Humanising brain injury rehabilitation: A qualitative study examining humanising approaches to engagement in the context of a storytelling advocacy program

Objectives: Building upon the findings of an earlier study that explored the experience and impact of narrative storytelling following acquired brain injury (ABI), this study sought to examine the engagement of storytelling facilitators with storytellers.

Methods: Transcripts of in-depth interviews conducted with six storytelling facilitators were analysed drawing upon content analysis. The analysis included a process of mapping previously analysed data (D’Cruz et al., 2020b) to a humanising values framework (Galvin & Todres, 2013; Todres et al., 2009).

Results: The findings of this study provide insights into how facilitators engaged in humanising practice within the context of a storytelling advocacy program. The facilitator participants ranged in years of facilitation experience from one to 11 years, with a mix of professional backgrounds, including health care (3), journalism (1) and community development (2). Analysed facilitator data mapped to each of the eight dimensions of the framework (insiderness, agency, uniqueness, togetherness, sense-making, personal journey, sense of place and embodiment), with a breadth of codes represented in each dimension, revealing the depth of humanisation.

Conclusions: This study extends our understanding of approaches to engagement with adults living with ABI, demonstrating the humanising potential of storytelling. Furthermore, the findings help us to think about what it means to be human, guiding us to find ways to better partner with and support adults living with brain injury.