Everyone likes a good story, but can a compelling narrative save lives?

Perhaps, according to an innovative study that tested the role of story telling in lowering blood pressure. Dr. Thomas Houston, of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the Bedford VA Medical Center, led a group of scientists that investigated how pre-recorded videos of hypertension patients talking about their medical histories helped another group of patients with high blood pressure to control their condition over several months.

Those of us who work with people (as consultants, therapists, facilitators or in many other capacities) know the power of story telling.  Most of the time our role is to create the circumstances in which people can tell their stories and our job is to simply get out of the way.