Story Circles
“The shortest distance between two people is a story.”
Originator Unknown
Story Circles include 6-10 people who gather and share stories on a common theme from their own lives. Collectively, the group explores what can be learned from the stories together that would be harder to understand from any particular story alone. Everyone has an important story to tell, our experiences are interconnected, and we can make new connections between experiences, ideas, people, and actions as we consider multiple perspectives. Listening to others’ stories and telling our own is deeply nourishing.
What are Story Circles?
People are storytellers. We learn, are motivated, and connect through stories. Because of this, stories are everywhere and are used for many purposes. Leaders use stories to inspire, businesses to sell, filmmakers to entertain, educators to teach, and therapists to heal. Even so, we rarely utilize structured group-based storytelling to intentionally nurture social connections.
Come get swept away in other people’s stories, be understood anew through your story, and gain understandings with others that would not be possible alone. Let’s shorten the distance between us.
How does sharing stories in a small group build relational well-being?
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As individuals, we benefit both from telling our own stories and from listening to other people’s stories.
Writing or telling our stories helps us make sense of our life experiences, and this sense-making is linked to improved well-being.
Engaging with other people’s stories can validate our own experience, allow us to learn from others’ experiences, opens us up to new perspectives, and builds empathy.
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All the individual benefits of storytelling and listening are present in Story Circles, but the real magic of these gatherings comes from their relational core. Story Circles cultivate the social benefits of storytelling and listening by:
bringing our full attention to each other’s stories, maximizing the benefits we gain both as tellers and listeners.
upholding curiosity as we listen to understand. In Story Circles we are not listening to prepare a response, make judgments, or figure out our position. This curious listening enlivens us, improves personal well-being, and enhances our social relationships.
creating reciprocal disclosure and listening, which is linked with greater closeness and enjoyment in social interactions.
building more synchronized social connections through real-time storytelling and listening. Neuroscience research has found that listening to stories engages our brains as if we are in the story. Beyond this, listeners’ brain activity begins to mirror the teller’s brain activity through neural coupling. When we share stories together, our brains synch together in space and time!
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Adler, J. M., Lodi-Smith, J., Philippe, F. L., & Houle, I. (2016). The incremental validity of narrative identity in predicting well-being: A review of the field and recommendations for the future. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 20(2), 142-175.
Nadal, K. L. Y. (2021). Why representation matters and why it’s still not enough. Psychology today.
Oliver, M. B., Dillard, J. P., Bae, K., & Tamul, D. J. (2012). The effect of narrative news format on empathy for stigmatized groups. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 89(2), 205-224.
Kashdan, T. B., & Silvia, P. J. (2009). Curiosity and interest: The benefits of thriving on novelty and challenge. Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology, 2, 367-374.
Sprecher, S., Treger, S., Wondra, J. D., Hilaire, N., & Wallpe, K. (2013). Taking turns: Reciprocal self-disclosure promotes liking in initial interactions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49(5), 860-866.
Stephens, G. J., Silbert, L. J., & Hasson, U. (2010). Speaker–listener neural coupling underlies successful communication. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(32), 14425-14430.