I’m a Story Healer. I help people see what patterns and beliefs guide their behaviors and beliefs, and I help them find the story their deepest self wants to live.

I’m a teacher; I taught college English for a decade, holding an endowed teaching chair and serving as a national consultant on reimagining teaching methods. I’ve taught thousands of classes in seminaries, universities, and churches.

I’m a retreat master; I’ve created, organized, and led scores of retreats and events of many sizes and contexts about authentic spirituality, men’s issues, theological formation, and more. I’m a consultant; I work with nonprofits, churches, and companies to help them create strategies to realize their goals.

I’ve been a pastor and community leader; I worked in Christian churches for a decade, then spent 17 years leading an innovative, open-faith community in Austin. I speak “church” – but my beliefs embrace Eastern and Indigenous religious traditions, archetype work, and beyond.
I’m married to the excellent Christina Wisdom. I’m a father; my children and granddaughter live in Austin. I have had many years of therapy , recovery, and men’s work, and I participate in energy medicine and breathwork.

I’m the author of Wrestling With God (2004), hundreds of blog entries, essays, magazine articles, and theological commentaries, and I authored a textbook on Creative Writing. I’m an artist, illustrator, and muralist. I’m a fisherman. I’m an embodiment of love and wholeness. And I’m very glad to be here with you.

Whether a story work exploration begins with a simple question or a giant life inquiry, the process is the same.

You’re the Explorer. You talk about something that’s happening in your life. I listen for a story that may be informing how you are facing the issue.

When you and I discover that story, it can feel like magic. Like a surprise. Many folks working with me have said that when they saw the story that was guiding them, they realized that what they thought they needed to figure out, wasn’t the point after all.

People come with a problem to solve or a question to answer; they leave with an understanding of the story that has been guiding their behaviors and beliefs. Now they have clarity.

When you enter a story work exploration, you have a tool for placing an assumption or an expectation outside yourself, so you can evaluate it. It’s no longer hidden. And that makes you powerful.

It may be helpful to take some time to think about the story and its effects. That’s okay. Often, the story has been there a long time, so processing and evaluating it can take as long as it needs to. We have many tools to use, to help you process what the story has meant – and felt.
Then, when you’re ready, you get to change the story – or create a whole new one. One that reflects the life your deeper self longs to live.
Using this story work helps organizational leaders see what assumptions are driving their corporate culture. Using story work helps individuals and groups see what rules or expectations are guiding their choices. From small-group workshops to large-group retreats, consulting with companies to one-on-one exploration, a story work exploration brings clarity and empowerment – and a path to living a new story that you choose.