Bill O’Hanlon’s Background and Use of Stories

• Career includes 35 books, 3,500+ talks in 27 countries, and songwriting in Nashville.

• Uses storytelling in therapy, inspired by Milton Erickson and structured through NLP.

• Studied storytelling techniques extensively, including attending storytelling festivals.

• Demonstrates storytelling in therapy with a volunteer from the audience.

Client Case: Annie’s Longing for a Daughter

• Annie has experienced seven miscarriages and extreme pregnancy-related illness.

• Her husband has chosen to prevent future pregnancies; she still longs for a daughter.

• Past trauma includes sexual abuse and bullying.

• Despite hardship, she has cultivated strength, resilience, and joy.

Exploring Resilience and New Possibilities

• Annie’s strength comes from life experiences, including time in Nepal and commitment to justice.

• Emphasis placed on love, connection, and alternative paths to fulfillment.

• Discussion of “third options” when direct goals feel unreachable.

Cloe Madanes’ Use of Stories and Metaphors

• Uses metaphor and storytelling to trigger emotional insights in therapy.

• Shares a story about Evita to illustrate personal transformation and leadership.

• Emphasizes stories as tools to help clients access deeper meaning and motivation.

Therapeutic Value of Storytelling

• Stories should be mutual, relevant, and strategically used—not random or self-focused.

• Clients often relate more to shared or metaphorical stories than to therapist anecdotes.

• Stories are remembered more than lectures and can impact clients decades later.

• Even misremembered stories hold emotional weight and transformative potential.

Personal Vulnerability and Story Use in Therapy

• Sharing personal challenges (e.g., loss, grief) can create connection and authenticity.

• In small communities, personal transparency is often unavoidable but valuable.

• Being human and open in therapy enhances the therapeutic bond.

Humanistic and Relational Emphasis

• Storytelling is a humanizing tool that promotes emotional healing and relatability.

• Clients value therapists who are emotionally present and real.

• Attendees reflect on the impact of a storytelling approach in comparison to more clinical ones.

Closing Reflections

• Cloe expresses appreciation for the therapeutic community and emphasizes connection.

• Storytelling is presented as a foundational human trait—therapists are encouraged to use it to build meaning, healing, and transformation.