In My Own Words

Telling your own story, in your own words, is the opposite of being silenced. It’s the foundation of agency. And agency is safety.

In a world where children are too often spoken about, for, or over, storytelling offers something radically different: the power to be heard, on their own terms.

Here’s why storytelling is not just creative play, it’s an essential safeguarding tool, backed by neuroscience and lived experience:

🧠 1. It Organises Chaos

When children (or adults) go through trauma, stress, or confusion, their inner world can feel like scattered puzzle pieces. Storytelling helps them line those pieces up. Even fictional stories can help structure overwhelming feelings.

Sequencing a story = sequencing experience.
And when the brain can make sense of things, it calms down.

“When you can name it, you can tame it.” — Dr. Daniel Siegel

💬 2. It Reclaims Power

Abuse, manipulation, and fear strip people of control.
But storytelling gives that control back.

When a child chooses what to say, and how to say it, they move from being a character in someone else’s plot to being the narrator of their own.

That shift is where healing starts.

👁️ 3. It Makes You Seen

To tell your story and be truly heard meets one of our deepest human needs:
To feel seen, understood, and valued.

This is where trust begins to rebuild, and shame begins to dissolve.

Being listened to changes everything.

🤝 4. It Connects You to Others

Storytelling is a bridge. It lets children share their world without needing to “confess” or explain in clinical language.

Even fantastical stories carry emotional truth.

“My hero ran from the cave because the monster reminded her of ........”
That’s not just imagination, that’s a safe way to express fear.

🧬 5. It Literally Changes the Brain

Storytelling activates multiple parts of the brain, including the areas responsible for empathy, memory, emotional regulation, and problem-solving.

Research shows that narrative work can:

• 🔽 Reduce cortisol (the stress hormone)

• 🔼 Increase oxytocin (the connection hormone)

• 🧠 Improve resilience, focus, and wellbeing

This isn’t just poetic, it’s physiological.

This Is Why We Created StoryQuest™

In our workshop, children are writing themselves into the story, literally.
They’re learning to express feelings, imagine solutions, and share their voice.

It’s not therapy.
It’s not surveillance.
It’s not one more system telling them what to say.

It’s them, with a pencil, a page, and the belief that they matter.

Storytelling Is a Shield and a Signal

🛡️ A shield against shame, manipulation, and isolation
📣 A signal that says: I belong. I matter. My voice is real.

And right now, that’s the fastest way to protect a child.