Supported storytelling through the ‘Life Threads’ approach for family members after traumatic brain injury: “We've been through all of this trauma, and you're giving me some string?

Authors

• Alyson Norman, School of Psychology

ORCID

• Alyson Norman: 0000-0002-4332-6049

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) brings inevitable and significant changes for family members, yet there is little to relieve their trauma, resolve their grief, or prevent ongoingsuffering. The aim of this qualitative pre-feasibility study was to understand theclinical potential of storytelling for families after TBI using the ‘Life Threads’ approach(LTA). An in-depth inductive qualitative design was adopted within an interpretivist paradigm. Following informed consent, participants took part in an online focusgroup, then engaged with the LTA over four weeks before completing an unstructured, in-person interview. A final focus group explored participants’ reflections on theLTA. A purposive sample of 20 family members began the study, three withdrew afterthe first focus group leaving a final sample size of 17. The analytical approach usedwas Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Eleven participants reportedtangible benefits from engaging with the LTA, and thirteen described being able totell their story in a way not possible through traditional methods. Four main themeswere identified: ‘Scaling Cliffs with Broken Wings’ and ‘An Entanglement of Wellbeing’ illustrated the evolving and contextual needs of families post-TBI. ‘Hear Me,See Me: The Power of Story’ highlighted how the LTA facilitated voice, agency, andsense-making, while ‘Creating the Conditions for Stories to Be Told’ identified theenabling environment required for such benefits to emerge. The findings suggest thatthe LTA offers a meaningful way for family members to explore, express, and makesense of their experiences following TBI. It supports narrative reconstruction, fostersconnection and agency, and provides a rare opportunity for self-reflection. However implementation must be trauma-informed, paced, and supported by skilled facilitatorscapable of holding space for complex emotional responses.

DOI Link

10.1371/journal.pone.0349304

Publication Date

2026-05-18

Publication Title

British Medical Journal Open

Volume

21

Issue

5

Acceptance Date

2026-04-28

Deposit Date

2026-05-27

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Norman, A. (2026) 'Supported storytelling through the ‘Life Threads’ approach for family members after traumatic brain injury: “We've been through all of this trauma, and you're giving me some string?', British Medical Journal Open, 21(5). Available at: 10.1371/journal.pone.0349304