The other day, I watched the film A Monster Calls again, adapted from the brilliant book of the same name by Patrick Ness. The film depicts the life of a 12-year-old boy struggling to cope with the most challenging and difficult times faced by any young child. Through his dreams, the boy calls for a monster to help him. The monster arrives in the form of a Yew tree, known in folklore for its transformative and regenerative properties.
The monster is, in fact, the boy’s own subconscious mind – the part of our brain that knows us the best. It’s that voice in our head that tells us who we really are. In the film, it challenges the boy to confront what lies ahead, showing him in the process how to survive, how to cope, and how not to be so hard on himself given the difficulties he will face. Most importantly, it counsels him to be true to himself.
A Monster Calls speaks volumes to me as a therapist and clinical hypnotherapist. The film depicts to the core the work I do with people struggling – helping them to find ways of coping, to overcome their fears, to see their strengths and resilience, and how to manage their anxieties and stresses. As A Monster Calls shows us, when we have our brain’s considerable power on our side, we can overcome and get through anything, even if, like the boy, we must call for a monster to help us do it.
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