Fairyland of Wonderful Wishes

“In a certain kingdom, in a certain state”, “Behind the dense forests, behind the high mountains”, “Third nine lands”, “How long, how short”, which of us are not familiar with these charming sayings that we heard in childhood from the most people near and dear to us? Of course, these words testified to the beginning of the most stunning story, the most unusual adventures and acquaintances with the most amazing heroes. Stories that completely captured our children’s imagination and took us to the world of fictional, fantastic events – the world of a fairy tale. In this world, everything was possible, namely: to move from one place to another in a matter of seconds, to witness the outlandish reincarnations of animals into humans and vice versa, to receive countless earthly treasures for the manifestation of generosity, nobility and kindness, to drink an enchanting potion or eat an apple and become either the most beautiful or the strongest, healthiest and happiest. And also turn into a princess (or prince), marry a prince (marry a princess) and get half a kingdom in addition. Yes, to live to live, to make good.

The world of a fairy tale is the most amazing place where almost every person, both small and adult, gets a unique opportunity to change their own world. A place where everyone can perform an extraordinary miracle, solve the most difficult life situations and tasks, using only faith in their own strength, and in the power of a fairy tale.

That is why fairy tales, legends, myths, including truth and fiction, have become widely used in the practice of psychological counseling and psychotherapy. Plunging into the world of a fairy tale, getting into a fairy land, a person begins the difficult path of knowing his inner world – the world of his own soul. The narrative of fictional events, where a lot of magic and miracles helps a person to gain very valuable experience from the “collective unconscious” (K. Jung).

A fairy tale, through content and symbolic language, reflects in plots and images the values ​​of the person who creates it. Therefore, it is very important and truly inexplicable the meaning of that fairy tale story that mom or dad comes up with and tells to their baby or creates it together with him. In this case, the fairy tale becomes a development tool, contributing to the formation of the child’s imagination, the development of creative thinking and the development of the ability to fantasize. It is in the fairy tale that the assimilation of the basic mechanisms of searching and making the first important and independent decisions takes place. Learning to find ways out of situations in a fairy tale, the child easily copes with them in real life.

The same thing happens in the life of an adult. The fairy-tale space creates conditions for him, where he, re-reading a fairy tale, inventing or playing it, finds a solution to his life’s difficulties and problems.

Everything that happens in a fairy tale created or retold by a person is a very important diagnostic material that a psychologist should work with. Often a person calls for help the fantastic forces of nature, uses magical objects, invents extraordinary miracles, which may indicate a need for support, emotional comfort, the problem of losing faith in one’s own strength, and in general, the patient’s poor physical condition.

Traveling in a fairy tale is always a search for a way to make your dreams come true. And whatever it is, and whatever this path is, a person must believe that he will have the strength and ability to go and reach, in spite of any obstacles. Traveling through a fairy-tale country strengthens faith in one’s own strengths and abilities. The number of obstacles and trials that fall on the fate of the hero must certainly become the subject of a consultation session with the patient, as well as what efforts he makes, how he uses his potential to solve and overcome them. Only in a fabulous magical land is it possible to fulfill the most unusual wonderful desires, and obligatory rewards for even small, but important efforts for the patient. In this, of course, a significant role is assigned to the psychologist as a person who creates a safe therapeutic space, a person who accompanies and supports his patient on this journey, but does not help or interfere with him, but only follows him.

At the beginning of the work, the fairy tale therapist can offer the patient an exciting journey to a fairy land. As an option, initially, you can ask a person to imagine that he is standing near a fairy-tale magic gate, behind which there is a fantasy world – the world of a fairy tale, where the most extraordinary miracles take place. Next, we offer, embark on a wandering, and compose a fairy tale. It is important not to forget to ask the patient what the fairy gates look like, whether they are light or heavy, large or small, light or dark, what material they are made of, how they are strengthened, are there any additional details or any images on them, and what magic needs to be applied in order to they opened. Staying at the gates of a fairy tale will help the patient to more easily adapt to the working conditions offered by the psychologist. You can offer to draw these fabulous gates. For a psychologist, this is material for analysis, which, for example, will help to figure out what mood the patient is ready to work with a fairy tale. How easy or difficult the journey itself will be, will the patient cope easily or will additional magical powers be needed to get into a fairy tale, is he ready to overcome the first obstacle and, accordingly, to personal changes, etc.

There are many other ways to get to a fairyland, the main thing is that the journey in it is exciting, causes a positive emotional response in the patient and ends well.

We invite you to try to draw what the magic gates to your fairy-tale world look like and compose a fairy tale. Happy travels and fulfillment of the most cherished desires.

Sample drawings “Magic Gateway to My Fairyland”.