You were never meant to carry your story alone.
Some healing happens in the presence of one trusted person.
Some healing only becomes possible in the presence of others.
Story Groups are small, guided communities where your story is met with curiosity, compassion, and truth.
Because some stories need more than a listener.
They need witnesses.
Some things can only be discovered together.
There is something powerful about hearing another person’s story and realizing,
“If that is true for them… maybe it could be true for me too.”
Sometimes we cannot see our own story clearly until we witness someone else being met with compassion.
Their courage gives us permission.
Their story gives us language.
Their goodness helps us begin to see our own.
That is part of what makes Story Groups different.
You are not only heard by one person.
You are witnessed by a group of people doing the same brave work with you.
What is a Story Group?
A Story Group is an eight-week guided experience where each participant writes and shares one story from childhood around a specific moment of harm.
Together, we slow down and engage that story with curiosity, compassion, and care.
Not to analyze you.
Not to fix you.
Not to force conclusions.
But to help you begin seeing what your story taught you about yourself, others, God, and the world.
The work is personal.
But it is not meant to stay private.
Because healing was never meant to happen in isolation.
Is this for me?
Story Groups may be a good fit if:
You are willing to write and share a story from your childhood.
You want to become more curious about how your story has shaped you.
You are open to hearing and honoring the stories of others.
You long for a space where honesty is met with compassion instead of judgment.
You are ready to participate in a group that champions one another’s healing.
Story Groups may not be the right fit if you are not willing to share your own story, if you are looking for quick advice, or if you are not ready to participate with care for the group as a whole.
Safety matters.
Because this work is vulnerable, the space matters.
Confidentiality is required.
Every participant agrees to honor the privacy of every story shared in the group.
We establish group norms from the beginning, and my role as facilitator is to guide the process, protect the group, and intervene if something becomes unsafe or unhelpful.
You will be invited into honesty.
But you will not be abandoned in it.
The Details
Length: 8 weeks
Frequency: Once per week
Session length: 2 hours
Group size: Up to 6 participants
Format: Virtual or in person, depending on the group
Structure: Orientation, story sharing, second engagement, and final blessing
Common Questions
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Because shame thrives in secrecy.
It tells us,
“If people really knew this about me, they would leave.”
Story Groups gently challenge that lie.
You share your story with people who are also risking honesty.
People who bring different questions, experiences, and compassion.
People who may notice goodness in you that you have not been able to see in yourself.
There is something different about being seen by many compassionate witnesses.
Not as a problem.
Not as too much.
Not as broken.
But as someone whose story deserves care.
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Yes.
Story Groups are built around each participant writing and sharing a story.
If you are not ready to share, one-on-one coaching may be a better place to begin.
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That makes sense.
Most people are.
You will not be asked to perform or have everything figured out. You will be invited to bring your story honestly and engage others with care.
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Eight weeks gives the group enough time to begin, deepen, and close well.
The first week is orientation.
We establish safety, expectations, confidentiality, and the rhythm of the group.
The next six weeks are story engagement.
Each participant shares their story twice.
The final week is a time of blessing, reflection, and closure.
It is long enough for something meaningful to happen.
And short enough to commit to.
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Because the story may be the same.
But you will not be.
The first time you share, the group begins opening the story with you.
You notice what rises to the surface.
You begin seeing what has been hidden.
Then, as you hear the stories of others, something begins to shift.
You may recognize your own shame in someone else.
You may hear truth spoken over another person and realize you need that truth too.
You may begin to see a root you could not see before.
The first telling opens the story.
The second telling deepens it.
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We ground.
We begin by slowing down, checking in, and noticing what each person is carrying into the room.
We share.
Two participants read their stories each week.
We engage.
The group responds with curiosity, compassion, questions, and care.
We bless.
We end the eight weeks by naming the goodness we have seen in one another.
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You may begin to understand why certain patterns have followed you for years.
You may discover beliefs you did not know you were carrying.
You may realize that things you blamed yourself for were never yours to carry.
You may begin seeing goodness in places you only knew as shame.
And you may discover that you are not alone.
That is often where shame begins to break.
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No.
Story Groups are not therapy and are not a replacement for clinical mental health care.
They are guided spaces for story work, reflection, compassion, and meaningful engagement.
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That is part of the process.
You will receive guidance for choosing and writing a story before it is your turn to share.
You do not have to begin alone.
Sometimes the courage to hear your own story begins by hearing someone else’s.
Sometimes shame loosens when others sit with us and do not turn away.
Sometimes goodness becomes easier to believe when other people can see it before we can.
If you are ready to experience story work in community, I would be honored to have you join a Story Group.