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Archive Number 3544 | ||
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Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 11:36:28 -0500
MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Noa, David, Cristy, and all, I've been lurking in the background for months. But this is an interesting discussion and I feel I want to share some thoughts with you. I really like the notion of creating spaces where there's room for hidden stories. I read somewhere that people in recovery from traumatic events or lives are like birch trees. The birch bark is necessary for protection, but as the tree grows, the bark peels away gradually and naturally. If it's removed prematurely, by a deer scraping its antlers or a porcupine searching for food -- the tree can become vulnerable to fungus and destructive insects. Our first priority as healers is to do nothing to wound something new and fragile. To me, the non-invasiveness of story and its ability to echo within each person in the places where he or she can receive it is exactly what makes creative process so healing. Especially for people whose boundaries of self have been grievously violated in one way or another. We never know what's taking root in the heart of another person. It might be a healing framework for a new kind of self. Being probed and forced out into the open too soon can be revictimizing. I believe each person knows intuitively when and where they feel safe to tell their story. I find that working very gently within the metaphorical realm -- through story and image --makes for transformational ground. Juliet Bruce ------------------------------- To Unsubscribe from Healingstory send the message: unsubscribe healingstory to: listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu ------------------------------- | ||