The Power of Storytelling

Fundamentally, stories are there to connect people. Through hearing someone’s experiences and ideas, we can build relationships with one another. Hearing someone’s story gives us their perspective, and that is a perspective we cannot normally get access to. When seeing someone else’s perspective, there is a lot we can learn. We can learn to trust, be compassionate and show empathy. Stories can also motivate us to work as a team and reduce feelings of isolation when we relate to them.

Stories connect people by sharing meaning. That is why this course was created. The wonderful Lauren (tutor for the course) wanted to guide people through the process of storytelling. Lauren takes you through the history and benefits of storytelling, before guiding you through the storytelling process.

The history of storytelling dates back thousands and thousands of years when cavemen used to draw on the walls of their caves. It has evolved along the way to what it is today. Lauren takes you through the development of modern storytelling.

Stories can cover nearly anything, but when they are emotional, they connect with other people. A story gives them the facts, a good story gives them vivid imagery of what happened, but a great story makes them FEEL it as if it is happening right in front of them. We want to empower you to do that through our ‘Telling Your Story’ e-learning course.

Stories:

• Empower storytellers by helping them to process what has happened to them.
• Offer an opportunity for peers to learn from your lived experience.
• Give storytellers a voice to advocate for better quality health and social care services.

And even more benefits can be found in the ‘Telling Your Story’ e-learning course.

How to tell a great story…there’s the challenge. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. But how to piece them together in a way that brings them to life is a skill. A skill Lauren wants to teach you. Figure it out together in our ‘Telling Your Story’ e-learning course.

We would like to remind you before you continue that telling some stories can be a difficult experience. When these stories involve trauma of any degree, the emotions may resurface when talking about them. Please, be mindful of this before telling your story. Only continue when you feel ready to do so. If you do not feel ready yet, there is no shame in that. Take your time - the world can wait.

If you are ready, please find the ‘Telling Your Story’ course link listed below. Copy and paste the link into your browser, or find the course on our online learning platform.

https://humberrecoverycollege.nhs.uk/course/15