Stephanie Adler Yuan, MS

Stephanie Adler Yuan is a Lecturer and Practicum Coordinator in the Master of Science in Narrative Medicine program at Columbia University, where she teaches narrative medicine workshop facilitation and mentors students in the design and delivery of narrative medicine programs. A 2015 graduate of the program, she has designed and facilitated narrative medicine workshops for patients, clinicians, and health professions students at institutions including NYU Langone-Brooklyn, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Maimonides Medical Center, and Mount Auburn Hospital. Her work focuses on how engaging with narrative can improve relationships and experiences of care.

In addition to her teaching, Stephanie serves as Vice President of Engagement at Planetree, a global nonprofit that partners with healthcare organizations to advance person-centered care. In this role, she leads education, certification, and strategic initiatives focused on improving healthcare experiences for those who give and receive care. Her work spans organizational consulting, leadership development, and implementation support — with a particular emphasis on narrative practice, relational leadership, and workforce well-being.

Previously, she was Director of Programs at the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, where she led training and education efforts to support interprofessional teams in addressing workplace stress, promoting empathy, and building healing organizational cultures.

She is a co-author, with Cara Coleman and Drs. Katie Huth and Lucas Bruton, of “Understanding Complex Care Through Narrative Medicine: A Qualitative Study,” published in Pediatrics (2025), and with Dr. Danielle Spencer of “Critical Conversations: A 360º Clinical Portrait,” published in Esopus (2015). Stephanie holds a bachelor’s degree in French literature from Tufts University and an MS in Narrative Medicine from Columbia.