SPEAKING
Ssanyu has lectured and taught classes on narrative medicine and the intersection of spirituality and health from Columbia University to the Soros Foundation in Rwanda. She is known for her deeply engaging talks and the energy and vibrancy she brings to each audience.
Below are three lectures Ssanyu often gives at conferences, universities and to organizations. She also hosts customized workshops for organizations through her work at Narrative Bridge.
If you’re interested in booking Ssanyu as a speaker or discussing additional topic ideas, please email her at ssanyu@ssanyubirigwa.com.
01.
What is Narrative Medicine? Unlocking the Power of Storytelling to Heal
Narrative Medicine is a research-backed framework for exploring the emotions, experiences and deep-seeded beliefs that impact our health and vibrancy. In this talk, Ssanyu outlines the three tenants of narrative medicine, compelling research that underlines the link between storytelling and healing and several practices to begin integrating narrative-medicine based into our own personal healing journeys.
02.
The Intersection of Spirituality and Health: How to Better Understand the Journeys of Illness
Illness is often the site for existential and spiritual exploration of meaning, yet, for too long, clinicians have struggled to know if and how to talk to patients about their faith. This talk explores how healthcare professionals can speak to patients about their beliefs, explore the spiritual dimensions of their illness experiences and navigate the spiritual concerns of patients and their families.
03.
Challenging Existing Narratives in the Workplace: How Narrative Medicine Can Build Healthier Communities
U.S. workers report some of the highest stress levels in the world, with post-COVID employee burnout sitting at 52% of the workforce. In this talk, I share how companies can integrate the three tenants of narrative medicine—attention, representation and affiliation—into their team meetings to create psychological safety, build trust and help employees feel heard. I also share how leaders can facilitate hard conversations around burnout, DEI initiatives and additional company pain points using narrative medicine-based prompts rooted in literature, music and art.
Ssanyu is proud to have presented at:
Presented at the 11th International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society at the Sorboonne Universite Paris, FR
Presented at John Hopkins Interprofessional Telemedicine Education Symposium: Preparing our Healthcare Workforce for the Future of Telemedicine
September 2019-September 2021 Host of Narrative Medicine Rounds Columbia University
Preliminary Speaker for the Saint Lukes SLUHN Diabetes Symposium
January 2020 -Taught NM courses for SocMed & the Soros Foundation: Uganda and Rwanda
2019 Presented about Radical listening, narrative medicine for a polarized world.
National Pediatrics Conference, Anaheim CA
Conducted a 6 week workshop on listening for South Africa Harvest
Presented at NYU GALLATIN
Presented DEI workshops for NYU administration and graduate students, the President’s office and office of Diversity equity and inclusion during the pandemic from 2020-2021
ABOUT
Ssanyu Birigwa
Ssanyu is a Columbia-trained Narrative Medicine facilitator and world-renowned speaker on narrative medicine and the intersectionality of spirituality and health.