Fairytale Therapy

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Fairy tale therapy is a method of conveying experience and moral values through stories passed down ‘from mouth to mouth.’ It helps children develop a worldview aligned with their cultural context, as moral principles and behavioral norms are embedded in folklore, legends, and parables. This is one of the oldest methods of socialization and knowledge transfer. Fairy tale therapy fosters imagination, creativity, and decision-making skills in both children and adults. Many coaches and trainers use fairy tales in their work to help clients find effective solutions to life’s challenges. Fairy tales also become part of a person’s life narrative, shaping their personal story. In therapeutic approaches like Jungian analysis or narrative therapy, special attention is given to children’s favorite fairy tales. As a psychotherapeutic tool, fairy tale therapy focuses on direct client support. The therapist creates a space where the client, through reading, creating, acting out, or extending a story, finds solutions to their life’s difficulties. Both individual and group sessions are possible.

Леся Николаевна Яковлева

When should you start reading fairy tales to children? It’s best to begin as early as possible, and after weaning, it becomes essential. Weaning often brings frustration—a stress tied to loss—which can spur language development as the child experiences a sense of deprivation. What makes fairy tales special and why are they beneficial? Fairy tales use metaphor—a way of thinking and absorbing new information by relating the known to the unknown. For example, a hero’s victory in a tale can teach a child the lesson of persevering for what they want. Take the tale of *Kolobok*: notice how its song embodies independence and self-reliance—"I escaped from Grandma, I escaped from the Wolf, and I’ll escape from you too!" This reinforces confidence in one’s abilities, a trait of a healthy, resilient personality. Such stories help children develop the phrase "I’ll do it myself," like when they snatch the spoon from you and declare, "I’ll do it myself!".

Marianna Mozhova

The Tale of the Little Bat Myshutochka, the Cat Cheshire, and the Lizard Yasha
Request: A 5-year-old girl who bites her nails.
Written by Yulia Gladkova.

In far-off, distant lands, deep in the heart of dense forests, in a large, beautiful cave draped with strange plants and charming flowers, with butterflies fluttering around and birds singing, there lived a little bat. She lived with her mother, Myshel, her father, Myshak, and many friends. Everyone affectionately called her Myshutochka.
Inside the cave, there was a dim light and a pleasant coolness. Below, there was a fairy-tale beautiful, crystal-clear lake and a rather dirty puddle, around which green frogs and lizards lounged.
Myshutochka loved to hang upside down, clinging to a rock ledge with her sharp little claws, and admire her reflection in the lake.
"Oh, how beautiful I am!" she sang piercingly. "What big donkey ears I have, what a perfect round piggy snout, the tiniest piggy eyes, and the most enormous wings—bigger than a raven’s! And my teeth—oh, my teeth! Long and short, sharp and blunt, unique to me and no one else! And how wonderful it is to have such strong claws, thanks to which I can hang and see my own beauty!"
Her singing sent mosquitoes scattering and butterflies flying out of the cave in a panic, but Myshutochka didn’t notice. She was too enchanted by herself and her reflection.
Meanwhile, a huge, striped wild cat named Cheshire roamed the dense forest. He had long, sharp claws and enormous yellow fangs that jutted out from his foul-smelling mouth. The cat was hungry and angry. One day, as he wandered through the forest with his stomach growling loudly, the poor, hungry tomcat looked up and saw the entrance to the cave high in the rock.
"Ah," thought Cheshire, "how lucky I am to have sharp claws so I can climb into the cave. Maybe a delicious meal awaits me there!"
The little lizard Yasha was peacefully sleeping on the rocks between the lake and the puddle. He slept soundly, knowing that if danger threatened, he could quickly escape and slip into any crevice. His sharp claws would always help him, preventing him from stumbling or slipping even on the slipperiest, wettest stones. How good it was that he had them!
Cheshire climbed into the cave and saw Myshutochka above him, along with many bats hanging from the cave ceiling. He stood on his hind legs and began stretching upward with his front paws, extending and retracting his claws, while howling terribly.
"How interesting," thought Myshutochka, looking at Cheshire upside down. "This creature has claws, and then—poof!—they’re gone! Without claws, its paws look prettier! What if I didn’t have claws? Then my paws would be the most beautiful in the world."
And so, Myshutochka began gnawing at her claws—first on one paw, while clinging to the cave ledge with the other, then on the other paw. Hanging became harder, and soon only one ungnnawed claw remained, which Myshutochka tried to hold onto. Suddenly, she lost her grip and fell right onto Cheshire’s head. Startled, the cat jumped to the side and tumbled into the dirty puddle, with Myshutochka still on his head.
Yasha, who had been peacefully sleeping near the puddle, woke up confused. He didn’t understand what was happening—why there was screaming, roaring, squealing, and huge splashes of dirty water. As the cat fell into the puddle, he knocked Yasha off the rock with his paw. Yasha landed softly on Cheshire’s side, dug his claws into the cat’s wet, foul-smelling fur, and got tangled in it.
Mother Myshel and father Myshak swooped down and caught Myshutochka, who was still clinging to the cat’s head with her last remaining claw. Thankfully, their own claws were not gnawed, and they flew up to the top of the cave with her, leaving her there to dry on a rock ledge. Myshutochka was wet, dirty, and frightened, but her curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to see what was happening below, but realized she couldn’t—without her claws, which she had gnawed off, she couldn’t cling to the rock and look down.
Meanwhile, the bats began flying over the terrified, confused cat, squealing and scratching his impudent face with their sharp claws. How good it was that they had them! With a yowl and a meow, Cheshire leaped out of the cave and tumbled down, clinging with his claws to the wild plants growing in the rock. Yasha, the lizard, was flung into the air as the cat jumped out of the cave. He caught himself with his sharp claws on a tree growing nearby.
Since then, Cheshire the cat, who had gotten what he deserved, never even looked toward the cave again. Instead, he searched for food elsewhere, always remembering how good it was to have such sharp claws, which had allowed him to escape the cave without breaking his bones.
Yasha the lizard moved to live in the forest. Thanks to his flight on Cheshire, he discovered he could climb and cling with his claws not only on rocks but also on trees. And Yasha saw how beautiful the world could be beyond the cave!
The little bat Myshutochka regrew her even, beautifully sharpened claws and never gnawed them again. She hung from them, swaying over the lake, admiring her reflection, and warily eyeing the puddle. She sang at the top of her voice about her otherworldly beauty, scaring away mosquitoes and butterflies! She finally understood that her claws were not just an addition to her beauty but also her safety. How good it was that she had them!

Yuliia Oleksandrivna Hladkova

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Fairy tales are more than just stories: not because they claim dragons exist, but because they remind us that dragons can be defeated. By telling a story, we can uncover the patterns we live by, identify our resources, and find ways to navigate situations that once seemed impossible. This approach helps improve relationships with others, deepen self-awareness, gain support from group members, and satisfy the need for connection. In my view, fairy tale therapy is an effective tool for this purpose. It enhances cognitive processes and fosters self-awareness and reflection. This method is accessible not only to experienced professionals but also to those just starting their journey in psychology. Through storytelling, the client’s inner world is woven into the narrative, activating processes that help unlock personal potential. Sometimes, clients struggle to openly discuss their issues, but in a story, it becomes easier—emotions are externalized, allowing a fresh perspective. Fairy tales enable direct work with the unconscious, bypassing defense mechanisms by using metaphor to address complex issues simply. A trusting atmosphere develops between client and therapist, creating a safe space that encourages cognitive engagement and active participation. Psychological fairy tales strengthen personal qualities. Psychocorrective fairy tales address psychological challenges. Psychotherapeutic fairy tales restore self-belief. Meditative fairy tales provide relaxation. Methods include reading pre-prepared stories, writing and sharing original tales, combining fairy tale therapy with art therapy (such as illustrating stories), using puppets (puppet therapy), and assessing the client’s concerns.

Nataliya Chernyakova

There once was a little fairy who wanted to help everyone around her. She scattered her magical dust freely, even to those who hadn’t asked for it. Her deepest desire was to save the world and make everyone happy, but she never considered that her magic dust would soon run out—and without it, she wouldn’t survive. Yet she didn’t worry too much; her mission was to save the world. So consumed by her wish to help others, she forgot about herself. Before long, her magic dust was gone, her strength faded, but she tried not to show it. After all, her purpose was to save the world, and she didn’t want to appear weak. She had always managed on her own, always helped others—so why would she need help? No one noticed she needed support; it seemed she had everything under control. Eventually, when the dust was completely gone, the fairy didn’t know what to do. She was tormented by the question: why had this happened?

Svitlana Ivanivna Koval