From isolation to connection: Why storytelling is key to police wellness - By David Berez

Storytelling helps officers process trauma, build trust and create cultures of resilience that strengthen entire departments

Originally published by Police1, October 11, 2025

By David Berez, Citizens Behind the Badge Advisory Council Member

October is Mental Health Awareness Month — a time to spotlight the strength, compassion and courage within the law enforcement community. Across the profession, officers are embracing conversations about wellness and support, breaking old stigmas and fostering new pathways to resilience. These efforts reveal a growing truth: healing in policing doesn’t come from policy alone but from people sharing their experiences and finding meaning together.

Among the most powerful tools for nurturing that resilience is restorative storytelling — an approach that turns experience into insight, struggle into strength and isolation into connection.

What makes restorative storytelling different

Restorative storytelling differs sharply from trauma dumping for sympathy or profit. True restorative narratives — stories that move beyond accounts of trauma, loss, or struggle to highlight resilience, meaning-making and growth in the aftermath of adversity — integrate both struggle and healing, offering roadmaps for recovery rather than dead-end accounts of suffering.

Continue reading the full article on Police1: https://www.police1.com/health-wellness/from-isolation-to-connection-why-storytelling-is-key-to-police-wellness