Purpose

Purpose: The purpose of Shepherd Workshop is to introduce you to the healing power of stories. You and others will be able to form safe spaces with support from other story shepherds. The overall vision is to develop scheduled story spaces where you can relax and share stories. When the time comes to tell your deeper stories of your lives, the space will be prepared where everyone can listen and witness without judgment so you can heal.

In this 90 minute workshop:

Hear the stories of storytelling’s power to heal and de-escalate conflict.

Hear the stories of healing after prolonged complex trauma.

Hear stories of lives being completely built anew after devastation.

Hear stories that demonstrate what a “safe space for story” is.

Ask questions about the story-healing process.

Tell your story if you feel like doing so, any of your stories, from light to heavy.

Develop knowledge of how to “shepherd” one another’s stories at Transformation Village. 

To ATTEND

Please register for Workshops here. If you can’t pay, please come anyway.

Guidelines and Ethics

Triggers

The shepherds have experienced PTSD and have deepest respect ffor other

There are zero expectations regarding sharing your story. Listeners welcome.

Your story belongs only to you. Whatever you share here stays here.

No one will interrupt you when you are speaking. Your voice is valuable and deserves to be heard.

The story shepherds are very cautious not to trigger anyone. They do not shock for effect. 

If you do feel triggered and stand up to go, a shepherd will walk out with you to care for you.

Questions

What is a Story Shepherd?

Our stories can be like sheep—all over the place. A shepherd supports us as we move toward putting our experiences into words. We can shepherd one another’s stories. It helps us. It heals us.

What makes a story shepherd special? 

A story shepherd is someone who recognizes the value of stories. A story shepherd knows that storytelling is a healing process for individuals and for communities. The term “story shepherd” is a product of my listening to this process and healing from it simply by having space to tell and be heard.

Who are these story shepherds?

This workshop will present five storytellers, all survivors of violence in generations of conflict in Northern Ireland. All have found healing by telling their stories in a safe space. Their pasts made them feel broken and unworthy of a beautiful, joyful life. They had turned their backs on community and buried themselves in isolation. They were mortal enemies during the Conflict in Northern Ireland. They are now best friends who travel the world telling their stories about how telling our stories can heal us. 

Why do stories matter?

Having our story heard is healing. Not just in terms of “getting it off our chests.” Something profound changes in us when we unburden ourselves to a witness.

What if I am afraid to tell my story?

You don’t have to. And you can choose another moment to tell about just to practice using your voice to tell a story. Silence is also supported.

I am too scared to tell my story.

Before we tell a story we feel afraid, as though the terror we have survived might come back. This is a very real fear. It feels like we are walking right back into feelings we want to keep buried as we rebuild our lives. We know deep inside of us when we are ready to tell. No need to rush. No pressure. Listening to others’ stories can heal us as well. 

What can telling my story heal?

Over the course of the past ten years, storytelling has been proven to alleviate trauma and ailments related to post-traumatic stress, including chronic illnesses, addiction, and depression. 

I’m too nervous to tell my story to anyone.

Telling our stories in a safe environment is a first step out of silence, shame, and mental abuse. When others hear us, we recognize that while the abuse happened in isolation, the healing from the abuse happens in community. We also hear from each other that we actually weren’t to blame for what happened to us. We learn we did our best in an impossible situation.

I don’t think anyone wants to hear my story.

More survivors of physical and emotional and psychological abuse are in this world than we can imagine. Every story holds great value because every person is valuable and deserved better. 

My story isn’t worth telling.

 As survivors of violence, we can internalize the voice of our abusers. We can believe our stories aren’t worth telling. We keep them locked up, and in doing this, we lock ourselves up with them. There is a freedom in telling them.