Rachel Rusch | Improv Lessons

About this episode:

My friends, what can I say about today’s guest. The minute we were introduced last year, we fell into deep and ongoing discussions about the importance of narrative and storytelling in healing spaces. Rachel Rusch is a social worker, educator and researcher specializing in pediatric palliative care in Los Angeles, California. Her work centers on the intersection of narrative and storytelling in healthcare the relationship between patient, family and clinician perseverance. We explore all of these subjects in today’s episode including her personal experiences of loss and the insights she’s gleaned from some of the incredible narrative medicine and improv projects she’s involved in today.

Episode Resources

Follow Rachel on Twitter to learn more about her incredible work with support of the Cambia Health Foundation

Harnessing the Power of Improv During Uncertain Times

Episode Sponsor

Thanks to our sponsor Vida Health. Vida – healthcare designed for the body and mind! Visit www.vida.com to learn more.

Jump straight into:

(03:36) - Rachel’s earliest memory of grief

(10:21) - Rachel’s time as an artist performing in New York City

(18:04) - Becoming a social worker: Rachel’s experience as a volunteer for the 52nd street project

(24:46) - The Perseverance Project: Behind Rachel’s awarded storytelling project

(34:25) - The relationship between palliative care and storytelling

(39:05) - ‘Lift of personhood’: The art of addressing vulnerability in the medical field

(48:43) - How are we walking into forever shifted unprecedented times after experiencing so much loss?

About the show:

If you love deep, honest, authentic conversations, get ready to love Grief is a Sneaky Bitch. From CEOs and social workers to best-selling authors, educators, filmmakers, and stay-at-home moms, her guests open up about the complexity, confusion, and even confidence they have gained by navigating a grief journey of their own. To learn more about the show and how host Lisa Keefauver is reimagining grief, sign up for her not-so-regular newsletter follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn or visit www.lisakeefauver.com today!

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