ABSTRACT: The folk tale has, just like integrative psychotherapy, the ability to contain various approaches without the risk of having its internal unity broken. On the contrary, its integrity is enhanced by this complexity. History tells us that one of the first functions of the folk tale was to transmit tradition, values, precepts and teachings from one generation to another, by keeping the complexity of its meanings under the guise of archetypes. Afterwards, as a means of knowledge and an allegory of life, the folk tale became, just like the dream, a way to decode the hidden or repressed meanings of the psyche, by bringing them out from the unconscious. Taking as reference the various theories related to the folk tale and the values which it shares with psychotherapy, this study will attempt to highlight the correlations which exist between folk tales and psychotherapy, whereby the folk tale is understood as a metaphor for the stages implied by an integrative psychotherapeutic process.
The Folk Tale – a Psychotherapeutic Quest
The Folk Tale – a Psychotherapeutic Quest
Psychologist Sabina Strugariu
Translated by Ramona Ţăranu