Ssanyu Birigwa, MS

Ssanyu Birigwa, M.S. Narrative Medicine, is a lecturer in the Narrative Medicine program at Columbia University and an Indigenous Bone Healer Shaman. She spent 13 years working internationally for NGOs and was the recipient of the 2016/2017 Narrative Medicine Fellowship. During the fellowship, she explored the impact of a Narrative Medicine curriculum on stress levels of pediatric residents at Brooklyn Hospital. She is also the co-founder of Narrative Bridge, LLC., whose mission is to strengthen communication and empower active listening in diverse communities through Narrative Medicine. Ssanyu’s academic interests include burnout prevention and resilience through Narrative Medicine, and Narrative Medicine as a spiritual practice.