DoNOHarm Reflection – By Franchesca Isla

In 2011, MIEACT developed six guiding principles to support communication - particularly in relation to often-unspoken topics such as mental health, trauma, and shame. These principles form the foundation of the DoNOHarm Framework, designed to walk alongside individuals - serving as a lighthouse for the tender and tangled parts of their stories. The framework encourages sharing with direction, compassion, and a foundation of safety. Principles of the DoNOHarm Framework:

1.  Context and Purpose
2.  Recovery Emphasis
3.  Safe Talking
4. Limits to Helping
5. Respectful, Inclusive Language
6. Self-Care

Stories have long held meaning for me, and I have come to appreciate the care they require. That said, I have sometimes fallen short in my public reflections. I have stumbled, made mistakes, and turned on myself in the aftermath - a habit I am still learning to shift. Yet, through these experiences - and guided by my two trainings in the DoNOHarm Framework (three years apart) - I have gained insights that remain with me and continue to teach me. I hope they offer value to you as well.

• There is inherent risk in storytelling. Regardless of our diligence and intentions, how our reflections are received is beyond our control.
• Discomfort is not the same as distress. Discomfort can be useful - it invites growth and challenges unhelpful norms. But distress can cause harm, and we need to know the difference.
• Intent matters. Are we sharing to connect and educate - or speaking from urgency, unhealed pain, and a need for validation?
• Language shapes meaning. Words like ‘sometimes’ or ‘can’ soften hard-to-hear absolutes and open the door to gentler, more inclusive communication.
• Recovery must remain our top priority. The most powerful stories do not just reveal - they offer hope, thought, and the possibility of change.
• Consent matters. Offering people the opportunity to review their reflections before sharing, regardless of contractual agreements, exemplifies a humane commitment to respect.
• It is human to judge - it is part of our protective wiring. But, it is our second response that truly matters - because that one becomes a choice.

Whether we realise it or not, we are always telling stories - in our meal orders, our online searches, our clothing choices, even in the decision to brush our teeth, or the thoughts that keep us awake at night. I, too, carry a collection of stories, nestled deep in the chambers of my heart. I remember the morning blue skies, the seasons of motherhood, and the times I lost trust in service providers. I notice how people show up for me when I have trusted them with parts of my life - and I am just as aware when those parts are later diminished. I know how vigilantly I hold myself to high standards, believing with full conviction that as my influence grows, so too should my sense of responsibility. These experiences and feelings are woven into the novel of my life, and I remain attentive to how they have shaped (and continue to shape) me.

And so, in the spirit of the narratives and tales we heard as children, spoken aloud to instil hope and contemplation, may we begin to recognise how many stories live within both the ordinary and extraordinary moments of our own lives - forever shaping the way we see and are seen. The DoNOHarm Framework gently reminds us that careful storytelling does more than raise awareness - it raises people. Every reflection we share shapes the future, compelling us to speak with purpose and compassion.