Narrative Circles – a New Approach to Group Spiritual Direction

Each of us has a story to share.

We don’t need to be eloquent or have a certain level of education in order to do so. What we do need is a process and a committed person, or group of persons, to encourage and accompany us as we share stories about our lives.

In this single session, 90-minute webinar, we will demonstrate Narrative Circles, an approach to group spiritual companionship that allows people to “hear into speech” one another’s stories.

Our lead webinar presenter – author, educator and popular SDI workshop leader Diane Millis, PhD has more than a decade of experience as a pioneer in group spiritual direction. She’s found the narrative circles method provides safety, ease and accessibility to participant s- and all within a very compact format. As one participant, Sister Elise Cholewinski, OSF, said, “I can’t believe how much I can learn about my story in as little as 15 minutes!”

This recorded webinar is designed for spiritual directors and companions – as well as chaplains and other spiritual guides. But it will offer food for spiritual growth to anyone seeking a richer, more conscious life. We welcome all traditions and those who companion from no tradition. And please note, students who are training in listening-based spiritual care are also invited to join.

Do you ever find yourself comparing the story of the life you wished you had lived with the life you are actually living? Each of us has a story that we tell ourselves about ourselves. Becoming aware of our inner narrative is crucial, because the story we tell ourselves has tremendous power over our thoughts, feelings, and actions. In many ways, this story defines our lives. In Re-Creating a Life: Learning How to Tell Our Most Life-Giving Story, Diane Millis shows us how to author a new story for our lives.

Course Description

Two guests – all from different spiritual backgrounds – will join Diane Millis: Kami Pohl (Christian), and Bussh Lahn (Soto Zen Buddhist). In an authentic demonstration of how narrative circles work, Diane will facilitate this duo’s interaction as they begin to:

• Discover the story they are currently telling themselves;
• Develop their capacity to re-create their life by exploring more life-giving stories;
• Discern how to tell the story of what gives their life meaning, purpose, and joy.

Those who register for the webinar and participate will:

• Enhance their understanding of the vital role that a community can play in helping us to learn how to tell our most life-giving story;
• Become acquainted with the guiding principles for narrative exploration;
• Increase their familiarity with the 4, 4, 4 format for narrative circles (see below);
• Observe a demonstration of the narrative circle process as the three guests practice noticing, appreciating, and wondering about one another’s stories;
• Engage in Q & A with Diane and her colleagues about narrative approaches to group spiritual accompaniment.

How Do Narrative Circles Work?

In her new book Re-Creating a Life: Learning How to Tell Our Most Life-Giving Stories, Diane explains how narrative circles help participants “hear others all the way into their own story.” This method – which she calls “4,4,4” – offers a clear structure which enhances freedom rather than limits it. She writes: “Each person has the same amount of time to speak without cross talk, receive others’ responses, and re-tell their story in light of others’ responses.” Here is an outline of how the method proceeds:

4, 4, 4

Telling: The focus person shares their story in response to one of the storytelling prompts.// This takes up to 4 minutes.

Responding: Listeners take turns contributing their responses to the story, following this format:

• “I noticed …”
• “I appreciated…”
• “I wondered …”

Retelling: The focus person describes what s/he is discovering about her or his story // Up to 4 minutes.

Pausing: Participants share time in silence to honor what has been shared // Up to 1 minute.

Webinar Presenters

For almost three decades, Diane Millis, PhD, has had the privilege of serving as a midwife for others as they give voice to the vast array of stories inside of them. Through teaching and advising undergraduate and graduate students, consulting and coaching in a wide array of sectors, facilitating retreats and leading workshops, producing the video series, Lives Explored, and ministering as a spiritual director, she has observed, listened, and inquired as participants learn how to tell their “most life-giving stories” stories to which they are drawn.

All three of her books, Conversation, the Sacred Art, Deepening Engagement, and her recently released Re-Creating a Life: Learning How to Tell Our Most Life-Giving Story, provide toolkits for both one-to-one and group spiritual companioning.

Diane is the founder of Companions on a Journey (where she introduced the process of group spiritual companioning to young adult college students), and the Journey Conversations Project (where she developed a model for interfaith group spiritual companioning). Diane currently serves in a wide array of sectors introducing the 4, 4, 4 format for group spiritual accompaniment. She teaches Narrative Leadership at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (MN, USA).

Bussho Lahn is a Soto Zen priest who first came to Zen Buddhism and MZMC in 1993, was ordained in 2009, and received dharma transmission as an independent teacher and full priest in 2015. He’s now serving the sangha of Minnesota Zen Meditation Center (Ganshoji) as a senior teacher. He also teaches, leads retreats, and facilitates overseas pilgrimages as pasrt of his role at Aslan Institute in Eagan, MN. A Certified Spiritual Director, Bussho is grounded in contemplative spirituality, interfaith experience, addiction recovery, and shadow integration. He is active in both the recovery and Christian contemplative community of the Episcopal House of Prayer in Collegeville, MN. His special interests include ritual and ceremony, poetry, interfaith dialogue, cats, motorcycles, strong Irish tea, and the works of the great mystics. Not in that order. He lives in Eden Prairie with his wonderful wife Karen.

Kami Pohl is an active contemplative who finds purpose and meaning in life by walking with others as they seek to go deeper on their spiritual journeys. She is part of the spiritual direction team at the Benedictine Center of St. Paul’s Monastery as well as the Director of Community Engagement at Messiah Church in Plymouth. Kami has experience in classroom teaching, being a full time Mom, organizational development and training and holds a master’s degree in human resource development from the University of Minnesota. Kami enjoys time with her family, friends, taking long walks, practicing yoga and reading.

Additional Information

This is a single session webinar which runs 90 minutes. The extended length allows us to offer a demonstration of the Narrative Circles approach to group spiritual direction.

Learning Objectives

Those who view for the webinar will:

• Enhance their understanding of the vital role that a community can play in helping us to learn how to tell our most life-giving story;
• Become acquainted with the guiding principles for narrative exploration;
• Increase their familiarity with the 4, 4, 4 format for narrative circles (see below);
• Observe a demonstration of the narrative circle process as the three guests practice noticing, appreciating, and wondering about one another’s stories;

Are CEUs available?

SDI will provide a certificate of completion for self-reporting to agencies. More information can be found here:  continuing education units (CEUs).