from the 2016 Newcomer Worker Voices Matter: Learning from the Group Story “During the relaxed, respectful conversation at this gathering, these workers readily shared their feelings about their storytelling experience and using the story board. Generally, they found it easy to understand and use the story board. The symbols helped them to put names to their life and work experiences. The symbols also helped them visualize and not to forget the thoughts that they wanted to return to later. They appreciated seeing their whole life, step by step, since their arrival to Canada.
Notably, these workers found it easier to recognize feelings and express themselves using the story board than without the story board. Story boarding helped them to focus and go deeper into their emotions. Most participants found it therapeutic to talk about deep concerns, release them and then they felt better.
This group of workers also valued being asked about their hopes and dreams in life and work and were grateful to have the opportunity to talk about their hopes and dreams during story boarding. They felt that if no one asks them about their hopes and dreams then they don’t think about it. One worker told the group she found it hard to sleep that night after her story boarding because she started to dream about her hopes again for the first time since coming to Canada and she became excited about her uncovered dreams. Generally for most workers, exploring their hopes and dreams during story boarding triggered them to think about the future and what to do about it. Most of them had already started to plan to make their dreams a reality. Only one participant preferred to start with her current reality rather than with hopes and dreams.
Overall, the story board process helped these workers to share their life and work story comfortably. All these workers would recommend story boarding to others as a good way to see their past, present and future lives; seeing their whole story, in a different way not seen before.” [ p13, Final Report]