Connecting Through Story
Narrative Medicine | Program Design | Arts & Health | Life Stories
Narrative in Practice works with organizations and individuals to design and deliver programs and services that foster reflection, deepen connection, and inspire meaningful action.
What We Do
Thoughtful, evidence-informed programs and services developed collaboratively and tailored to the people and communities they serve
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Workshops, curricula, and consultation grounded in the theory and methods of Columbia University Narrative Medicine that use close attention, writing, and listening to deepen reflection and mutual understanding
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Strategic advising, program design, and partnership development to help organizations translate ideas into meaningful initiatives grounded in listening, collaboration, and learning
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Experiences with literature, visual art, and other creative works that invite reflection, connection, and new perspectives
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Collaborative life-story and legacy projects that help individuals and families reflect on and preserve what matters to them
Selected Work
Extensive experience designing and leading programs for healthcare, higher education, and nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and internationally
Experience & Projects
Narrative Medicine in Healthcare
Narrative medicine workshops and curricula for clinicians, patients and families, students, and healthcare leaders at organizations including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NYU Langone–Brooklyn, Maimonides Medical Center, Mount Auburn Hospital, and Children’s Wisconsin
Applied Narrative Medicine & Community Partnerships
Teaching and partnership development through Columbia University’s MS in Narrative Medicine program, connecting graduate students with healthcare, academic, and nonprofit organizations
Family Caregiver Support Through Art & Literature
Narrative- and arts-based programming for families of children and young adults with illness and disability, in partnership with the Bluebird Way Foundation
Oral History & Life Stories
Oral history, biographical research, and life story projects, including Critical Conversations: A 360-Degree Clinical Oral History, published in Esopus; donor life stories for the New York Community Trust; and a COVID-era healthcare storytelling initiative with StoryCorps
Organizational Leadership & Program Development
Leadership of training, education, engagement, and partnership initiatives to improve wellbeing and the experiences of people who give and receive care at the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare and Planetree International
Speaking & Publications
Stephanie has presented widely on narrative medicine, storytelling, person-centered care, patient and family engagement, reflective practice, and organizational culture for healthcare, academic, nonprofit, and international audiences. Her writing and scholarship have appeared in Pediatrics, KevinMD, and Esopus. Available for keynote presentations, interactive workshops, and facilitated conversations tailored to professional and community audiences.
Meet Stephanie
Stephanie Adler Yuan, MS (she/her)
Founder & Principal
I'm a narrative medicine educator, facilitator, and program strategist working at the intersection of healthcare, education, arts, and community engagement. My work is grounded in the belief that paying close attention to people's stories can deepen understanding, fortify relationships, and expand possibilities for individuals and organizations.
Since 2017, I’ve taught in Columbia University’s MS Program in Narrative Medicine, where I work with students and colleagues to explore ways to take the rigorous theory and methods of narrative medicine out of the academy and into the world. My broader career has included senior leadership roles at Planetree International and the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, where I worked with hundreds of interprofessional teams at hospitals and healthcare organizations on the prestigious Schwartz Rounds® program.
Currently, I’m proud to serve as an advisor to the Bluebird Way Foundation, whose initiatives use the arts, humanities, storytelling, and narrative medicine to advance understanding, connection, and change in healthcare and health professions education.
I created Narrative in Practice to bring narrative medicine and other evidence-informed creative practices into conversation with arts and health, education, and organizational change, and to turn good ideas into thoughtful programs, partnerships, and practices that can reach broader communities. Depending on the needs of each project, I draw on a trusted network of educators, facilitators, and other collaborators with deep subject-matter expertise.
Get in Touch
Have a project, idea, or potential collaboration in mind?
We’d love to hear from you.
Stephanie Adler Yuan, MS
Founder & Principal
stephanie@narrativeinpractice.com
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