The Power of 'Cuento:' Healing Through Storytelling

Cuento therapy is a culturally sensitive modality used in psychotherapy where folktales (aka “cuentos”) are used as a device to relate to a patient’s cultural background with the goal of improving their self-esteem, sense of self, issues with acculturation (i.e., the process of adapting to a new culture) and, in some research, how well they do in school. 

This article covers the origins of cuento therapy, its techniques, and how patients benefit from this kind of therapy.

Cuento Therapy Spans Parts of Latin America and the United States

Primarily used in Latin America, cuento therapy is practiced throughout only some Latinx communities in the United States and can be adapted to be used by other cultural groups. 

Cuento Therapy Was Birthed in the Late 20th Century

Developed in 1979 by Italian-American psychologist Giuseppe Constantino, the initial research into cuento therapy tested if using folktales as a form of psychotherapy would help improve issues with anxiety among Puerto Rican children.

Constantino hypothesized that if a Puerto Rican mother were to read her children folktales from their culture it could improve the child’s overall sense of well-being.

Constantino spent seven years on his research and, in 1985, went on to publish his findings alongside fellow Fordham University psychologists Robert G. Malgady and Lloyd H. Rogler in “Cuento therapy: Folktales as a Culturally Sensitive Psychotherapy for Puerto Rican Children.”

In their research, Constantino’s team found that cuento therapy was helpful in reducing anxiety and aggression, increased pride in children’s culture of origin, and increased skills relating to social judgment.

Although not a popular form of psychotherapy in the United States, cuento therapy has been further studied in other Latinx groups with similar positive results.

Later Studies on the Efficacy of Cuento Therapy

In 2009, a study titled “The Effects of Cuento Therapy on Reading Achievement and Psychological Outcomes of Mexican-American Students” was published. This study utilized similar tactics to Constantino’s research but replaced a mother reading to the children with one of the psychologists (Flores-Torres) reading stories from the Mexican culture alongside the children in both English and Spanish.

Flores-Torres conducted the reading and roleplaying part of the study with 58 third-grade Mexican-American students to evaluate whether or not cuento therapy could be an effective intervention on a child’s self-esteem and state test performance. 

Techniques of Cuento Therapy 

Cuento therapy has a very straightforward, yet modifiable formula—use culture-based stories to help patients improve their overall well-being.

In Central Texas, Alyx Sueitko Delgado Garcia, LPC-Assoc, a person-centered therapist and holistic healer, uses a narrative therapy technique similar to cuento therapy in their practice Inah Wellness.

As an Indigenous Totopec Latinx raised on the land that is Southern Mexico, Sueitko Delgado Garcia finds success using culturally relevant storytelling with clients of Indigenous and/or immigrant backgrounds. 

“Sometimes I modernize it [narrative therapy] for the modern Indigenous person or disconnected Natives or other folks who don’t fit those parameters,” Suietko Delgado Garcia said. “I ask people: who is your favorite character and why? How are you the same? How are you different? Of the things that are different, which of those would you like to embody? Let’s figure out how to get there.” 

A Popular Story—The Origin of the Sun and the Moon

The story they find most relevant across cultures is the origin story of the sun and the moon since many cultures across the globe have their own version.

“That story no matter how it’s said or in what culture [it stems from] that message always tells a story of identity, connection, finding [the] light within yourself or in [your] community, and also this idea that we can coexist together,” Sueitko Delgado Garcia said.

Creation Stories

Sueitko Delgado Garcia also finds success with using creation stories (i.e. stories about how the world came to be) in their practice because people have the desire to understand their roots

“Creation stories have a big importance for people because it gives them back this narrative that 'hey: you are from somewhere and you are just as important as this story seems to be. You just need to find [out] what your creation story is if you don’t already know.'” 

Books Selected for Use in Cuento Therapy

In the more traditional practice of cuento therapy, specific books would be used.

In the study discussed earlier, the researchers specifically used stories from Piñata Books, a publishing house within the University of Houston’s Arte Público Press.

Some of the books used in the study were:

• "Lucita Comes Home To Oaxaca / Regreasa a Oaxaca" by Robin Cano is about a girl named Lucita who travels from the U.S to Mexico—her country of origin.
• "Friends from the Other Side / Amigos del otro lado" by Gloria E. Anzaldúa tells a story about two children—one who is Mexican-American and the other who is Mexican—who become friends.
• "Family Pictures / Cuadros de familia" by Carmen Lomas Garza depicts what it was like growing up as a Mexican-American.
• The story of "La Llorona," a legend where the ghost of a woman who killed her children spends her days mourning them.

Leila Flores-Torres, PhD, LSSP, a special education director (and one of the researchers who conducted the study), made a point that each book was vetted by experts and chosen based on the themes that were presented and how they would best be used with the students. 

Cuento Therapy Boosts Self-Esteem and Relieves Anxiety 

Across studies and in private practice, cuento therapy has proven to help people of all ages with their self-esteem and anxiety levels. 

It is a beneficial form of a culturally-sensitive therapy modality for those who are struggling with the above as well as acculturation. It can even benefit children who are struggling with state-standardized tests, specifically those who struggle with reading.

Cuento therapy serves those who are struggling with issues with their self-esteem, anxiety, reading achievement, and/or acculturation. It can be used for children, teenagers, and adults.

“Can books from other countries be used? Absolutely they can, “ Flores-Torres said. “As long as you use books and literature that belong to that specific cultural group, that should be safe.” 

Although cuento therapy originates in research serving the Latinx community, the techniques used can be adapted to serve folks from other cultures who are experiencing various mental health conditions.