Your life bears meaning and purpose, and you are worthy of good care.

Story work opens the door to discovery and becoming more fully who we were made to be.  Our childhood stories hold clues to both the beauty of our uniqueness and the harm we have endured. They reveal life themes, roles, and how we have sought to minimize heartache and receive more of the goodness we were made for—particularly in the ways we relate to others.

When we are courageous enough to reflect on our stories in the care of an attuning witness and a wise guide and do so with compassion and curiosity, we begin to see what we have not seen, but has been true all along. The implicit memories that have been running our lives become named, and we begin to understand how the past is still alive in the present. In our awareness, we can begin to allow our bodies to metabolize the heartache of betrayal, powerlessness, and ambivalence in the company of one who can hold our grief and mourn with us. The kindness we receive along the way brings healing and helps us begin to shift away from old patterns and toward blessing that which God blesses.

Neurologically speaking, understanding our stories gives us insight as to why our brains have been shaped the way they have. Our brains are formed by our lived experiences or “stories” as neurons wire and fire together, so we filter every new or current experience through the lens of what we have previously lived. Deep change requires engaging our stories so that neurons can link up differently, changing our very brains, and opening us to new ways of being in the world.