In addition to my community doula work, I’ve also been part of the research team at the Vermont Conversation Lab (VCL). Here’s a closer look…
The Backstory
I first met Dr. Bob Gramling, head of the VCL, in 2016 when developing the end-of-life doula training programs at UVM. I quickly recognized him as a kindred spirit. His calm demeanor, kind heart, and creative vision spoke to me. We worked together on some teaching projects and speaking events, and then I asked Bob to write the foreword for Cultivating the Doula Heart. Here’s an excerpt:
In my experience being with people who are suffering, the perceived loss of personhood happens most often when the person whose body and mind are being hurt also feels isolated, stigmatized, abandoned and, ultimately, unknown for the person they wish others to see… This book captures the wisdom of the Doula about what it means to be fully present with those who are often lonely and suffering. The teachings here can help each of us learn to turn toward suffering and, maybe, make space for a twinkle of joy. –Gramling, 2017
Those initial partnerships led to our first shared research project. Long story short, I had read through a VCL pamphlet highlighting anticipated areas of research and was immediately drawn to “StoryListening.” I recognized that quality and type of communication as a vital component of my doula work–both for birth and the end of life–and I unabashedly expressed interest in joining any future studies related to the topic.
In 2019, we began designing an in-person StoryListening grief intervention…and then COVID happened. With broad isolation measures in place, we converted our approach to virtual, knowing the research questions we had chosen about loneliness and grief were more urgently relevant than ever.
We invited people who had experienced a death loss to participate. This included friends and family members as well as affected clinicians and staff who had cared for patients. Throughout the process of developing the intervention, conducting sessions, and publishing journal articles (below) with the team, I learned a great deal about grief and connection. It was an involved, illuminating project that allowed me to study and hone the mechanics of sensitive, skillful listening.
- Arnoldy F, Garrido M, Wong A, Pratt S, Braddish T, Brown G, Reblin M, Rizzo DM, Gramling R. “Protocol for a Scalable StoryListening Intervention for Grief-Related Loneliness During COVID-19.” Palliative Medicine Reports. Aug 2023.
- Reblin M, Wong A, Arnoldy F, Pratt S, Dewoolkar A, Gramling R, Rizzo DM. “The StoryListening Project: Feasibility and Acceptability of a Remotely Delivered Intervention to Alleviate Grief during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Journal of Palliative Medicine. Sept 2022.
Recent/Current Efforts
After helping to launch our initial StoryListening project, I developed a related skills workshop. I first ran it with a mixed group of clinicians and non-clinicians during a City of Hope conference. The focus was catching stories of loss.
Since then, I’ve led many groups through the workshop, including the new interventionists we hired for our current StoryListening project as well as local LGBTQIA+ community members who have had cancer experiences. Each time, I’ve worked with a different assistant who has also been involved in the research.
Last winter, we began iterating at the VCL, knowing we wanted to bring StoryListening to more communities in varying ways while remaining true to the core tenets of the approach. In addition to facilitating the listening workshop, which has become the foundational training for new interventionists, in my part-time position, I also:
- Manage the onboarding process for new StoryListening interventionists
- Support the listening team with ongoing training and debrief meetings
- Review recorded sessions for fidelity purposes
- Participate in data analysis and writing journal articles
Right now (fall 2025), we’re recruiting older adults (60+) and caregivers of older adults to join our StoryListening project on social connection, loneliness, and isolation. Participants can share experiences of connection and/or loneliness with a trained storylistener.
Sessions are done in-person at University of Vermont or via Zoom and take approximately 40 minutes. Participants complete questionnaires before and after the session and receive a $25 gift card at the end of study participation. If you are eligible and interested or have questions about the study, contact the study coordinator, Susy Pratt, email: Susanna.Pratt@med.uvm.edu or phone: 802-656-9912.
Please share this opportunity with others!
What’s Next
I plan to continue working on research projects and guide many more people through the powerful workshop! Here’s a slide from the presentation:
I’m also going to share tried-and-true listening techniques on a larger scale in my upcoming publication–a grief care guidebook.
Stay tuned!
The Swag
We’re proud of our VCL work and we love talking about it. Our coffee mugs and t-shirts act as conversation starters. We bring these messengers wherever we go!
Francesca Lynn Arnoldy 