From Isolation to Integration and Advocacy: Healing and Empowerment through Storytelling
By Lani Peterson, Psy.D. Chapter 21 in Routledge International Handbook of Therapeutic Stories and Storytelling, Edited by Clive Holmwood, Sue Jennings, and Sharon Jacksties, 2022 Introduction Tall and lean with a fountain of dreads cascading from a red bandana on the top of his head, 19-year-old Martin exuded a nervous energy that permeated the room. […]
COVID: The Storytelling Solution
One of the most striking statistics to emerge from the COVID crisis was recently published in a study led by Susan Hillis, an epidemiologist at the Center for Disease Control in the journal Pediatrics. It estimates that “For every four COVID-19 deaths, one child was left behind without a mother, father and/or a grandparent who […]
How Storytelling Can Help Young Doctors Become More Resilient
Harvard Business Review | October 16, 2018 by Jessica Zitter, MD, MPH I recently stood in front of a group of emergency room residents at my hospital and asked an unusual question. “Has any of you ever judged your attending physician for not trying hard enough to save a patient’s life?” Then I looked around […]
Creating Personal Storytelling Workshops for Vulnerable Tellers
By Lani Peterson, Psy.D. Brenda’s Story Brenda is a tall, strong woman whose smile lights up the circle where eight of us are seated in a storytelling workshop for women whose lives have been touched by homelessness. Brenda’s hair is pulled back into a tight bun; her dress is simple and unassuming. She speaks in […]
Cancer Patients Who Tell Their Life Story Find More Peace, Less Depression
University of Wisconsin–Madison News January 19, 2018 Summary: In research supported by the National Cancer Institute, researchers measured the effect of a storytelling interview plus online resources on more than 40 people diagnosed with stage 3 or 4 cancer. The interview covered topics including important accomplishments and difficulties overcome, the effects of their cancer on them […]