Current Offerings:
Programs and Workshops
Immerse yourself in the principles and practices of Narrative-Based Medicine in our Foundational Certificate. Explore other areas and modes of narrative inquiry through short programs and workshops. With a focus on emergent trends in the field, there is always something new to discover each season.
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Foundational Certificate in Narrative-Based Medicine (Certificate Program)
Join us Fall 2026, Winter 2027, or Spring 2027
Dive into the principles and practices of Narrative-Based Medicine in this unique certificate program. Join learners from across Canada and around the world. -
Nourishing Narratives: Creative Strategies for Well-being
Starts October 8, 2026
Four-Part Online Series: Through a rich spread of stories, this interactive workshop series will explore narrative as a vehicle for self-care and care of others. -
Poetry in Practice: Reflection, Communication, and Creative Expression
Starts November 12, 2026
Two-Part Online Workshop: Reflect on the narratives that shape your practice and illuminate the human dimensions of care.
Current Offerings:
Community Gatherings
What’s next after participating in one of our offerings? Stay engaged with our growing community of practice in Narrative-Based Medicine, meet other professionals working in the field, and learn how to infuse your current work with new methods and inspiration.
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Fall 2026 Literary Lunch Hours
September 23 and October 28
Take a break from your routine and tap into your creativity for a lunch hour during our free literary lunch hours this season. Please register in advance for each session to receive meeting access.
Past Offerings
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Winter/Spring 2026 Literary Lunch Hours
March 25 and April 29
Take a break from your routine and tap into your creativity for a lunch hour during our free literary lunch hours this season.
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Creative and Reflective Writing Workshop for Health Practitioners
Starts Thursday, April 30, 2026
This four-session series is designed for health practitioners seeking to improve their creative and reflective writing skills. -
Fall 2025 Literary Lunch Hours
With an emphasis on interactivity and collaboration, our Literary Lunch Hours provide space for members of the NBM Lab community to learn about new work in the field, engage in dialogue, and exchange ideas.
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Creative and Reflective Writing Workshop for Health Practitioners 2025
Starts Tuesday, April 22, 2025
This four-session series is designed for health practitioners seeking to improve their creative and reflective writing skills. -
Winter/Spring 2025 Coffee Hours: Community Conversations
Our Coffee Hours are an accessible and low-commitment way for participants of our offerings and friends of the NBM Lab to check in with friends and colleagues, gain a refresher on narrative-based approaches to healthcare, and reconnect with their literary interests
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Winter/Spring 2025 Literary Lunch Hours: Narrative Technologies
With an emphasis on interactivity and collaboration, our Literary Lunch Hours provide space for members of the NBM Lab community to learn about new work in the field, engage in dialogue, and exchange ideas.
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Temerty Health Humanities and the NBM Lab Present: The Flin Flon Cowboy
A performance of The Flin Flon Cowboy at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto will serve as a launch pad for discussion and reflection around the role that narrative methods play in framing our understanding of inequities and inclusion in healthcare.
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Nourishing Narratives: Creative Strategies for Well-being
October 9 - November 20, 2024: Four-Part Online Series
Through a rich spread of stories, this interactive workshop series will explore narrative as a vehicle for self-care and care of others. -
Narrative in End-of-Life Care: Tools for Communication and Compassionate Care
October 5 and November 2, 2024
Drawing upon methods and concepts from the field of narrative-based medicine, this workshop will explore two inter-connected themes: the care of patients and clinician well-being. -
March Literary Lunch Hour
Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - Free Registration
Dr. Sarah Kim, Health Humanities Theme Lead at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine will share insights into how practitioners can reclaim their bodily presence and move it to the forefront of experience as a source of renewal and optimism. -
November Literary Lunch Hour
Tracy Moniz will share lessons and pitfalls on how to practice and guide reflective writing in healthcare. Wednesday, November 22 - 12:00 - 1:00 pm ET Online
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October Literary Lunch Hour
We welcome poet Ronna Bloom to our next Literary Lunch Hour. Ronna will read from her new poetry collection A Possible Trust, speak about the connection between health and the arts, and facilitate a writing activity.
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Arts-Based Research and Practice: Mini-Retreat and Workshop
Health humanities and arts-based approaches offer a wide variety of ways to create and impactfully mobilize new knowledge and understanding.
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Facilitate a Writing Workshop in Your Healthcare Community
Learn how to facilitate writing workshops in your own healthcare community in this intensive, two-part online training led by poet Ronna Bloom. November 4 and December 2, 2023.
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Narrative-Based Medicine Speaker Series: Blair Bigham
Join us for an evening of great conversation. Our first installment of the Narrative-Based Medicine Speaker Series welcomes Blair Bigham. May 24, 6-7:30pm
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April Literary Lunch Hour
Join us for a special lunch hour conversation with author and emergency medicine physician Jay Baruch.
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Winter Warm-Up Literary Lunch Hour
Drop-in at our winter Literary Lunch Hour for a free hour of writing activities, reflective exercises, and creative readings facilitated by our NBM Lab program leads. Wednesday, February 22, 2023 - 12pm ET Online
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Writing Health-Themed Articles
This half-day workshop will help you take an idea from that place in your mind, thinking “I should write about that,” all the way to publication. Saturday, March 4, 2023
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Patient-Centered Expressive and Therapeutic Writing: Concepts and Applications
Tuesday, January 21 and Tuesday, February 18, 2025
This highly interactive two-part workshop will review the evidence and share practical strategies for creating and leading a writing group for patients and clients. -
January Literary Lunch Hour
Wednesday, January 31, 2024 - Free Registration
For our first Literary Lunch Hour of the year, poet Alisha Kaplan joins us to explore a vital question: What nourishes us? -
Narrative Approaches to Resilience in Practice 2023
This series is for everyone who wishes to enhance the well-being of practitioners and learners in healthcare settings and members of healthcare teams. Starts October 24, 2023.
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Narrative Approaches to Resilience in Practice: Tools and Techniques for Well-Being
Four-Part Online Series Starts Oct. 23, 2025
Together, we’ll explore narrative approaches and resources for well-being through discussion, text reading, and reflective writing. -
Fall 2024 Literary Lunch Hours
Take a break from your routine and tap into your creativity for a lunch hour!
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February Literary Lunch Hour
Wednesday, February 28, 2024 - Free Registration
At this interactive, community event, Dr. Hayter will lead a conversation and share insights on what happens when a health practitioner suddenly becomes the focus of care. -
Narrative Approaches to Resilience in Practice Spring 2023
This series is for everyone who wishes to enhance the well-being of practitioners and learners in healthcare settings and members of healthcare teams. Starts May 4, 2023.
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Self-Compassion and Self-Empathy: Mindfulness Meditation in Life and Professional Practice
A two-part workshop explores different aspects of mindfulness and approaches to reflection, well-being and resilience. October 22, 2022
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Illness Narratives and Patient Perspectives: Cultivating Deep Listening Skills
Two-Part Online Workshop: Nov. 5 & 12, 2025
The first step in better understanding stories of illness is to listen — and deep listening is an invaluable skill that can be developed with practice. -
Narrative-Based Medicine in Practice: A Primer with Allan Peterkin
Tuesday, April 2 & Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Master clinical communication and engage patients/clients in collaborative storytelling about their health concerns. -
From Page to Publication: A Writing Workshop for Health Professionals
Two-Part Online Workshop: Jan 21 & Feb 11, 2026
This workshop is your launchpad for developing your writing style and voice, and sharing your work with the world. -
A Literary Evening with the Narrative-Based Medicine Lab
Wednesday, April 10, 2024, 6:30-8:30 pm.
We invite members of our community to celebrate with us in person for an evening of creative and reflective readings. -
Creative and Reflective Writing for Health Practitioners 2024
March 7 - April 25, 2024
A four-session series is designed for writers with some experience seeking to improve their creative and reflective writing skills. -
A Year-End Literary Lunch Hour
Join us at our final event of the year as we host current and former participants of our programs for a free lunchtime reading on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 12:00 pm ET.
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Practicing Narrative-Based Medicine In Real Life - a Half Day Master Class
Join us for a deeper dive into the practical applications of Narrative-Based Medicine for your patients, for your practice, for yourself. Saturday November 19 2022
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Advanced Creative and Reflective Writing Workshop for Health Practitioners 2022
A four-session series is designed for writers with some experience seeking to improve their creative and reflective writing skills. Starts November 3rd 2022
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Narrative Approaches to Trauma-Informed Practice: From Clinical Sensitivity to Self-Care
Saturday, April 13, 2024
This workshop is designed for health care providers who want to explore trauma through writing. -
Narrative Repair and Moral Injury in Healthcare: A Workshop with Jay Baruch
Thursday, May 9, 2024
Led by physician-writer Jay Baruch, this workshop invites us to slow down and reflect on moments that reside in ambiguity. -
An Introduction to Visual Narrative: A Gallery Workshop
This workshop introduces learners to a spectrum of ways of engaging with visual art in an art museum context. Saturday, May 13, 2023
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NBM Lab Alumni Coffee Hours
We warmly invite participants of our offerings, both past and present, to visit the NBM Lab again online this fall for our new Alumni Coffee Hours.