With a kind and open heart, we can extend the evidence-based Narrative Medicine and Expressive Writing to everyone. You do not have to be a doctor or counselor to do this. Although these. modalities have been “discovered” and proven in the clinical world, they are the stuff of the creative world. People have lived in a science-led world for three centuries, but for all the time before, we lived in a creativity-led world. Now, science is proving the value and power of the very thing it steered us away from. This kind of healing is innate, and I don’t mean in a “everyone can write poetry” way. It’s in our bodies in the long-ignored gut-brain. The timing of the research is perfect. It’s time to set it free so everyone can improve their health. Here’s how to begin your “Story Healing Clinc” practice.

Select a location where your creative courage can benefit others.

Contact the location and set the date. The location matters. If you want to run the workshop to the poor, unhoused, and others far from the centers of advantage, don’t host it at a yoga studio. Community centers, churches, and such are good. Of course, offer the workshop everywhere you can. Everybody can benefit and heal using storytelling. Do what you are comfortable doing until you are ready to feel uncomfortable, then do that.

Make the flyer. It doesnt’ have to be fancy. Plain words on plain paper is fine. Use this if you like:

Here is a media release to send to radio and other media: On _____ day of ____ month, ________ will offer a story-healing clinic at the ________ Community Center at __ p.m. This is a free clinic that will give you tools to improve your health, increase your happiness, and cure loneliness as you share it with others. No creative or storytelling experience required. No judgment, no harsh words, no doing anything that you don’t want to. This kind of healing has been proven to work for many physical and emotional ailments and hardship. No harm in giving it a try. You are welcome here.

Send the flyer to radio and other media and organizations that can get the word out into community.

Reach beyond your community. Get the flyer up in businesses and spaces where people who have been excluded from generational wealth and privilege go. For instance, churches, feed stores, bars along the back roads.

WORKSHOP FORMAT

1. Welcome to all.
2. Assess literacy level. This will inform your decision to do oral storytelling or written story.
3. Assure all that this is not about “doing it well.” This is about telling a story and being listened to, the oldest form of healing. No one will judge or criticize.
4. Breathe and tell everyone to breathe. Invite them to place both feet on the floor, close their eyes or relax them, breathe.
5. Give the group a topic to tell/write about. Nothing traumatic or sad. Example: Tell about a time someone took the time to teach you something.
6. With a group of six or fewer, you can keep everyone in a circle. Tell them they each of 7 minutes to tell, or another number.
7. Before the tellings, have everyone breathe again. Invite them to simply listen. They don’t have to provide any great solutions or accomplish anything more than sitting back and listening to someone.
8. Tell them that at the end of each tale, the teller will have a chance to share how it felt to tell and what they APPRECIATE about how the tale came together as they told it. No negativity at all. No self-deprecation.
9. Tell them that after the teller appreciates their tale, each person in the circle will tell what they HEARD, not what they liked or didnt’ like (though a little happy praise is fine). It’s not a workshop so no suggestions for improvement AT ALL.
10. For everyone in the West, storytelling got left behind, along with our general sense of okay-ness. We all think we should someone or something else. We all feel that our lives and stories aren’t worth anything. We all feel alone and left. Because of this, telling a story or reading our words out loud for the first time, or the 200th time!, emotion arises. People will often cry the first time just at the sound of their own voice speaking. They will say, “I’m sorry.” They will say, “I don’t know why I’m crying.” Assure them that it is nothing to apologize or feel weird about. If the tears come, that’s okay. Let them come. We will be here through them. Don’t jump in to save someone from their heart.
11. Begin the circle of story.

After everyone has told or shared, you will have a community. Invite everyone to share how it feels to be in this community of story. Everyone will be surprised by how good they feel. Tell them they can lead their own story circles using the same format. You can print this out and share it so it spreads. Have fun. Feel the joy. Storytelling is our natural healing mechanism. Everything else got in the way. As a story facilitator, you are reminding people of this, rather than teaching.

Need some support and coaching before you step in? I’ll help you.