Storytelling: What Can it do for us?

Storytelling is the cornerstone of connection. When we meet people, whether a new friend or a date, we share and exchange stories to get to know one another. We use stories to show empathy and understanding when someone is grieving, stories can make people laugh, and everything we do to connect with others is through telling stories. When I made Ouroboros Counseling, I made it with the intent to make a safe space for others to share their own stories to help facilitate healing and growth because I believe in the power of storytelling.

Storytelling has been shown to have many mental health benefits such as empowerment, release, acceptance, and decreased shame surrounding the narrative. This is done when the person telling their story has an unbiased, nonjudgemental listener, that can verbally support them through their story. Storytelling can also help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and the struggles another may be going through in group therapy. Sharing stories with others with a trained facilitator can lead to finding support, ideas, and other people to connect and share with. It helps us feel more connected and not alone in our own struggles.

Not everything has a solution and sometimes we just need someone to listen to us. As mental health professionals, we are here to listen and support you through these stories. While we also challenge the perspective and use skills to help decrease any negative feelings, it is to help you shake off any guilt or shame associated with the story and help you come out of the negative thoughts that spiral in your mind. Through our Tabletop Therapeutic Groups, you can take on the role of someone else and tell a story that is inspired by your own. This allows for comfortability while still gaining benefits at an arm's reach. 

Remember: You’re the writer of your own story, so make it a good one.

References:

Mannell, J., Ahmad, L., & Ahmad, A. (2018). Narrative storytelling as mental health support for women experiencing gender-based violence in Afghanistan. Social science & medicine, 214, 91-98.

Nurser, K. P., Rushworth, I., Shakespeare, T., & Williams, D. (2018). Personal storytelling in mental health recovery. Mental Health Review Journal, 23(1), 25-36.

Ramamurthy, C., Zuo, P., Armstrong, G., & Andriessen, K. (2024). The impact of storytelling on building resilience in children: A systematic review. Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing, 31(4), 525-542.