Supporting people through health decisions has never been harder or more important. In an environment where health information is increasingly fragmented and contested, the question isn’t just what we say, but whether people feel seen enough to trust us at all. Drawing on her own journey from an anti-vaccine household to the front lines of science communication, Dr. Elisabeth Marnik explores four evidence-informed strategies for health professionals who want to show up more effectively for the people they serve: using narrative to build connection, leading difficult conversations with empathy and curiosity, getting ahead of false information through prebunking, and recognizing the words and phrases that can quietly close doors before the conversation begins. Attendees will leave with practical tools for reaching the people in their communities.
Objectives:
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Explain the benefits of narrative-based communication and identify at least one opportunity to incorporate storytelling into their practice.
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Apply an empathy-first framework for navigating resistant or polarized health conversations that centers the person before the information.
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Distinguish prebunking from debunking and understand the value of prebunking in reaching communities.
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Identify communication habits and word choices that may unintentionally create distance from the communities they support.
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