In "Stories Can Heal Us" (WeatherProof, March 2025), book inc writer Shanda McManus reveals how storytelling transformed her grief into healing, leading to her forthcoming memoir.
“Storytelling allows us to heal by connecting us to ourselves and others. Often, when we suffer painful experiences, we create distance within and without to avoid feeling the hurt. Trauma divides, and grief isolates. Through writing or other means of storytelling, we treat our wounds and grow in compassion for ourselves and others. Storytelling can decrease PTSD, depression, and anxiety; healing through narrative can also increase resilience, self-esteem, and sense of purpose.”
Shanda McManus is a family medicine physician and the author of Brother Epistles: A Sister's Memoir (Asterism Books). Her writing has been featured in Intima Journal of Narrative Medicine, Midnight & Indigo, and other publications. She lives in Fair Haven, NJ.
