Fairy tales are believed to be of therapeutic benefit when used in conjunction with play therapy. They provide a vehicle for expression, understanding and at times provide opportunities for resolution of difficult emotions.
It is hypothesised that using fairy tales in play therapy (this study involved two young people) of poor school attendees and school refusers may reduce their level of anxiety. The purpose of this study was specifically to measure the level of anxiety presented by the young people and whether this reduced over a short period of time.
Two young people (2 girls) were read the classic fairy tales Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Bean Stalk, and Hansel and Gretel (Appendix 1) during the first week. The young people were asked to consider the themes contained within these tales and explore the emotions created by listening to them. The process of the remaining sessions was then centred around the young people writing, creating and bringing to life their own fairy tale using the play material provided.