In graduate school at Columbia University, I studied Narrative Medicine (NM), a field concerned with bridging the gap between healthcare professionals and their patients by teaching a set of narrative skills that improve communication, encourage collaboration, and inspire empathy. In NM, stories are considered central to illness and embodied experiences. But clinicians are not deeply trained in how to listen to, interpret, and co-construct patient stories. Furthermore, clinicians are not endowed with an appreciation for how to examine, unpack, and tend to their own stories as providers.

After completing my degree, I began teaching NM to the medical community (medical students, residents, and seasoned physicians). I currently teach at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, Bellevue Hospital, and CUNY Downstate.

I also felt called to spread Narrative Medicine beyond the boundaries of medicine. We all live in stories, some that serve us, and others that harm us. We all tell accounts of ourselves, and we all receive stories from others. I lead NM workshops for lay people in New York City, and incorporate it into wellness coaching sessions with individuals. 

How can we become more conscious of and masterful in the telling and receiving of stories, to improve our relationships with ourselves and each other? 

process

In a traditional Narrative Medicine session, the facilitator guides a close-reading of a piece of literature or close-observation of a piece of visual art that involves unpacking its qualities, impact, and meanings. Then participants reflectively write to a prompt the facilitator offers, and afterwards everyone reads their writing aloud.

Narrative Medicine sessions inspire self-reflection, making meaning of life's varied experiences, mindful living, and deep social connections. 

To learn more about the NM services I offer, please email me or fill out the form below.