Narrative Medicine
Narrative Medicine is a field that develops skills to foster a more holistic, humanistic relationship between medical providers and their patients. Through close reading, observation, and discussion of literary texts, artwork, music, and performance arts, clinicians gain a skill set of honed attention, mindfulness, and deep listening that improve interactions with patients. While Narrative Medicine was initially developed for the medical field, its tenets have been expanded beyond healthcare to social work, drug rehab, education, and prisons.
I have conducted and participated in multiple narrative medicine workshops in both academic and community settings, and would love to discuss doing a workshop for your needs:
What happens in a workshop?
Workshops involve the close examination of an artistic work (poetry, prose excerpt, music, or painting). Participants are encouraged to delve into the details and nuances of the piece with intention. As a group, we discuss what we have observed and how the piece affects us. Following a thoughtful exploration of the artistic work, participants then respond to a related prompt through a short free write, which they can share with the group if they choose to.
