the hearth chaplain presents
the storykeeping series
as someone with a tripartite professional and vocational life as a teacher, midwife, and ordained interfaith chaplain, i've had the pleasure of witnessing, in multiple settings, both the power of personal storytelling to heal and the exponential improvement in depth of experience when the person listening—the storykeeper—has and employs a basic set of tools for intentionally crafting and caring for the narrative being shared. i've also seen what happens when transformation is stymied by a provider who is less-than-present or who doesn’t know when and how to turn off the “guiding and advising” voice.
incorporating interfaith chaplaincy wisdom into my work as a teacher and midwife has radically transformed the way i'm able to show up for people, and it has broadened my understanding of people’s ability, with good companioning, to be their own best sources of wisdom. it’s in this spirit that i share what i’ve learned more broadly in an effort to help birth workers feel more confident in their skills of deep active listening and supporting narrative sharing by clients.
learn guiding principles
at the core of storykeeping are what i call the 10 guiding principles. these values, goals, and points of orientation will help inform your approach to holding space for clients and patients, and they can be applied to any personal style or practice configuration. think of the guiding principles as the theory behind the work.
explore your own stories
storykeeping retreats are anything but dry lectures, and learning is woven through with story. as a participant, you'll be invited to think, write, or even speak about your own experiences in an effort to make the concepts more personal and alive. storykeeping retreats are not personal therapy spaces, but you'll never leave without being changed in the telling of your life narratives.
learn real skills
once we've explored the guiding principles, we can move on to the skills of storykeeping that you'll actually be applying in professional or clinical settings. think of these skills as a robust toolkit rather than a list of "must-do" tasks. we'll also talk about creating opportunities for practicing these skills outside of client/patient encounters.
tend your own wholeness
as people working in caring professions, we are often entrusted with the weighty, painful, and occasionally traumatic narratives of those we serve. storykeeping retreats tend to the wholeness of participants by honoring the import of what we do as listeners, by sharing skills and techniques for keeping ourselves safe and whole, and by giving us opportunities to be the ones seen, heard, and held.
current offerings
what people are saying...
past offerings
if you see something here that you would like to host in your home community, reach out and we can make a plan!
