Let us know what you think by clicking here to send us a text.

A live stage can do what a thousand “be positive” posts never will: hold real stories without rushing to fix them. We’re joined by Peyton Welch, a registered drama therapist and co-creator of Storytelling Empowers, plus poet Alex Jay Hurtado, to talk about a community show in Conroe, Texas, where people share their mental health journeys through artistic expression. Think poetry, monologues, drama therapy, music, and a new element this year: sound therapy that invites the room to slow down and breathe.

We also take an unexpected but important detour into libraries, rare books, and the wave of book bans that threatens critical thinking and lived narratives. Protecting stories is not abstract when you’re safeguarding archives, fighting censorship, or trying to make sure the next generation can still find language for who they are. From “brain health” as a stigma-reducing frame to the way a quiet audience processes vulnerability, we dig into why storytelling is both personal and political, and why connection after the pandemic takes practice.

If you’re in Texas, Storytelling Empowers happens October 24th, 2026 at the Owen Theatre, 225 Metcalf Street, Conroe, TX 77301, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., with tickets via the link on storytellingempowers.com. We also point to support options like Mosaics for help finding therapy, plus the 988 Lifeline or Trevor Project call or text support when you need a professional to listen. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave us a review, then tell us: what story are you finally ready to say out loud?

@alexjayhurtado

@storytellingempowers

Josh Wallenstein for Texas House District 133

Support the show

We hope you will listen often.

For more information, visit our website 22sides.com