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Why Go to Family Therapy

Storytelling is now emerging as a common technique of Scottsdale family therapy. There are now quite a number of Scottsdale therapists who have observed positive results from appointments with individuals facing varied family issues. It is essential that we spend some time and understand the science behind the technique before storytelling is adopted as a major element of the family therapy approach.

Storytelling when used for family therapy relays ideas and messages holistically. This effect enables the listeners to receive the message in a simple, logical manner and through one session.

Storytelling is actually an age-old media used to express ideas and emotions. This type of communication is the native language understood by almost all ages, young and old. In retrospect, the abstract form of communication becomes effective only to individuals who are at least 8 years old.

This technique opens up the family to therapist in a way that allows him to sort out the elements in logical sequence out from a chaotic setting. This approach connects the individual to time and space, and the direction of the sequence of events becomes clearer which allows the therapist to deliver a more sensible idea or message. Family therapists want to deliver holistic realities by using storytelling as an integral part of the therapy sessions as opposed to abstract method of communication which normally breaks down the message into fragments.

Abstract family therapy forces on our perceived time and space and sets its own framework and applies such mental framework to another individual. The setups of such an abstract type of therapy is that the person is limited to just two options- accepting or rejecting the idea relayed by the family therapist. With the abstract communication approach, one can only receive a yes-no, all or nothing type of confrontation. By contrast, storytelling comes out as a collaborative encounter which encourages the listener to participate in activities and exercises with the family therapist. This narrative element of family therapy is more of a rhythmic dance instead of a communication struggle.

In addition to what has already been said, another thing that makes this so effective is that it allows the listener create a parallel event in his own consciousness. This increases the possibility of acceptance more than the rejection that we normally experience in the abstract type of communication.

Another critical aspect of storytelling lies within our ability to reason thought from knowledge. We know more things than we think we are capable of knowing and it is essential to acknowledge the importance of tacit knowledge in the overall realm of things.

Finally, abstract type of communication is in general described as dry and dull because individuals struggle to relate it to reality. As living creatures with unique styles and thought processes we are easily attached to things that are animate and are opposed to certain things like abstracted concepts. Individuals like and view the experience of storytelling as lively and entertaining. Its an effective way of getting people to accept ideas as it is presented explicitly by a competent family therapist.

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