Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 24, 2026

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
Bereaved Parents' Experiences of Virtual Storytelling Through Music: A Qualitative Analysis
Carolyn S Phillips1, Sue E Morris2, Erin Rodriguez3
1The University of Texas at Austin, School of Nursing, 1710 Red River St., Austin, TX 78712.
Context:
Bereaved parents whose child died from cancer are at risk for prolonged and complicated grief, yet accessible, engaging bereavement interventions remain limited. Storytelling Through Music (STM) is a virtual, group-delivered expressive arts intervention that integrates reflective writing, psychoeducation, and therapeutic songwriting.
Objectives:
To explore parents' emotional experiences and perceived impacts of participating in STM one month after completing the intervention.
Methods:
This qualitative study was embedded within a randomized controlled feasibility trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06047808). Following the six-week STM intervention, bereaved parents in the intervention arm completed semi-structured, one-on-one interviews approximately one-month post-intervention. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using conventional content analysis with multiple coders and iterative consensus to develop themes.
Results:
Twelve bereaved parents participated in post-intervention interviews. Five interrelated themes characterized the STM experience: (1) connecting with peers and music, (2) benefits of coping through sharing, (3) expansive emotional experience (coexistence of grief and positive emotion), (4) graded exposure through the sequenced writing-storytelling-songwriting process, and (5) enduring legacy, with the final song functioning as a lasting keepsake and ongoing coping resource.
Conclusion:
STM appears to support multidimensional grief processing by combining social connection, narrative meaning-making, and music-based emotional engagement in a virtual format. Findings suggest STM may be a feasible, scalable approach to bereavement support and highlight potential mechanisms (connection, graded exposure, and legacy creation) to test in larger, more diverse trials.
Related Concept Videos
Ethics in Research
Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
Traumatic Memory
Kubler Ross's Stages of Dying
In denial, individuals reject the reality of their condition, often thinking, "This isn't true; I feel fine," as a way to protect themselves from emotional distress. Anger...
Bonanno's Theory of Grieving
Resilience
The resilience...
Coping Strategies: Emotion Focused

