Saturday, November 8th, 2025

The class will meet live via Zoom, 2:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern

Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us.

Instructor Elizabeth Austin’s writing has appeared in TIME, Harper’s Bazaar, Narratively, McSweeney’s, Ms. Magazine, Brevity, and The Sun, among others. She is co-editor of the forthcoming anthology, Root Cause: Stories of health, harm, and reclaiming our humanity in an epidemic of loneliness. Elizabeth holds an M.F.A. from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with her two children and their many pets. She writes a newsletter about her family’s post-cancer life and is currently finishing her memoir about her struggle with alcoholism during her daughter’s three years in leukemia treatment.

This intensive workshop introduces participants to narrative medicine, a practice that uses storytelling and reflective writing to enhance empathy, improve patient care, and process medical experiences.

Participants will learn fundamental concepts of narrative medicine while engaging in hands-on writing exercises that demonstrate how personal and clinical narratives can deepen understanding of illness, care, and the human experience in healthcare settings.

The course combines theoretical foundations with practical application, guiding participants through various narrative medicine techniques including illness narratives, parallel process writing, and reflective observation exercises.

By the end of the session, participants will have created their own narrative medicine pieces and developed skills to incorporate storytelling into their professional practice or personal healing journey.

No prior reading is required. We'll review Rita Charon's "The Principle and Practice of NArrative Medicine," as well as some example texts, including Dr. Whitney Lee's "Promises" (The Rumpus) and Dr. Kathryn Taylor's "The Industrial Medical-Letter-Writing Complex" (JAMA).

Course Outline: 

Hour 1: Foundation and Analysis * Opening (10 min): Introductions and Narrative Medicine overview * Theoretical Foundations (20 min): Historical context, types of illness narratives * Illness Narrative Exploration (30 min): How stories shape health and understanding - with example texts.

Hour 2: Techniques and Integration * Parallel Practice Writing (20 min): “A day in the life” exercise - routine medical encounter * Reflective Observation Writing (20 min): “What I noticed” exercise - significant moment of observation * Integration & Wrap-Up (10 min): Strategies for ongoing Narrative Medicine practice. Group reflection on empathy and understanding. Q&A.

Course Takeaways:

• Foundational Understanding of Narrative Medicine Practice
• Three Complete Narrative Medicine Pieces
• Practical Integration Strategies
• Enhanced Empathy and Communication Skills
• Supportive Community and Ongoing Resources

Can't Make It Live?

No problem! The session will be recorded and available to watch after the seminar concludes.

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

This one-time seminar will be conducted live via Zoom. The session will be recorded and available to watch after the seminar concludes.

Tuition is $75. You can pay for the course in full  or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.

• Instructor: Elizabeth Austin
• Saturday, November 8th, 2025
  
• The class will meet live via Zoom, 2:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern
• Tuition is $75.

Contact us HERE if you have any questions about this class.