Welcome! I’m Dr. Joel Ying, a physician and a storytelling performer. I connect people with the healing art of oral stories. My work inspires the heart and opens the mind through the process of empathy and imagination by celebrating the universal themes in our unique experiences. Join me to experience the power of Storytelling in the oral tradition–person to person, face to face, heart to heart.
Email: joel.ying@joyhealthwellness.com
Phone: 239-200-6796
How does a Physician become a Storyteller?
When I started my office practice bridging traditional and alternative medicine, I decided to give talks in the community. There was just one problem: I was soft spoken and nervous. A friend suggested that I join Toastmasters to improve my public speaking. I grew as a confident speaker, but I was still working on becoming an engaging speaker.
That’s when I met someone who, instead of speech, told a story. I was captivated. An inner voice said, “I want to be able to do that!” When I told a folk tale for the first time, something shocking happened: voices and characters came out of me. My ego stepped out of the way, and the story flowed through me. I had discovered a new talent that made me feel alive and in the flow of life. That same inner voice said, “I want more of that.”
I discovered a new way to connect and touch an audience. In this age of information, it is not the facts and figures that inspire, but rather it is the power of story to create emotion and truly connect us. I began learning the craft in workshops, performing regularly, and watching other master storytellers.
Promoting oral storytelling has become one of my passions, another healing art. I perform locally and nationally, produce events, and teach storytelling at Florida Gulf Coast University.