For more than 26 years, I’ve been helping individuals and communities creatively navigate difficult transitions -- such as loss of a loved one, livelihood, illness, or bursting forth of a life unlived, the collective trauma of community disaster -- through story-making. I’m now finishing a book -- a combination memoir and workbook -- about my healing story approach.
Not since 9/11, have I felt such urgency to put my work in service to healing our national culture. For the next year and half, I’m going to be offering more community reconciliation programs to counter-attack the hate and violence-filled narratives that the Administration and its minions are flooding media with. I’m targeting my programs now to change-makers: healers, writers, storytellers, teachers, activists.
Here's the mistake many are making: Focusing on Trump. This only gives energy to his evil and distracts from the fact that millions of citizens support him as a cult – meaning a disregard for facts in favor of allegiance to a leader that makes false promises, but is interested only in expanding his own power and wealth. But how can we pull followers out of this cult? Not by judging, preaching, haranguing.
Rather by listening, engaging, finding non-political common ground, by sharing our stories – not our victim tales, but a deeper story that is always flowing like a river beneath the surface of our lives – where we are one people, one race, one blood.
On Sept. 10, at 8 pm eastern, I’m going to be offering a free introduction to a 3-step healing story process for people who would like to use story in their community, therapeutic, or classroom programs, but may not know how. That’s Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 8 pm eastern time.
To register and receive the link, write to me at juIietbrucephd@gmail.com.
