Building upon the findings of an earlier study that explored the experience and impact of narrative storytelling following acquired brain injury (ABI), this study sought to examine the engagement of storytelling facilitators with storytellers.

Transcripts of in-depth interviews conducted with six storytelling facilitators were analysed drawing upon content analysis. The analysis included a process of mapping previously analysed data (D’Cruz et al., 2020b) to a humanising values framework (Galvin & Todres, 2013; Todres et al., 2009).

The findings of this study provide insights into how facilitators engaged in humanising practice within the context of a storytelling advocacy programme. The facilitator participants ranged in years of facilitation experience from 1 to 11 years, with a mix of professional backgrounds, including health care (3), journalism (1) and community development (2). Analysed facilitator data mapped to each of the eight dimensions of the framework (insiderness, agency, uniqueness, togetherness, sense-making, personal journey, sense of place and embodiment), with a breadth of codes represented in each dimension, revealing the depth of humanisation.

This study extends our understanding of approaches to engagement with adults living with ABI, demonstrating the humanising potential of storytelling. Furthermore, the findings help us to think about what it means to be human, guiding us to find ways to better partner with and support adults living with brain injury.

As rates of pediatric concussion have steadily risen, and concerns regarding its consequences have emerged, pediatric concussion has received increased attention in research and clinical spheres. Accordingly, there has been a commitment to determine how best to prevent and manage this injury that so commonly affects young people. Despite this increased attention, and proliferation of research, pediatric concussion as a concept has rarely, if ever, been taken up and questioned. That is, little attention has been directed toward understanding what concussion ‘is’, or how young people are regarded in relation to it. As a result, pediatric concussion is understood in decidedly narrow terms, constructed as such by a biomedical way of knowing.

We aim to demonstrate how conceptualizing concussion, and young people, ‘otherwise’, enabled the co-production of a more nuanced and complex understanding of the experience of pediatric concussion from the perspective of young people.

Drawing on an illustrative case example from a critical qualitative arts-based study, we demonstrate how bringing young people into research as ‘knowers’ enabled us to generate much-needed knowledge about concussion in young people.

The critical thinking put forward in this paper suggests a different approach to pediatric concussion, which is shared in the form of implications for clinical and research practice.

Family members living with relatives with severe acquired brain injury (ABI) face many challenges. Although this is recognised, service provision in the UK is poor and needs development.

In order to support innovative service delivery for family members, we reflect on the research carried out by the first author using a new perspective – a lifeworld humanising approach in order to consider (a) the dehumanising existential challenges facing family members of people living with severe ABI and (b) what family members most value in service delivery presented in humanising terms.

Following ABI, family members may enter a parallel lifeworld (feeling separate from ‘usual’ life as it flows by) and face fundamental existential challenges of isolation, loss of agency, dislocation, loss of meaning and loss of personal journey. Family members have reported that service providers who are highly valued are those who act as ‘expert companions’. This role involves supporting families in some, if not all of the following (a) reaching across into the lifeworld of the family member and appreciating and validating what they are facing, (b) helping them make sense of their situation in terms which are meaningful to them and which they can explain to others, (c) through ABI expertise, supporting their relative through knowing their interests and needs and adapting the environment to suit these to help their relative to ‘settle’ and flourish, (d) supporting family members to share their life experiences – developing safe and trusting relationships, (e) having a humane, positive, creative and for some, a humorous approach, (f) being responsive to changing situations, (g) being available to call during times of worry or crisis and (h) help link with others and helpful networks.

It is suggested that the role and approach of companion may help family members regain some sense of their own life and their well-being.