INTRODUCTION:
storytelling is an underused yet powerful therapeutic tool that supports emotion regulation, meaning-making, and connection across cultures. Emerging evidence shows that narrative methods can reduce stigma, foster engagement, and support recovery in mental health, trauma, and addiction care, including with youth and families.¹-⁴ Digital storytelling extends this impact into online and hybrid spaces, creating new opportunities and ethical questions for clinicians and educators.⁵-⁸

METHODS:
This session integrates a narrative review of therapeutic and digital storytelling research with clinical case vignettes and cross-cultural examples from recovery.com projects. Participants are introduced to core psychological mechanisms of storytelling (coherence, regulation, identity), practical techniques for eliciting and shaping stories in individual and group settings, and low-pressure, digitally supported exercises. Particular attention is paid to indigenous and global narrative traditions, as well as to safeguards around consent, anonymity, and trauma-informed practice.

RESULTS:
attendees will learn at least three psychological benefits of storytelling in therapy, two concrete techniques for integrating narrative work into existing interventions, and multiple examples of culturally grounded practices adaptable to their settings. Illustrative case material demonstrates how therapeutic storytelling can support coping with abuse, grief, chronic illness, identity stress, and recovery after medical or psychiatric events.¹-⁴,⁷ Examples of web-based and digital storytelling projects show how simple tools (audio, short video, text) can amplify underrepresented voices while maintaining boundaries.⁵,⁶,⁸

CONCLUSIONS:
storytelling is more than a supportive conversation; it is a structured, evidence-informed method for organizing experience, reducing shame, and strengthening recovery across cultures and contexts. By combining psychological theory, cross-cultural practice, and digital innovation, this session offers clinicians, educators, and peer supporters a practical toolkit for using narrative ethically and effectively. Participants leave with actionable prompts, facilitation strategies, and cultural fluency principles to incorporate storytelling into their clinical, campus, or community work.