“I’d learned that living required both humility and acceptance of the unexpected.”
— Physician and Author Sunita Puri

“The humanities are what keep us human.”
— Singer and Songwriter Allison Russell

Increasing numbers of healthcare practitioners and learners feel stretched thin. Narrative-based medicine can provide an accessible antidote to clinician stress as it promotes self-awareness, connection, and meaning-making.

Drawing upon the current literature about stress and well-being in healthcare, as well as writing by clinician-authors, we will reflect on critical themes in professional practice including: the wounded healer, bearing witness, and ‘real time resiliency.’ Participants will enhance their skills of close reading, listening, and reflection during this highly interactive series that blends short, didactic presentations with hands-on activities involving reading, group discussion, and prompted writing exercises.

There will be ample opportunity to discuss ideas in a supportive and collegial environment including the application of these practices to professional and educational contexts. The instructor will offer optional resources for further exploration, but there are NO required readings or assignments between sessions.

Praise From Past Participants

“I found [Karen’s] teaching style nurturing and inclusive. [This series] was such a lovely way to meet other practitioners pursuing their writing and searching for answers to difficult questions. I felt quite inspired.”

“The most effective part of this series was the group discussion, writing, and sharing in the creation of a narrative community during each class.”

Learning Objectives

By the end of this series participants will be able to:

• Describe personal and systemic contributors to clinician stress using insights from current healthcare literature and narrative sources.
• Analyze literary texts and clinician-authored narratives to uncover themes related to professional practice and identity, and how clinicians make sense of challenging situations through narrative.
• Use writing as a method of personal and professional growth and compose reflective narratives that enhance self-awareness and insight in response to clinical experiences.
• Demonstrate and share narrative strategies and resources that promote reflection and well-being with colleagues or learners in healthcare teams, educational contexts, or can be utilized in personal wellness routines.

Target Audience

This series is suitable for clinicians, educators, workshop facilitators, and anyone interested in the well-being of clinicians or the role of narrative in healthcare. No previous experience with narrative-based medicine is required. For those with previous training in narrative-based medicine, this series presents an opportunity to delve deeper into issues around narrative and well-being.

Dates and Times

Sessions will take place online from 6:00 – 8:30 pm ET. The dates are:

• Thursday, October 23, 2025
• Thursday, November 6, 2025
• Thursday, November 20, 2025
• Thursday, December 4, 2025

CPD programs are designed to be interactive and are best experienced live to foster engagement, participation, and dynamic learning.

While session recordings may be available for learners who are unable to attend, these recordings are intended solely for review purposes and do not constitute accredited programming.

Recordings are provided upon request by contacting cpd.programs@utoronto.ca.

Sessions featuring sensitive content or discussion may not be recorded at the discretion of the program director, guest speaker, or facilitator.

Fees

Standard Registration Fee: $660

All amounts are in Canadian Dollars (CAD $) and are subject to 13% HST.

Cancellation

Cancellations will be accepted until October 16, 2025 and are subject to a processing fee of $60 plus applicable taxes. Refunds will not be processed after this date.

Requests for cancellation must be made in writing to cpd.programs@utoronto.ca .

Registrations are not transferable.

The University of Toronto reserves the right to cancel events. Registrants will be notified at the earliest possible date in the event of a cancellation. Registration fees for events cancelled by the University will be refunded; however, the University will not be liable for any loss, damages or other expenses that such cancellations may cause.

Instructor

Karen Gold PhD, MSW, RSW
Karen is an experienced social worker, educator, and workshop facilitator. She is the Curriculum Lead at the NBM Lab and co-instructor for the Foundational Certificate in Narrative-Based Medicine. She has a special interest in professional loss, reflective writing, and clinician well-being.
Biography

Accreditation

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada – Section 1
This event is an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, approved by Continuing Professional Development, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. You may claim a maximum of 10.0 hours (credits are automatically calculated).

American Medical Association – AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ Designation
Through an agreement between the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Medical Association, physicians may convert Royal College MOC credits to AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Information on the process to convert Royal College MOC credit to AMA credit can be found at: https://www.ama-assn.org/education/ama-pra-credit-system/agreement-royal-college-physicians-surgeons-canada

European Union for Medical Specialists (UEMS)
Live educational activities recognized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as Accredited Group Learning Activities (Section 1) are deemed by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) eligible for ECMEC®.