Whose story is it anyway? Working towards more representative, diverse and authentic case studies and testimonies

There has been a strong drive in mental health services to put lived experience at the heart of the work, and correspondingly, to increase the use of first person accounts, including testimonies and the use of case studies.... [ view full abstract ]

There has been a strong drive in mental health services to put lived experience at the heart of the work, and correspondingly, to increase the use of first person accounts, including testimonies and the use of case studies. However this has brought with it its own challenges, including:

How do we encourage narratives to follow their own path rather than the model we may or may not be imposing? How can we ensure that the stories we showcase are not just the ones we would like to hear? How do we include and reflect a plurality of voices when we may not be aware of their existence? In case studies, how do we tease out the story and reflections of the professional and those of the person whose story is being told? And can we find other ways to let people tell their story which may not be word or narrative based?

This panel/symposium will raise fundamental questions on diversity and representation, the role and power of the professional in giving a voice, the untold stories of professionals which are told through their narrative choices and predilections, and the deep interrelatedness of giving a voice/telling a story, which has various repercussions on practice.