Creative Narrative Therapy
BY MARGARET STUTT
A couple of years ago, I was listening to a Radiolab podcast episode about memory and was amazed to learn that every time we retell a story about an experience, we revise the memory and emotional response. This is apparently one of the reasons why therapy is so helpful for those dealing with trauma. The act of presenting The Stability Network advocacy talks and producing autobiographical music is my form of going through this emotional and memory healing process. These activities reinforce editorial power of my own life’s story, which then empowers me in the workplace and relationships.
According to Lisa D. Hinz, author of the Expressive Therapies Continuum, art can increase access to emotional information. She described creative therapies, including art and music therapy, as especially helpful for those having difficulty finding words to express emotions and those who are highly intellectual and find that words obstruct access to their emotions.
Through creating autobiographical music, my life has become more integrated. I feel more confident and courageous in navigating vulnerability and difficult conversations. By embracing and sharing my lived experience with a mental health crisis and recovery through advocacy talks, I have joined a global movement that promotes a more empathetic world, reduction in discrimination and increased access and equity in mental health.
As a recording artist and philanthropy professional, Margaret Stutt values storytelling as a means for empowering others. With a career and spiritual practice anchored in gratitude, her goal is to use her voice to foster connection, hope, and a sense in an individual’s potential to make a difference in the world. She credits her involuntary psychiatric hospitalization and diagnosis as being the “reset button” that provided her with the self-knowledge and tools to live a more fulfilling life. “Hitting rock bottom is one of the best things that happened to me. Yes, it was extraordinarily painful and requires ongoing vigilance, but it also catalyzed profound growth and an appreciation for small wonders. Receiving a diagnosis better positioned me to thrive and accomplish my goals.”
