Jehan Casinader on the power of stories
Highlights from our webinar with top TV journalist and mental health advocate Jehan Casinader.
Did you catch our webinar with Jehan Casinader? Jehan is one of NZ’s top journalists and also an influential mental health advocate. He recently joined Sir John Kirwan for an incredibly open and vulnerable conversation about his mental health journey – and how storytelling can bring people together in a world that’s filled with conflict.
Watch the replay or enjoy our top three takeaways:
Stories start in childhood
You can take control of your own story
Storytelling helps you make sense of life
Let’s dive in!
Takeaway 1: Stories start in childhood
What was your childhood like? Jehan believes “everyone of us is a recovering child”, even if you experienced a happy start to life. He says that most of us started telling stories – to ourselves, and about ourselves – as very young kids.
“Everyone of us is trying to get over, or get through, whatever happened to us in childhood. Not everyone has trauma or emotional baggage, but I really believe the story we author about ourselves begins in those earliest years,” says Jehan.
Takeaway 2: You can take control of your own story
Although tough events may take place in your life, you still have the power to control the narrative, says Jehan.
“What is the interpretation that I’m wrapping around events? Is the story I’m telling myself consistent with my values and beliefs? Is it going to facilitate growth, change, wellbeing?”
Takeaway 3: Storytelling helps you make sense of life
Jehan sees storytelling as a spiritual practice. He believes it sits within the spiritual wall of Te Whare Tapa Whā, a Māori model for understanding health.
“Storytelling is the process of making meaning,” explains Jehan. It’s how he makes sense of the world around him. By reflecting on – and rewriting – his life story, he found a way through his mental distress.
Get Jehan’s full story
These top three takeaways only skim the surface of Jehan’s incredibly insightful conversation with Sir JK. Remember to watch the replay for the full experience! Or, check out Jehan’s memoir, This Is Not How It Ends.
