Ep 62 - 'The Storytelling Animal' & 'Therapeutic Storytelling' - Book Review

In this wide-ranging, laughter-laden episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Gemma shelter from a rain-lashed lockdown and dive deep into storytelling: why humans spin tales, how narrative shapes children’s play, and what makes a therapeutic story “work”. Bouncing between Jonathan Gottschall’s The Storytelling Animal, Susan Perrow’s Therapeutic Storytelling, gender studies, dream science, and cross-cultural myths, they unpack the idea that every good story revolves around “trouble”—and that those invented troubles permanently shift real-world behaviour, from playground dynamics to world history. Along the way they debate mindful breathing empires, screen-free toilets, GCSE set texts, and the magic of Brambly Hedge, before setting listeners a challenge: share the story that changed your life.⏱ Chapter Timings (max 10):00:00 – Breath of preparation, mindful breathing gurus & toilet tech02:24 – Rainy-day lockdown moods and yearning for wet-woodland play06:05 – Book of the week: The Storytelling Animal introduced09:54 – Gendered play research: dolls, bricks and the search for “trouble”13:20 – Dreams, Pascal’s lobotomised cats & why our brains stage dramas20:04 – Stories as virtual reality: fiction, empathy and shared morals23:32 – Culture clashes: rice fields, Western lenses and multi-voice tales36:49 – Story circles in Forest School: bonding, feedback and spontaneity48:32 – Therapeutic storytelling 101: Susan Perrow’s trunk-taming elephant1:07:45 – Listener homework & first Patreon shout-out (thanks, Charlie!)🌲 Keywords: storytelling in outdoor learning, therapeutic stories, dream psychology, gendered play, narrative empathy, cross-cultural tales, Forest School pedagogy, bonding through story, reflective practice, lockdown learning🔖 Hashtags:#ForestSchool #Storytelling #OutdoorEducation #TherapeuticStories #ChildDevelopment #PlayBasedLearning #ReflectivePractice #NarrativeEmpathy #NatureBasedLearning #ForestSchoolPodcast🌐 More Episodes & Support:Listen and find resources at www.theforestschoolpodcast.comJoin the community at www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcastQuestions or collaborations: [email protected]