Stories of Strength:
Participation & Ethics
Guidelines

Ready to share your story with us? SHARE YOUR STORY →

Purpose & Values

Stories of Strength exists to create a safe, supportive, and collaborative space where people can share their mental health experiences in their own words. We believe that lived and living experience is a powerful tool for fostering understanding, reducing stigma, and building community connection. By amplifying these stories, we aim to challenge stereotypes, validate diverse experiences, and create pathways to healing—for both storytellers and those who hear their stories.

The Stories of Strength library is more than a collection of stories; it is a space for authentic voices to shape the conversation about mental health, and explore what it is to be human. The foundational values of this project include:

  • Dignity: Every storyteller deserves to be treated with respect, autonomy, and care. We acknowledge that sharing personal experiences can be vulnerable, and we honor that vulnerability by ensuring that each participant has control over what they share, how they are identified, and when (or if) their story is published.

  • Collaboration: We believe in co‑creating stories with participants, not simply collecting them. Every story is shaped with input from its author, and nothing is shared without their final approval. This ensures that the process centers the storyteller’s voice and vision at every stage.

  • Trauma‑Informed Practice: We approach storytelling with emotional safety as a top priority. This means being mindful of potential triggers, providing optional grounding techniques and debriefing, and making referrals to supportive resources when needed. Our team is trained to recognize signs of distress and respond with compassion and care.

  • Cultural Humility: We value the diverse identities, languages, and cultural contexts of our storytellers. Whether through translation services, honoring cultural storytelling traditions, or integrating community feedback, we seek to create a platform where all voices are welcomed and affirmed.

  • Accessibility: Stories should be inclusive and usable for everyone. We strive to provide multiple ways for participants to share their stories (written, video, audio, visual), and we ensure that all content is accompanied by closed captions, image descriptions, and plain‑language summaries so audiences with different abilities, languages, and literacy levels can access it.

The following participation and ethics guidelines are designed to ensure that sharing your story is a safe, respectful, and empowering experience for everyone involved.

1. Your consent matters.

At Stories of Strength, sharing your story is completely your choice. You should never feel pressured to share more than you want or to share at all. Consent means you understand exactly how your story may be used, what rights you have, and that you stay in control at every step. You can also change your mind at any point, even after your story is published.

What you’re agreeing to: By participating in Stories of Strength, you are sharing your personal story with the purpose of helping others understand mental health and reduce stigma.

You decide how much of your identity to reveal (your full name, partial details, or completely anonymous). You also decide where your story can appear (website, social media, advocacy campaigns, etc.), and you will always review and approve your story before it is published.

You have the right to withdraw your story at any time—before or after publication—for any reason. This is your story, and you remain in control.

How the consent process works:

  • Step 1. Getting started: You’ll receive our Participation & Ethics Guidelines along with a clear overview of how your story may be used. A member of our team will walk you through the process, answer questions, and discuss your identity and privacy preferences.

  • Step 2. Consent: You’ll fill out a short form. On this form, you’ll choose:

    • How you want to be identified: full name, first name/pseudonym, or anonymous.

    • Where your story can appear: website, social media, newsletters, and/or advocacy campaigns.

    • Your rights: review and approval before publication, and the ability to withdraw anytime.

  • Step 3. Review & approval: Before anything is published, you’ll review the final version of your story. Nothing goes live without your approval.

  • Step 4. Ongoing consent: You can update your preferences or withdraw your story at any time. If you withdraw, we’ll confirm in writing and honor your request promptly. To update your preferences or withdraw, email info@strong365.org.

2. Ethical Storytelling Guidelines

At Strong365 Lab, we believe storytelling is powerful and personal. Sharing your experience can be meaningful, but it can also feel vulnerable. That’s why we follow clear ethical guidelines to make sure you feel safe, respected, and in control from start to finish. These aren’t just rules. They reflect our commitment to trauma-informed care, cultural humility, and shared power.

Your autonomy comes first. Remember:

  • You own your story. We’re here to support you, not direct you.

  • You decide what parts of your experience to share and what to keep private.

  • You can stop, pause, or change your mind at any time, even after publication.

  • You choose the format and voice that feel authentic to you.

Collaboration & consent. You will never be surprised by where or how your story is shared.

  • Nothing is ever published without your explicit approval.

  • You’ll always review the final version of your story, whatever format it takes.

  • If edits are made for clarity, accessibility, or safety, we walk through them with you.

  • If something doesn’t feel right, we’ll change it to the best of our abilities, or we won’t publish it at all.

  • You will never be surprised by where or how your story is shared.

Trauma-informed support. You are a whole person, not just a story.

  • We offer emotional check-ins before and after you share.

  • During recordings, we can use grounding tools (like pauses, breathing, or gentle transitions) if emotions feel overwhelming.

  • If your story stirs up distress, we’ll connect you with supportive resources—including some from our own Resources page.

Visibility & Anonymity Options. You decide how the world sees you, choosing from:

  • Full identification: share your full name, photo, and story openly.

  • Partial identification: use a first name or pseudonym, and limit personal details.

  • Anonymous: share with no identifying information at all.

*You can change your preference before publication, and if you later want your story removed, we’ll honor that request.

Shared power & accountability. Your story belongs to you.

  • After your story is published, you’ll be invited to share feedback.

  • We welcome your ideas for story prompts, campaign messaging, or new directions.

  • We are committed not only to lifting voices, but also to listening and building something better together.

*We’re honored to walk alongside you as you decide how, when, and if you want to share your story.

3. Sharing Your Story: The Process

We know that storytelling can take many shapes. Some people feel most at home writing. Others prefer speaking freely in a video. Some may prefer responding to questions, while others prefer to communicate through short, impactful social media posts. There’s no one right way to tell your story—only your way.

Below are a few options for how you can share your lived experience with us. If you’re not sure which one is right for you, we’re happy to talk it through and support you in shaping something that feels authentic and safe.

*Note: While we deeply value every story shared with us, please note that we may not be able to feature all submissions. Each story matters, and even if yours is not selected, it still contributes to the larger movement of hope and resilience.

Choose the format that feels right to you. Click to learn more about each option.

What to include in your story:

These are just suggestions - your story is yours to tell in whatever way feels meaningful. But if you’re looking for a starting place, consider including:

  • A short introduction (Who are you? Use your name, pseudonym, or stay anonymous.)

  • Your experience: What happened? What challenges have you faced?

  • What helped or made things harder: This could include people, systems, stigma, culture, or care.

  • A reflection or takeaway: What do you want others to know, learn, or feel after hearing your story?

And remember – you don’t have to have a “happy ending” to share. Every point in the journey is valid and important.

How to submit your story:

Review our Participation & Ethics Guidelines and fill out a consent form.

  1. Choose your format and prepare your story – with or without our help.

  2. Send your story via email to [submission email] or upload through our online form.

  3. We’ll review it and offer any suggested edits or accessibility updates.

  4. You approve the final version. Nothing goes live until you give the green light.

Still figuring it out? Just email us at [email address] and we’ll walk with you.

  • Maybe you feel most comfortable speaking from the heart. If so, a short video could be a powerful way to share.

    • Length: 2–5 minutes

    • Record on your phone, computer, or camera — whatever is easiest

    • No need to be polished. Honest, real, and grounded is more than enough

    • You can be on screen or off camera (voice-only is okay)

    Need help with subtitles or uploading? We’ve got you.

  • If you feel more comfortable sharing your story without being on camera, an audio story of your reflections might be something to consider.

    • Length: 2-5 minutes

    If you would like, you can submit your own graphics, or we can collaborate with you to potentially develop imagery representative of your voice and story.

  • If writing is your thing, we welcome personal reflections in the form of a blog post. These are typically a bit longer, more reflective, and may touch on the ups and downs of your mental health journey.

    • Length: 500-1,000 words

    • Conversational tone -  write like you’re talking to someone you trust

    • Tell us about your experience, how you felt, what helped, what didn’t and what you’d want others to take away

    We’re happy to help edit for clarity or flow—with your final approval, always.

  • Not sure what to say? We can guide you. In our Q&A format, we send you a set of questions, and you respond however you feel comfortable - in writing, over audio, or even through a recorded video.

    Sample questions might include:

    • How have you experienced mental health changes in your life, and/or how have you supported others? 

    • What (or who) has been helpful in your journey? What has made it more difficult?

    • What do you wish others understood about you?

    • What advice would you give to someone just starting their journey?

    You can skip questions, add your own, or co-create the interview with us.

  • Short, powerful, and raw – your story can also live as a social post. These are ideal for Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok-style content.

    • Length: 200–500 words, or a video under 1 minute

    • Include a photo, quote, or even a drawing – anything that expresses your message

    • These are often written like a note to your past self or a message to others who might be struggling

4. Need help? We’ve got you.

We understand that this may be your first time creating content for others to see. If accessibility feels overwhelming, don’t worry – we’re happy to walk you through every step.

Just email us at [email address] and we’ll support you with editing, captions, formatting, and/or accessibility improvements.

Please note that while we deeply value every story shared with us, please note that we may not be able to feature all submissions. Each story matters, and even if yours is not selected, it still contributes to the larger movement of hope and resilience.