Stories mutually told and healingmetaphors created in the context of individual and family therapy do not necessarily losetheir power once the index case is closed. If the story or the metaphor conveys some truthor truths about the disorder afflicting the child and the nature of the treatment, it maybe recognized for having more general relevance. Hence, there is a discernible pathwaybeginning in therapeutic metaphor and mutual storytelling in individual cases, mergingalong the way with pathways of knowledge shared about specific conditions and treatmentsand issuing in the development of a psychoeducational special needs library. In a way,Riley Children's Psychoeducational Workshop carries on the tradition of the BrothersGrimm, collecting and cultivating stories that merit being told again. Over the lastdecade, we have contributed to growing psychoeducational literature for children and theirfamilies.
Subjects range from a child's first visit to a therapist to understanding thenature of encopresis.
Our first effort was in 1985. Work was begun on a book for children entitled, IgnatiusFinds Help, A Story About Psychotherapy for Children. The story was illustrated bya colleague in Special Education at Larue Carter Hospital, Ms. Sandra Ferraro. Nancy Roeske, James Simmons andTakuya Sato and by the Special Education teachers at Carter. The final draft was completewith illustrations, and about 300 books were printed.