Digital storytelling (StoryCenter)

1. Introduction

Version followed: StoryCenter's (formerly the Center for Digital Storytelling, Berkeley/Oakland, California) current workshop model: the three-day in-person Digital Storytelling Workshop built on the "Seven Steps of Digital Storytelling" and a facilitated Story Circle, as named on StoryCenter's workshop pages and in Lambert & Hessler, Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives, Creating Community, 5th ed. (Routledge, 2018), together with StoryCenter's Ethical Practice guidelines and the Silence Speaks Digital Storyteller's Bill of Rights. The seven-step names follow Lambert's Digital Storytelling Cookbook (2010 edition, cited secondarily; the Cookbook itself is not drawn on here). An earlier formulation, the "seven elements" of a digital story (point of view, dramatic question, emotional content, the storyteller's voice, soundtrack, economy, pacing), is older and is noted only for orientation. [source: StoryCenter DSW pages; Routledge publisher page; Derr 2014; TorontoMU Pressbooks chapter] [uncertain: step descriptions below come from a secondary summary, not the Cookbook text]

Sources include official pages: the 5th edition's details and chapter list (Routledge publisher page: 2018, 234 pp.; ch. 5 "Seven Steps of Digital Storytelling", ch. 6 "The Story Circle", ch. 9 "The Walking Story Circle", ch. 12 "Distribution, Ethics, and the Politics of Engagement", addendum "Silence Speaks: Guidelines for Ethical Practice"); the publisher's summary of the Seven Steps as running from conceiving a story to seeing, assembling and sharing it; and, on StoryCenter's own pages, the Seven Steps framework and story circle facilitation as named training content, project-specific ethics recommendations, IRB guidance and participatory distribution planning. StoryCenter now recommends a newer text, Lambert & Hessler, Digital Storytelling: Story Work for Urgent Times (2020), which is not drawn on here. Not drawn on: StoryCenter's Ethical Practice guidelines and the Digital Storyteller's Bill of Rights. StoryCenter's own page (linked from a StoryCenter blog post) is not drawn on here, and the third-party copy is not cited; every claim resting on it is marked [uncertain: secondary]. The Story Circle steps (4.5) and the full Seven Steps names and contents (4.3) are not checked against a StoryCenter text or book preview, so they remain [synthesis] or [uncertain: secondary]. [source: Routledge publisher page; StoryCenter DSOCP and values pages]

What it is. Digital storytelling in the StoryCenter tradition is a participatory media method, not a psychotherapy: people in a small facilitated group find a personal story, share it in a Story Circle, write a short first-person script (about 300 words in StoryCenter's online workshop), record it in their own voice, and combine the voiceover with their own photos, drawings, video and music into a two- to four-minute video, which the group screens together. It is used in community health, education, gender-based violence work (Silence Speaks), healthcare education (Patient Voices) and research. StoryCenter now also markets the in-person workshop to people interested in digital storytelling "as a trauma-informed practice". [source: StoryCenter DSW and Public pages; Hill 2011; Hardy, Seminar.net; Gubrium et al. slides]

How change is thought to happen. The sources describe the value as lying in the process as much as the product: storytellers own and shape their own account, are heard by peers in the circle, approach their experience "from a position of strength" rather than victimhood, and decide how and whether the finished story reaches others. A clinician using it therapeutically is borrowing a community-arts method; any claim that it treats a disorder is outside what StoryCenter publishes. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary] [synthesis: the clinical framing]

Professional frame. There is no regulated profession or protected credential for digital storytelling. StoryCenter's own online Digital Storytelling Certificate Program (ten weekly two-hour sessions, open only to people who have already done a workshop, taught by Joe Lambert, Brooke Hessler and/or Andrea Spagat) gives a certificate of participation, not CEUs or a formal credential. [source: StoryCenter DSOCP page] StoryCenter runs its own facilitator training (a course covering the Seven Steps framework, "the art of story circle facilitation" and the ethics of digital storytelling; on campuses, a customised train-the-trainer format of two days of coach training plus one production day). A psychotherapist using it with clients practises under their own registration (e.g. HCPC for UK arts therapists, or their counselling/psychology licence) and their own profession's ethics code; StoryCenter training is a sensible minimum before running group workshops. StoryCenter's own guidance asks that, for trauma-focused projects, a licensed clinician screen participants, be present at workshops and help set up debriefing afterwards. [source: StoryCenter Public page; Miami University LibGuide; StoryCenter DSOCP page (Seven Steps framework, "the art of story circle facilitation", ethics as course content); StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only, for the clinician point] [uncertain: secondary] [synthesis and uncertain: the registration point]

2. Framework

Standard format (StoryCenter in-person workshop). Three consecutive days, 9am–5pm, capacity 10 participants, no prerequisites; participants bring a laptop and a smartphone (StoryCenter supplies a computer if needed). Components, as listed by StoryCenter: introduction to the Seven Steps; facilitated Story Circle for group sharing and feedback; script writing and voice recording; image preparation and storyboarding; video editing (transitions, effects, music, titles); one-to-one production support; group story screening. StoryCenter's online workshop runs over six weeks with the same end product. [source: StoryCenter DSW page; Oakland 2025 event page; StoryCenter Public page] StoryCenter's pages do not publish an hour-by-hour timetable. [uncertain]

Phase sequence. A research team using the StoryCenter method set the stages out as: orientation → prompts → script writing → story circle → voiceover → rough edit → final edit → workshop airing → public screening (where agreed). StoryCenter's own ordering in the book's table of contents is Seven Steps → Story Circle → scripting prompts → storyboarding → digital production → distribution and ethics. Some programmes add a preparatory phase (pre-workshop briefing, readiness assessment, art-making sessions) and a post-workshop phase (release decisions, debrief, follow-up). [source: Gubrium et al. slides; Routledge TOC; Reed & Hill; Hill 2011; Hardy]

[source: phases from StoryCenter pages, Gubrium et al., Hardy; table and "move on when" criteria are synthesis]

Individual therapy adaptation [synthesis]: StoryCenter publishes a group workshop, not a one-to-one protocol. In individual work the same sequence can be spread over roughly 6–10 sessions (orientation and story-finding; one or two story-circle-style telling sessions with the therapist as listener; script drafting as homework with in-session revision; recording; editing; viewing together; release decisions). Session numbers here are not from the sources.

3. Guiding principles

• Storyteller wellbeing comes first — physical, emotional and social wellbeing are central at every stage; if production goals clash with the person's state, production gives way. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only; Gubrium et al.] [uncertain: secondary]
• Process matters as much as product — value the circle and the making, not just a polished video; never rush someone's story to meet a screening deadline. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary]
• Screen for trauma readiness — personal storytelling is described as "generally not appropriate" for people with strong PTSD symptoms; assess first and refer or defer. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary]
• Strength, not victimhood — help the person frame the story from a position of strength rather than one that reinforces victimisation. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary]
• Consent is a process — StoryCenter calls it "a process, not as a one-time activity"; check again at each stage. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary]
• Workshop consent is separate from release — agreeing to take part never implies agreeing to public showing. [source: Gubrium et al.; Hardy]
• The storyteller decides what to reveal — including leaving out identifying details, and with advice on risks. [source: Bill of Rights in StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary]
• Freedom of expression, no coercion or censorship — the facilitator advises but does not dictate content; storytellers may use their own language, with interpreters. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary]
• Confidentiality of the circle — material shared in the workshop that is not published stays confidential. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary]
• Images are not neutral — the person behind the camera usually holds more power; protect people shown. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary]
• Distribution serves the storyteller and their community first — not funders or distant audiences. [source: StoryCenter values page ("participatory story distribution planning meetings"); StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary]
• Right to withdraw, with honest limits — consent can be withdrawn at any time, and the storyteller is told plainly that a story already circulated online may not be fully recallable. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary]
• No sale for profit — storytellers may demand their story is not sold. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only; Hardy] [uncertain: secondary]
• Transparency and ongoing contact — be clear about goals and intended distribution from the start and keep communicating after the workshop. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary]
• Local relevance — adapt to local context, language, cultural insiders and available technology while keeping first-person voice, group process and participatory production. [source: StoryCenter values page (local needs assessed, "culturally appropriate" planning); StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only, for the rest] [uncertain: secondary]
• Facilitators need real group skills — including for emotionally difficult material; plan supervision because storytelling can be therapeutic. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only; Hardy] [uncertain: secondary]
• Story content is not assessment data — a story is the person's chosen account, not diagnostic evidence; do not read pathology or abuse into it beyond what the person says. [synthesis]

4. Intervention inventory

The procedures below are those named in StoryCenter's workshop pages, its Ethical Practice guidelines and Bill of Rights, and in published projects using its method (Silence Speaks, Patient Voices, community research). StoryCenter's detailed facilitation instructions (Cookbook; book chapters 5, 6, 8–12) are not drawn on here, so step-by-step detail is marked where it is synthesis. Technology safety throughout [synthesis]: keep headphone volume moderate during editing and music selection (long hours on headphones), tape down cables, schedule screen breaks, and use only music and images the storyteller made or has permission to use (royalty-free preferred). [source for copyright point: Hardy; StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary]

4.1 Recruitment, informed choice and readiness screening

• Purpose / when: before anyone signs up; so the person can decide whether they are ready and what they are agreeing to.
• Steps: (1) Explain why the workshop exists, how it runs (circle, script, voice, images, screening) and who may eventually see stories. [source: Bill of Rights, third-party copy only; Reed & Hill] [uncertain: secondary] (2) Offer several conversations, not one, about what sharing a personal story on video would mean; offer opt-in/opt-out points. [source: Reed & Hill; Hill 2011] (3) For trauma-related projects, have a licensed clinician screen; one research team used a PTSD screen and reviewed elevated scores individually with each person. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only; Gubrium et al.] [uncertain: secondary] (4) Tell people what emotional support is available during and after. [source: Bill of Rights, third-party copy only; Hardy] [uncertain: secondary] (5) Take workshop consent in writing, explained aloud (large print where needed); state that release for public use is a later, separate decision. [source: Hardy; Gubrium et al.] (6) For minors, obtain written parental/carer permission plus the young person's own agreement. [source: Reed & Hill; assent point is synthesis]
• Example language (illustrative): "You'll choose the story, and you'll choose later whether anyone outside this room ever sees it. Saying yes to the workshop is not saying yes to that."
• Watch for: someone who feels obliged (referred by a service, funder or therapist); acute PTSD symptoms, active crisis, ongoing legal proceedings or unsafe home situations where a public story could endanger them. If present, defer, choose a less exposing story, or plan anonymity from the outset. [synthesis drawing on StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary]

4.2 Preparatory warm-up before the workshop

• Purpose / when: for groups who are new to sharing or have trauma histories; eases people into telling before the circle.
• Steps: in one Silence Speaks project the partner organisation held art-making sessions beforehand so women could ease into sharing; another programme included health education and basic public-speaking sessions before production. Veteran storytellers have joined briefing calls to describe their experience. [source: Hill 2011; Reed & Hill; Hardy]
• Example language (illustrative): "Today is just about making something with your hands and talking a little. No one has to tell their story yet."
• Watch for: people who disclose heavily early; gently hold it for the circle and check support. [synthesis]

4.3 Orientation: the Seven Steps and example stories

• Purpose / when: opening of the workshop; gives a shared vocabulary for what a digital story is.
• Steps: introduce the Seven Steps (names as in Lambert's Cookbook, descriptions from a secondary summary): (1) Owning your insights — what is the story about, for whom, how will it be told; (2) Owning your emotions — which feelings come up and how to convey them; (3) Finding the moment — the moment of change, rendered in concrete detail; (4) Seeing your story — what images arise and which visuals will carry it; (5) Hearing your story — voice, music, sound; (6) Assembling your story — structure and sequence (e.g. whether the moment of change opens or ends the piece); (7) Sharing your story — where and with whom it will live. Show a few finished stories as examples (with their makers' release). [source: StoryCenter DSW page; Derr 2014; TorontoMU chapter; Routledge publisher page, which describes the Seven Steps as running from conceiving a story to seeing, assembling and sharing it, matching steps 4, 6 and 7] [uncertain: secondary — the full step names and each step's content were not checked against a StoryCenter text or book preview; the wording is the secondary author's]
• Example language (illustrative): "These are short — two to four minutes, your voice, your pictures. Notice how each one turns on one moment."
• Watch for: perfectionism about production; reassure that the story matters more than the technology. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only, process-over-product principle] [uncertain: secondary]

4.4 Story prompts

• Purpose / when: to help people find a story; especially in themed or research projects.
• Steps: develop a short list of prompts with stakeholders (one research team agreed nine, preferring no more than ten), covering identity, relationships, structural issues and resilience; for example, a moment when the person felt proud to be themselves. Let people choose any prompt or none. [source: Gubrium et al.] StoryCenter's book has a chapter on scripting prompts and processes that is not drawn on here. [uncertain]
• Example language (illustrative): "Write for ten minutes about a time something shifted for you. It can be small. Don't edit yet."
• Watch for: prompts that pull toward the worst moment of a trauma; include strength- and change-focused prompts and let people choose a side door into the story. [synthesis drawing on strength principle]

4.5 The Story Circle

• Purpose / when: core group process, early in the workshop; each storyteller shares a draft or idea and receives facilitated feedback to find the heart of the story. [source: StoryCenter DSW page; Routledge TOC, ch. 6 "The Story Circle" (verified on the publisher page); StoryCenter DSOCP page, which lists a "story circle practicum"]
• Steps [synthesis — StoryCenter's own circle procedure (book ch. 6) is not drawn on here: StoryCenter's pages name the circle without describing its steps; these steps are not StoryCenter's]: (1) Set agreements first: confidentiality of what is shared, the right to pass, no advice-giving about people's lives, feedback is about the story. (2) Give each person a roughly equal, timed turn (about 10–15 minutes including feedback in a 10-person group). (3) Storyteller reads a draft or talks through the idea. (4) Listeners first say what they heard and what moved them, then what they want to know more about; the facilitator helps the storyteller name the insight and the moment. (5) Storyteller has the last word on what they will keep. (6) Close each turn with thanks; close the circle with a brief round (one word or a breath) and a check of who needs a word afterwards.
• Example language (illustrative): "Before feedback, just tell her what stayed with you." / "What do you want people to understand by the end?"
• Watch for: someone overwhelmed (see 4.6); group members rescuing, advising or comparing; the storyteller shaping the story to please the group. It is working when the storyteller can say in a sentence what the story is about and which moment carries it. [synthesis]

4.6 Grounding a storyteller who becomes lost in past trauma

• Purpose / when: during the circle, recording or editing, when someone loses contact with the present.
• Steps: in a Silence Speaks workshop, facilitators helped participants who became lost in past trauma return to the present; women-only space and peer translators supported safety. [source: Hill 2011] Practical steps [synthesis]: pause the activity; speak calmly and use the person's name; orient to the room (feet on the floor, what they can see, today's date); offer water, a break, or a co-facilitator to sit with them outside the circle; give the person control over whether and when to return; check in privately before they leave that day and arrange follow-up with their own supports.
• Example language (illustrative): "You're here with us in this room. Feel your feet. We can stop the story here — you decide."
• Watch for: dissociation, panic, shutdown, sudden flatness. If it recurs, consider a different story or a less detailed version, not pushing through. [synthesis]

4.7 Script writing (Steps 1–3)

• Purpose / when: after the circle; turns the story into a short first-person narration.
• Steps: (1) Write in the first person, own voice. (2) Draft around the insight (what this means to me now) and the moment (one concrete scene with sensory detail: who was there, what it felt like). (3) Name the emotions honestly but in the person's own words. (4) Aim for about 300 words for a two- to four-minute piece. (5) Read aloud and cut. [source: StoryCenter Public page (300-word script); Derr 2014 (step questions)] [synthesis: drafting order]
• Example language (illustrative): "Which sentence would you keep if you could keep only one?"
• Watch for: scripts that recount everything; scripts that drift into blame of identifiable people (see 4.14). Working: the person reads it aloud and recognises themselves in it.

4.8 Script revision and feedback

• Purpose / when: before recording.
• Steps: one-to-one or small-group feedback on economy, pacing and clarity; the facilitator advises but does not rewrite or censor content. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only (no coercion/censorship); seven elements (economy, pacing) via TorontoMU chapter] [uncertain: secondary] [synthesis: process]
• Example language (illustrative): "This is your call. I'm only noticing that this line names your brother — do you want that in a public version?"
• Watch for: facilitator taste overriding the storyteller's voice.

4.9 Seeing your story: images and storyboard (Step 4)

• Purpose / when: after the script is roughly settled.
• Steps: (1) Gather the person's own photos, drawings and video; prefer original images to stock ones. (2) Lay images against script lines in a storyboard (index cards or a digital tool). (3) Apply image ethics: images of people are not neutral; avoid identifiable faces where harm is possible; do not use one person's image to stand for someone else in the narration; on sensitive topics such as violence avoid images of strangers altogether; before photographing someone, ask verbal consent, explain the purpose and offer to share the finished story; confirm permission from anyone identifiable. (4) Consider metaphorical imagery where identities need protection. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only; Hardy; Reed & Hill; TorontoMU chapter (index cards)] [uncertain: secondary]
• Example language (illustrative): "What do you see when you're back in that moment? We can show that without showing anyone's face."
• Watch for: old family photos that include people who never agreed; images that re-expose the storyteller (identifiable home, school, uniform). Working: images extend the story rather than illustrate every word. [synthesis on working criterion]

4.10 Hearing your story: voiceover and soundtrack (Step 5)

• Purpose / when: once the script is ready; the storyteller's own recorded voice is a defining feature.
• Steps: (1) Record in a quiet, private space, with only the facilitator present if the person prefers. (2) Allow several takes; it is fine to stop. (3) Choose music or sound that sets the mood without overwhelming the voice; use only licensed, royalty-free or self-made music. [source: StoryCenter DSW page (voice recording, music); seven elements via TorontoMU chapter (own voice, soundtrack); Hardy (permissions)] [synthesis: recording steps]
• Example language (illustrative): "Hearing your own voice say this can hit differently. We can take a break between paragraphs."
• Watch for: recording is often when emotion breaks through, because the person hears themselves say it; build in pauses and a check-in afterwards. Monitor headphone volume. [synthesis]

4.11 Assembling your story: rough edit and final edit (Step 6)

• Purpose / when: final production day(s).
• Steps: (1) Storyteller does as much of the editing as they wish, with one-to-one technical support (timeline, transitions, effects, titles, music). (2) Produce a rough edit; storyteller reviews. (3) Make agreed changes; produce the final cut. (4) Once the storyteller approves the final version, it is not changed without them. [source: StoryCenter DSW page; Gubrium et al. (rough/final edit); Hardy (storyteller reviews every edit; approved stories not changed)]
• Example language (illustrative): "Watch it through once just as a viewer. What, if anything, doesn't feel like yours?"
• Watch for: facilitators taking over editing under time pressure; the storyteller's sense of ownership is the point.

4.12 Workshop screening and closing the workshop

• Purpose / when: end of the workshop; group views each finished story together (StoryCenter's "group story screening"; called "workshop airing" in one study).
• Steps [synthesis beyond the screening itself]: (1) Ask each storyteller beforehand whether their story is shown to the group, and whether they want to introduce it; a story may be held back. (2) Watch each story, then pause for appreciative responses directed to the storyteller about the story (not analysis of their life). (3) Close with a round on what each person is taking away and how they will look after themselves tonight. (4) Explain what happens next: copies, release decisions, follow-up contact, support. (5) Facilitators debrief together and seek supervision. [source: StoryCenter DSW page; Gubrium et al.; StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only (post-workshop debriefing, ongoing contact); Hardy (supervision)] [uncertain: secondary]
• Example language (illustrative): "Nothing leaves this room unless you decide it does. Next week we'll talk through those choices, one at a time."
• Watch for: the drop after a high-intensity three days; plan a follow-up contact within days. [synthesis]

4.13 Staged consent and release

• Purpose / when: throughout, culminating after the final edit; for any use outside the workshop.
• Steps: (1) Stage 1: consent to join (see 4.1). (2) Stage 2, after a draft exists: storyteller chooses among release levels that define the story's reach (for example, workshop only; named partner organisation or training; public online). (3) Stage 3: final release signed only when the story reflects their wishes. (4) Give the storyteller a copy in an accessible format before any public showing, and a signed copy of the written consent form. (5) Release terms should state where, why, how and by whom the story will be used, whether funds may be generated, and that it will not be sold for profit. (6) Make clear there is no pressure to release; build reflection time between stages; revisit decisions over time. Patient Voices releases under a Creative Commons non-commercial, no-derivatives licence and avoids platforms whose terms conflict with its release. [source: Hardy; StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only and Bill of Rights; Gubrium et al.] [uncertain: secondary]
• Example language (illustrative): "Here are the choices. Many people choose 'just this group'. You can change your mind later, and I'll explain what changing your mind can and can't undo."
• Watch for: release decided in the afterglow of screening; consider asking people to sleep on stage 3. [synthesis]

4.14 Protecting third parties and anonymising

• Purpose / when: whenever a story names, shows or could identify others (family, former partners, patients, staff, abusers, friends), or could expose the storyteller.
• Steps: (1) Ask for explicit permission from anyone named or shown; otherwise leave them unnamed and unshown. (2) Offer anonymity options: no name or a chosen pseudonym, blurred faces, voice-only, metaphorical imagery. (3) Alter identifying details where needed (one programme modified a story to protect a friend's identity). (4) Flag stories that expose an identifiable person (e.g. a former partner) or illegal activity, which can endanger storyteller or subject, and discuss limiting release. (5) Remind the person that a distinctive story may be recognisable even without names. [source: Reed & Hill; StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only; Gubrium et al.; Hardy] [uncertain: secondary]
• Example language (illustrative): "Your story is yours to tell. Your sister's face and name are hers. Let's find a way to tell it that doesn't need them."
• Watch for: stories used to confront or punish someone; legal risks (defamation, court cases, child-custody disputes); safeguarding disclosures (see 4.15). [synthesis]

4.15 Images of children and work with young storytellers

• Purpose / when: any child appears in a story, or the storytellers are under 18. The third-party copy of StoryCenter's Ethical Practice page consulted earlier does not address children specifically; StoryCenter's own page is not drawn on here. [uncertain: secondary]
• Steps [synthesis, except parental permission, which is from Reed & Hill]: (1) Obtain written parent/carer permission plus the young person's assent, both for taking part and separately for any release. (2) Default to no identifiable images of children who are not the storyteller; use hands, backs, silhouettes, drawings or old photos only with a parent's permission. (3) Remove identifying context (school names, uniforms, street signs, location metadata). (4) For a child storyteller, favour group-only or named-audience release over open online release; review the decision as they grow older. (5) Follow local safeguarding procedures: tell young people at the start what you would have to pass on, and act on any disclosure of risk of harm through the designated safeguarding lead or mandatory reporting route. Never treat a child's story or drawings as evidence of abuse in themselves.
• Example language (illustrative): "If you tell me something that makes me worried someone is hurting you, I'd need to tell [named person] so you can be kept safe. I'd tell you first."
• Watch for: pressure from adults (school, service, parent) to share publicly; images that could locate a child.

4.16 Ethical distribution and public screening

• Purpose / when: after release, if stories are shown beyond the group.
• Steps: (1) Prioritise uses that serve the storyteller and their community. (2) Warn audiences in advance about sensitive content and leave space for discussion. (3) Show sensitive or stigmatised stories only in carefully facilitated settings, with a clinician or knowledgeable person present. (4) Online, add viewer advisories and context. (5) Offer storytellers emotional support if they attend a screening, and tell them who will see the story and when. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only and Bill of Rights] [uncertain: secondary] Example uses in the sources: community screenings, professional trainings, radio, TV and classroom sessions with discussion. [source: Hill 2011; Reed & Hill]
• Example language (illustrative): "The story you're about to see deals with violence at home. There'll be time to talk afterwards, and [name] is here if you need to step out."
• Watch for: storytellers attending screenings without support; audiences asking intrusive questions.

4.17 Withdrawal and post-workshop follow-up

• Purpose / when: any time after the workshop.
• Steps: (1) State the right to withdraw consent at any time, and the limits once a story has circulated online. (2) Keep contact details and a named person to receive withdrawal requests. (3) On a request, remove the story from your platforms and ask partners to do the same; record the date. (4) Keep communicating with storytellers about how their story is being used. Patient Voices reports removing a small number of published stories on request over 12 years, usually after relationship changes. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only and Bill of Rights; Hardy] [uncertain: secondary]
• Example language (illustrative): "If you ever want this taken down, call or email me. I'll remove it from our site and ask everyone we shared it with to remove it too."
• Watch for: storytellers who feel they cannot ask; make the offer again at follow-up.

4.18 Walking Story Circle (mobile-device variant)

• StoryCenter's 5th-edition book includes a chapter on a "walking story circle" for the era of mobile devices; its procedure is not described here. [uncertain]

5. Handling problems

The sources address readiness, support, consent, anonymity and withdrawal; most of the concrete responses below are my own synthesis and are marked.

• Disclosure going too fast in the circle (someone pours out more than they planned). [synthesis] Slow the pace: thank them, reflect briefly, remind the whole group of the right to pass and to decide what goes into the script; afterwards, privately check how they are and remind them that what was said in the circle need not appear in the story and stays confidential. [confidentiality and choice of content: source StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary] Prevent it by prompting for one moment, not a life history, and by offering strength- and change-focused prompts.
• Distress or dissociation during the circle, recording or editing. Return the person to the present (see 4.6). [source: Hill 2011] Have a second facilitator or clinician who can step out with them; StoryCenter asks for a licensed clinician to be present in trauma-focused workshops. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary] Do not end the day with anyone still unsettled: a private check-in, a plan for the evening and a named contact. [synthesis]
• Closing a circle that has been heavy. [synthesis] End with a short, contained round (a word, an image, one thing that helped), a brief grounding exercise, and practical information about the rest of the workshop; facilitators debrief before the next day.
• Person unsuitable after all (strong PTSD symptoms, acute crisis). StoryCenter describes personal storytelling as generally not appropriate in this case. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary] Offer to defer, to tell a different, less exposing story, or to take part without making a personal story; link to treatment. [synthesis]
• Suicidal thoughts or self-harm disclosed. [synthesis] Step outside the group process; carry out a standard risk assessment per your service policy, involve the person's existing care team, agree a safety plan; decide with them whether to continue the workshop.
• Safeguarding disclosure (child or adult at risk; current abuse). [synthesis] Follow local safeguarding and mandatory-reporting procedures; tell storytellers at the outset what you would have to pass on. A public story could increase risk where the abuser can see it: discuss anonymity or not releasing at all. One Patient Voices domestic-abuse project used metaphorical imagery and no names, and those stories were never released. [source: Hardy]
• "I don't have a story" / stuck at script stage. [synthesis] Return to prompts and to Step 3: ask for one ordinary moment with sensory detail; free-write for ten minutes; tell it aloud to one partner and transcribe. Accept a small story.
• Reluctance to record one's voice. [synthesis] Record privately, allow multiple takes, start with a neutral sentence; explain that the own-voice voiceover is central to the form (source: seven elements via TorontoMU chapter) but negotiate what the person can tolerate (e.g. a friend reads, or text on screen) and say this departs from the model.
• Technology overwhelm / not finishing in three days. [synthesis] Simplify (fewer images, shorter script, no effects); give one-to-one production support (named in StoryCenter's workshop components); arrange a finishing session. Not finishing is acceptable; do not edit the story for them without their review. [source for storyteller review: Hardy]
• Facilitator over-steering content (a rupture). [synthesis] If a storyteller feels their story has been reshaped, name it, apologise and return control: StoryCenter rules out coercion and censorship. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary] Watch for funders or partners wanting a particular kind of story; distribution should first serve storytellers and their communities. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only] [uncertain: secondary]
• Group conflict or harmful feedback in the circle. [synthesis] Interrupt advice-giving, judgement or comparison; restate the feedback agreements; speak privately with the person affected.
• A group member recognises someone in another's story. [synthesis] Remind everyone of circle confidentiality; check with the storyteller whether anonymisation is now needed.
• Third party objects, or story could identify someone without consent. Remove or obscure the person; adjust detail; limit release. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only; Reed & Hill; Gubrium et al.] [uncertain: secondary] If the story involves legal proceedings or illegal activity, advise the storyteller to delay release and consider legal advice. [synthesis]
• Regret after release / request to withdraw. Honour it promptly (see 4.17). Be honest that online copies may persist. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only; Hardy] [uncertain: secondary]
• Storyteller wants maximum public exposure that seems risky. [synthesis] Respect autonomy, but advise on risks (employment, family, safety), as the Bill of Rights entitles them to advice on risks; suggest a staged release, starting narrow.
• Dual roles (therapist's own clients in a group, or making a story within therapy). [synthesis] Clarify which role you are in; agree in writing how session material relates to workshop material; ensure release decisions are not influenced by the therapeutic relationship; never use a client's story to promote your service.
• Language and culture. Let people tell stories in their chosen language with interpreters, work with local partners and cultural insiders, and adapt technology. [source: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, third-party copy only; Hill 2011 (peer translators, women-only space)] [uncertain: secondary]
• Facilitator vicarious distress. Plan supervision; storytelling work can be therapeutic and emotionally heavy. [source: Hardy] [synthesis: frequency and format]

Sources

Sources:

• StoryCenter, Ethical Practice (including the Digital Storyteller's Bill of Rights): StoryCenter's own page is not drawn on here. A third-party copy was consulted in the first draft but is no longer cited; dependent claims are marked [uncertain: secondary].
• StoryCenter, The Digital Storytelling Workshop (In-Person)
• StoryCenter, Digital Storytelling Workshop, Oakland, CA (event page)
• StoryCenter, Public workshops page
• StoryCenter, Digital Storytelling Online Certificate Program, Oct 2026 (DSOCP page)
• StoryCenter, values and ethics consultation page ("Services")
• StoryCenter, What We Do
• Thorne, E. (2015). Your Voice is Your Creativity: Building Safe Spaces for Creative Expression. StoryCenter Blog
• Routledge, Lambert & Hessler, Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives, Creating Community, 5th ed. (publisher page and table of contents)
• Hardy, P. "First do no harm: developing an ethical process of consent and release for digital storytelling in healthcare", Seminar.net (year not shown on page)
• Gubrium, A., Graham, L. F., Lowe, S., Paterno, M., Fiddian-Green, A. "The Ethics and Practice of Digital Storytelling as a Methodology for Community-Based Participatory Research in Public Health" (presentation, eScholarship@UMassChan)
• Reed, A. & Hill, A. "'Don't Keep It To Yourself!': Digital Storytelling with South African Youth", Seminar.net (year not shown on page)
• Hill, A. (2011, 30 November). 16 Days: Silence Speaks. WITNESS Blog
• Derr, B. (2014, updated 2022). What is a digital story? Bucknell University Digital Storytelling blog
• Introduction to Digital Storytelling, in Digital Methods for Disability Studies (Toronto Metropolitan University Pressbooks)
• Miami University Libraries, Digital Storytelling LibGuide: workshop page (StoryCenter train-the-trainer)

Further reading (not drawn on beyond publisher information):

• Lambert, J., & Hessler, B. (2018). Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives, Creating Community (5th ed.). Routledge. (Publisher page and table of contents only: chapters on the Seven Steps, the Story Circle, scripting prompts, the Walking Story Circle, storyboarding, distribution and ethics, and an addendum "Silence Speaks: Guidelines for Ethical Practice". No preview could be reached.)
• Lambert, J., & Hessler, B. (2020). Digital Storytelling: Story Work for Urgent Times. Named by StoryCenter as the recommended text for its certificate programme; not drawn on here. [uncertain: edition details]
• Lambert, J. (2010). Digital Storytelling Cookbook. [uncertain: cited via secondary sources; StoryCenter's own PDF, full text not drawn on]

Further reading (not drawn on): Gubrium, Hill & Flicker (2014), American Journal of Public Health (cited in Gubrium et al. slides); [uncertain]