Now we do, thanks to Jonathan Adler \u201900, a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Olin College of Engineering and a senior lecturer at Harvard Medical School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Storytelling is one of the oldest art forms, as well as an important tool that helps us make informed decisions and navigate the path ahead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Adler has conducted research on narrative identity, which is the idea that the stories we weave together about our reconstructed past, perceived present, and imagined future help us make meaning out of the things that happen to us. Adler recently shared his research with host Shankar Vedantam on the popular NPR show Hidden Brain <\/em>where he explained how research shows that whether we look back at past events plays a critical role in our mental health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One study Adler conducted<\/a> looked at 600 narratives from about 50 adults who came to a psychotherapy clinic for a wide range of issues, from depression, anxiety, and eating disorders to a simple desire to improve friendships and relationships. Adler and his colleagues measured the clients\u2019 psychological well-being using standard indicators both before therapy and after each session \u2014 then they looked at the stories the clients told.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat was really cool is that using statistical modeling techniques we found that the stories actually changed before people\u2019s psychological well-being changed. It was as though people were narrating a new version of their lives, and then a week or two later, their well-being would sort of catch up with the new story,\u201d Adler said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When Adler learned about this BatesNews<\/em> series, he wanted to help \u2014 but he encouraged us to seek out stories that don\u2019t necessarily have a happy ending, that don\u2019t end with a feeling of redemption. Those types of stories are powerful, too, Adler said, and they offer another narrative option for those suffering through difficult times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s a pretty profound thing to say, \u2018I\u2019ve come out the other side of this challenging thing, and it didn’t make me happy, but it did help me understand some things about my life and my values.\u2019 That in and of itself is a worthwhile outcome,\u201d Adler said. \u201cI think stories that demonstrate the importance of searching for meaning push back against what I call the \u2018press for redemption\u2019 in our culture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As an example, he points to a study he helped conduct involving the parents of neurodivergent children on the autism spectrum and parents of non-neurodivergent children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One woman who stood out was the mother of a child with severe autism spectrum disorder. Her child required a lot of care and attention, yet when she talked about caring for this child, she told a story of a love that made her learn more about herself. Adler said these lessons are valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Meaningfulness and happiness are separate qualities we search for in life and both are important.\u201d<\/p>\nJonathan Adler ’00<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe would not say, \u2018Having this child with severe autism spectrum disorder was a gift.\u2019 That\u2019s a socially appropriate story. And some people genuinely do feel like that, and that\u2019s great. But that\u2019s not the only option,\u201d he explained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think she would say, \u2018This has been really hard. I don\u2019t know that I would\u2019ve asked for this challenge, but because I have had this challenge, I have learned things about myself that I might not otherwise have.\u2019 And there’s a positivity to that. But it\u2019s not necessarily redemptive. Meaningfulness and happiness are separate qualities we search for in life and both are important.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n A decade ago, Adler began working with the nonprofit Health Story Collaborative<\/a>, which helps patients with all kinds of illnesses share stories of struggle. The organization hosts \u201cHealing Story Sessions,\u201d where patients (and sometimes medical providers) share their stories. These events are sometimes performed in small private living rooms, sometimes in large auditoriums. One that is held annually at Massachusetts General Hospital draws several hundred. But whatever the size of the crowd, Adler called them \u201ctransportive and therapeutic\u201d for both the storytellers and the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like the story of the mother above, these sessions support the idea that our life stories are not always redemptive. \u201cWhen we’re working with people who have terminal illnesses, they sometimes say, \u2018Happiness is not an option for me. That\u2019s not the goal. I need to make sense of what this is all about.\u2019 And that is valuable in and of itself,\u201d Adler said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When Adler attended Bates from 1996 to 2000, he obviously didn\u2019t know he would go on to do important research in a new field, but he knew he was passionate about both his psychology major and his interest in theater, directing three <\/strong>plays with the Robinson Players. Today he uses both disciplines in his work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Twice a year at Olin, he leads a story slam where students, faculty, and staff tell short stories about their lives. He takes engineering and business students who have no experience in theater and helps them deliver thrilling performances. He also leads story slams at other colleges, such as Wellesley College, and has led them for major organizations.\u00a0Adler also has become a playwright. His play Reverse Transcription<\/em><\/a> <\/a>(co-authored with Jim Petosa) premiered Off-Broadway in July of 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An important element of the stories we tell is what psychologists call the \u201cchapter breaks,\u201d the moments in time where we draw the connection between the good and bad times, because if we see things as transitioning from good to troubling times, we can get stuck in that contaminative mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/files\/2024\/02\/230510_Honors_Thesis_Dinner_1331.webp\")
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