Listening to Life Stories
A New Approach to Stress Intervention in Health Care
Bruce Rybarczyk, Ph.D.
Albert Bellg, Ph.D.

This is our original book about the Life Narrative Interview, which is now available in an economical PDF ebook format.  It gives you a complete review of the clinical rationale and context for conducting the Life Narrative Interview with medical patients, as well as the research that supports its use, examples of questions to ask, and information on how to conduct it. 

From the Preface 

Our patients are continually trying to tell us stories about their lives. As health care professionals, our response typically runs the gamut from amusement to irritation, as we try to shift them to our clinical agenda. Yet the movement toward patient-centered and holistic approaches to health care has awakened in many of us an awareness that these per­sonal stories are telling us something significant and that we ought to be paying attention to them. But we are not quite sure what to do when these moments come along. We don’t know what clinical purpose the process of telling and listening to stories can serve.

In writing this book, we believe we are bringing good news to our fel­low health care professionals. The news is simple: stories are important, they should be encouraged, and they can be used to help patients cope with stress. The goal of this book is to equip the reader with the knowl­edge to recognize these therapeutic opportunities and the skills neces­sary to guide the storytelling process so that patients are strengthened by their own stories.

The premise of our life narrative interview is that during times of stress, we need to be reminded of the positive aspects of our life, espe­cially our strengths and resources. Being reminded serves as a short­term buffer against the feelings of vulnerability and helplessness that so often accompany medical illness and treatment. We have found that each individual, regardless of the misfortune in his or her life, has positive experiences that can be drawn upon for this purpose. We all have our high points, defining moments, and finest hours. This book emphasizes the skills necessary to keep the focus of the interview on these positive experiences.

The other key premise is that the listener has a key role in the story­telling process. In a very real sense, stories are “co-created” by teller and listener. The storyteller (the medical patient) constantly observes the listener (the medical caregiver) for subtle and not-so-subtle signs of inter­est and lack of interest, acceptance and nonacceptance. A responsive lis­tener will inspire patients to tell meaningful stories and validate the personal attributes revealed in those stories...

We love a good story, and our patients have some of the best stories around. Listening to them not only helps our patients but enriches our own lives.

Interested in purchasing the ebook?  Click on this link...

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Albert Bellg

I've been a writer most of my life - a poet, corporate speechwriter, academic writer, and author - and I'm glad to share with you some of the things I've written.  

Introduction to Living the Deepest Truth You Know
April, 2017
​
Listening to Life Stories: A New Approach to Stress Intervention in Health Care 
June, 2014

Life Narrative Interviewing: A Manual for Interviewers
June, 2014

Take a 20 Year Wellness Challenge
November, 2013