Healing Story Sessions: The Patient and the Provider

Illness can be isolating, dis-empowering and frightening. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Health Story Collaborative is committed to honoring and celebrating the patient voice and to strengthening the patient-provider relationship. The goal of Healing Story Sessions is to give both patients and providers an opportunity to share their stories with a supportive audience.

What we at Health Story Collaborative believe: 

Living with illness is a challenge, but it doesn’t necessarily make us “less”. It can give us perspective, depth, compassion, empathy, resiliency and strength.

Facing and giving voice to our vulnerability makes us stronger.

Individuals living with illness have valuable lessons to teach. Story sharing is a gift. 

There is power in both sharing and in listening. Story sharing builds community.

We are all more the same than we are different. Story sharing builds bridges. Both patient and provider stories are valuable.

Healing Story Sessions are about honoring and bearing witness. Patient and provider stories transcend illness as a tribute to hope, human resiliency and dignity.

How it works:

Each session will feature a patient speaker and a provider speaker who has been involved in the care of the patient.

Prior to each session, Health Story Collaborative will work with each speaker individually to construct an empowering, authentic narrative. The goal is to celebrate both the patient and the provider perspectives and to learn from one another.

Both speakers can invite up to 15 individuals of their choosing to form their listening communities.

Each speaker will become a member of the other speaker’s listening community, to experience the healing benefits of listening as well as of sharing.

For Patients:

This is an opportunity for you to craft your narrative and to gather your friends, family and health care providers in order to share your story in a supportive, structured setting.

You will be listened to and heard, and this will make you stronger.

In sharing, you are giving a gift to those who care about you and strengthening your community. You are teaching your medical providers.

In witnessing the story of a provider you will have the opportunity to become a supportive listener, and to gain understanding for a different point of view.

For Providers:

This is an opportunity for you to share your story of caring for a particular patient with the patient and other colleagues present, and to reflect on your life experiences as a healthcare provider and a human being.

Reflecting on and giving voice to your experience will help you to become a better physician.

In sharing your story honestly, you are teaching your patients and your colleagues.

In listening, you will learn from your patient and you will contribute to healing.

For Invited Friends, Family and Health Care Providers:

This is an opportunity to support someone you care about by being present and witnessing his/her story.

In listening, you will learn.

In listening, you can join in the celebration of hope, human resiliency and dignity.

If you or someone you know would be interested in scheduling a Healing Story Session, please email us at abrewster@healthstorycollaborative.org