Leading Through Stories: Empowering Veterans with Digital Storytelling

In this compelling episode of Leading Through Stories, we delve into the transformative power of digital narratives in veteran care and mental health. Our guest, Joy Pavelich from the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, shares her own journey and work in storytelling as a pathway to healing. This episode invites listeners to explore the profound impact of sharing personal narratives, especially in the context of healing from trauma.

Joy Pavelich’s journey from the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) to the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families is nothing short of inspiring. Her master’s research focused on storytelling as a means of healing trauma, and she was introduced to digital storytelling through a serendipitous encounter with Dr. Mike Lang. This encounter led to the implementation of digital storytelling workshops designed for veterans and their families, creating a safe space for sharing trauma narratives.

The episode begins by discussing the meticulous process of recruiting storytellers, ensuring their mental well-being, and providing immediate resources if they are triggered. Joy emphasizes the importance of being intentional in the recruitment process, making sure participants are in a good place to share their stories. This thoughtful approach underscores the commitment to valuing lived experiences and supporting storytellers throughout the process.

Working with trained facilitators and creating safe environments for sharing trauma narratives are crucial steps in the digital storytelling workshops. Over the past two years, the cohorts have evolved, highlighting the importance of in-person workshops and the continuous improvements made to enhance storyteller well-being. The logistics of coordinating travel, offering honorariums, and fostering bonds among storytellers are all part of the effort to create a supportive and empowering environment.

The discussion also explores the creation of bilingual, accessible digital stories within a federally funded organization. Captioning and hosting stories on both English and French websites ensure inclusivity. Sharing these stories on social channels, YouTube, and during meetings helps build trust and validation among the audience. The concept of moral injury, distinct from PTSD, is also addressed, emphasizing how digital storytelling can help individuals process trauma by turning it into a cohesive narrative.

Joy Pavelich’s deeply personal journey of grief and healing after the loss of her son Eric is a poignant highlight of the episode. Her book, Chasing my Son Across Heaven, chronicles her emotional and spiritual journey, offering valuable insights into the therapeutic power of digital storytelling. Joy’s experiences provide a powerful example of processing trauma and finding a way to move forward while honoring the memory of loved ones.

Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own health and wellness journeys, considering the narratives they might want to share. The episode fosters a community of shared experiences and mutual support, paving the way for healing through storytelling. The importance of storytelling in the realm of health and wellness is emphasized, inviting active participation and engagement from the audience.

In the episode, Joy discusses the intentional recruitment process, the powerful impact of digital storytelling workshops, and the importance of creating safe spaces for veterans and their families. She shares her personal experience of creating her own story with Mike and the sense-making process that helps reduce the emotional burden of retelling traumatic events.

The episode also highlights the significance of considering family dynamics and permissions when sharing personal stories publicly. Joy’s journey of grief and healing offers a moving example of finding meaning and purpose after a devastating loss. The conversation touches on the therapeutic power of digital storytelling and the delicate balance of sharing impactful, manageable narratives without overwhelming oneself.

Overall, this episode of Leading Through Stories is a profound exploration of the healing power of digital narratives in veteran care and mental health. Joy Pavelich’s insights and experiences offer valuable lessons for anyone interested in the transformative potential of storytelling. By fostering a community of shared experiences and mutual support, the episode encourages listeners to reflect on their own health and wellness journeys and consider the stories they might want to share.

About our Guest

V. Joy Pavelich is the Executive Vice-President of Communications and Public Affairs at the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families. A lifelong communicator, working across the spectrum from government to corporate to non-profit, Joy also holds a Master of Arts degree in Professional Communications. Prior to joining Atlas in 2020 she worked for CMHA National in Stakeholder Engagement with a focus on youth mental health, and for five years at

CMHA Calgary leading the Communications and Stakeholder Engagement portfolios, as well as UpStart the youth mental health initiative. Joy has been part of several mental health initiatives including the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s National Advisory Council on the Mental Health of Emerging Adults, the advisory panel of MoBros, a Movember funded project to develop a national men’s depression screening tool, and looking at Integrated Youth Services as a model of delivery for Alberta. In 2020 she was appointed to the Province of Alberta’s Mental Health Review Panel roster which she continues to serve on.

About Leading Through Stories

Everyone has a story to tell—and what we do with that story can create lasting impact. Every episode, Leading Through Stories, helps unravel the how and why of digital storytelling with host Kristy Wolfe.

Life is made up of meaningful moments—which ones do you want to share?

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Isolation to Impact: DST in Cancer Care – Co-Created

One gesture can keep a patient in care. That’s the charge running through our conversation with Jack Bones, a transgender cancer survivor whose digital story takes us from a tense biopsy room to a stage where an audience of clinicians wiped away tears and leaned into hard, necessary dialogue. We walk through how a politicized identity collided with late-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma, how bias nearly closed a door, and how a single act of compassion reopened it.Episode Key Messages• the craft of digital storytelling as patient advocacy• bias in clinical encounters and its real-world risks• the technician’s gesture that restored safety and trust• workshop process from script to screening• reactions at the BC Cancer Summit and productive dialogue• reaching missing audiences in shame and stigma work• plans to use film and allegory for future stories• the ocean moment as a metaphor for freedom• how stories support training, orientation and culture changeOther Links MentionedRead this episode's blog postWatch Jack's digital storyJack created their digital story in a BC Cancer workshop facilitated by Krystle SchofieldCheck out Jack's work, Brassthorn ArtAbout Our GuestJackdaw Bones describes them self as an "eremite" and occasionally ventures out of their home in the woods to show the shiny things they've made, in true covid style.They've been a practising artist ever since their youth, using the lenses of cameras and inks to explore ideas of self, relationships to the natural world, and the terror/joy of living.Jack is a dropout from an art school that has since disappeared to make way for training industrial workers, though they consider their experiences with disastrous experiments over the years their most valuable teacher. They revel in the beautiful chaos of learning from other artists, from books, other artists, and fucking up. The process is where the joy lay for them, and indeed that joy is built into the foundation of every piece they make.They are disabled, and a cancer survivor. They have worked hard over the years to get to the level where they can produce art without sacrificing their health, so while their pieces may not be perfect, the imperfection belies the passion, determination, joy, and gratitude they feel when practising. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1. Isolation to Impact: DST in Cancer Care 25:57
2. The Storyteller’s Yellow Pages 33:23
3. Neurodevelopment, Advocacy & Heart Families 01:06:11
4. Shame, Story, & Healing in Medicine 47:38
5. Resilience Stories in Vet Education 24:22

Common Language DST facilitator trainings are open for registration.
Learn more here.