They are stories , but they are based on clinical experience .
When working with people who are under extreme strain , stories can throw light on what a survivor has experienced without obliging him to relive that experience . They describe a different person ’ s experiences and thoughts , but in terms that are recognisable and believable .
They can also convey experiences , thoughts and feelings that are difficult to explain or discuss .
Hearing such stories about others can be a confirmation that this has not only happened to the survivor , but to others as well . It also makes it possible to say that what happened is wrong and unacceptable , that these are prohibited acts and violations of rights .
“ When working with people who are under extreme strain , stories can throw light on what a survivor has experienced without obliging him to relive that experience . They describe a different person ’ s experiences and thoughts , but in terms that are recognisable and believable .”
HELP AND ACTION
Last but not least , they show that the reactions the stories describe are “ normal ” reactions to abnormal events , and are expected reactions after serious abuse . The reactions are signs of pain and fear , which the survivor can discuss if he wants to .
In this way , stories ( or metaphorical stories ) become a way to talk about trauma , to show there is a way out , and that survivors can recover their strength and control their lives again .
Begin by inviting the survivor to simply take in the story . Make clear that he is not expected to talk about the story or himself unless he wants to .
On this understanding , helpers can explore the different dimensions that stories can express .
First , stories can allude to painful experiences but distance them , enabling the survivor to consider them without being forced to think directly about his own past .
Second , stories can describe reactions to trauma , but also in a distanced way , enabling the survivor to consider them without being triggered .
Third , stories can inform the survivor , but implicitly , that his experiences have been recognised and understood , removing the burden of having to describe them .
Fourth , stories can show that it is possible to mitigate , even resolve , post-traumatic reactions , often by explicit practical actions .
Finally , the best stories are poetic and allusive : they touch the emotions and lift the spirit but do so mysteriously and mischievously in ways that escape literal accounts .
For all these reasons , metaphors and stories enrich efforts to empathise and support survivors in their distress .