Story Questing 2025: A Narrative and Expressive Arts Approach to Wellbeing Live/Online

Story Questing 2025: A Narrative and Expressive Arts Approach to Wellbeing

Live/Online

Description:

Imagine a world where Indigenous storytelling traditions are not just preserved, but actively utilized as a form of healing, empowerment and peace building. That's the world we're working to create.

Stories are medicine and our Indigenous stories hold essential wisdom and relevance for our lives today. Our ancestors recognized that stories are not just entertainment, historical artifacts, or distraction, but powerful tools for healing, growth, insight, and connection to the land, manitous, and our ancestors.  

When we come into deep relationship with Indigenous stories we enter another portal, we step out of time, we discover resources.  

By recognizing the power of stories and engaging with them in traditional ways, we can tap into a vast resource. If we can remember how to approach them in a respectful and sacred manner, we can access their power and wisdom, and use them to activate our personal growth and healing, and the well-being of our communities and the planet. 

The Story Medicine process is an 8-session, monthly program that is aimed at helping people discover the wisdom and relevance of stories in their lives today in order to activate growth and healing. The program utilizes a range of experiential processes, including embodied mindfulness, expressive arts, writing, and active imagination journeys. Participants are encouraged to engage with the stories in a personal and reflective manner, to gain insights and understanding that can be applied to their current life situations and the world. 

As we prepare to open our group, we would like to get to know each of you a bit more and how best to support you. We request for you to please fill out the Story Medicine Quest 2025 Participant Information Form by Tuesday, February 25th, 2025. This is part of the registration process, and won't be complete until it's received. 

2025 Schedule Online via Zoom

Wednesdays, 5:00 - 7:00 pm PT  

February 26th 

March 26th 

April 30th

May 21st 

June 25th 

July 23rd,

August 20th

September 17th

Continuing Education Hours
 

We are excited to offer 12 Continuing Education (CE) hours for health professionals approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) through the Spiritual Competency Academy (SCA). In order to receive your CE hours, you must have full participation in at least six of the sessions, not be more than 15 minutes late, or leave early. A CE Assessment & Evaluation Form will be given to you at the end of the program, and needs to be completed before you receive your Certificate of Attendance, then sent by you to the appropriate agency. A fee of $65.00 for the CE hours will need to be included in your registration. On the last page before completing your registration, please write in $65.00 in the box below where it says, "If you want to receive Continuing Education Hours, please add an additional $65.00 here:"

Learning Objectives

1. Describe how storytelling can be a catalyst for personal growth and healing.

2. Describe how narratives can serve as tools for personal reflection. 

3. Describe how indigenous stories instill values-based learning. 

4. Describe three culturally informed principles in working with indigenous stories.

5. Describe the positive impact of connecting with ancestral strengths on mental health and self-esteem. 

6. Explain how expressive writing can be used as a tool to gain insight.

7. Describe ways to access archetypal elements in storytelling for internal resourcing.

8. Explain how Playback Theatre can serve as a means of personal expression and catharsis.

Information on Continuing Education for Health Professionals 

• CE credits for psychologists are provided by the Spiritual Competency Academy (SCA) which is co-sponsoring this program. The Spiritual Competency Academy is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Spiritual Competency Academy maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

• The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts CE credits for LCSW, LPCC, LEP, and LMFT license renewal for programs offered by approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association.

• SCA is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN Provider CEP16887) for licensed nurses in California. RNs must retain their certificate of attendance for 4 years after the course concludes.

• For questions about receiving your Certificate of Attendance, contact Braided Wisdom at info@braidedwisdom.org. For questions about CE, contact Spiritual Competency Academy at info@spiritualcompetencyacademy.com.

Reciprocity Contribution

As we look towards creating a restorative economy, one important way to ensure continued growth and engagement with our communities is establishing a practice of sacred reciprocity contribution. Reciprocity practice welcomes individuals to support the participation of others who may not have the same capacity. We recognize most mainstream events and programs like ours are priced at levels far out of reach for many in our community. As a result, we have made our events and programs accessible to all by inviting participants to enter into a relationship of sacred reciprocity to share support with others on the path. 

Additionally, reciprocity practice helps ensure that our teachers and medicine elders are adequately compensated for their time and effort, supporting their long-term sustainability and livelihood. Working towards a restorative economy requires our intentional practice of addressing the systemic inequities that often result in income disparity for BIPOC teachers. 

Our contribution tiers take these practices into account and we encourage you to consider your own circumstances. Understanding the challenging times, we trust you to attend to your needs and ask you to consider meeting yourself wherever you are financially, with the least amount of harm possible. Please consider contributing according to your ability and to the greatest extent that feels personally meaningful for your situation, with the benefit of others in mind. 

Please select one of the following tiers of contribution for this program: 

Benefactor Tier:          $720

The Benefactor Tier provides an opportunity for individuals with financial means to support access for those with limited resources, enabling broader participation and inclusivity.  

Spiritual Friend Tier:       $440 

The Spiritual Friend Tier nurtures the sustainability of our program and is designed for individuals who are employed and able to comfortably support their financial well-being while contributing to our shared mission.

Community Builder Tier:    $320

The Community Builder Tier offers a reduced rate for those facing moderate financial constraints or barriers. For example, if you are living on a fixed income, are a senior, a full-time student, or temporarily unemployed, this tier provides support to ensure your sustainability during these times. 

Financial Support Self-Reflection:

Lastly, no one is turned away for lack of funds. Each program offers a limited number of spots available for those experiencing severe financial constraints or barriers. If you are navigating any of the circumstances shared in the financial support self-reflection below, you are welcome to reach out to Janet at janetr@braidedwisdom.org to set up a 15 minute meeting to discuss. 

1. My financial situation requires me to live paycheck to paycheck, without a safety net or the option to rely on financially stable or wealthy family or friends for support. I currently do not own any property, nor do I possess investments, stocks, retirement accounts, savings, an emergency fund, or inherited funds. My income solely covers my basic daily needs, leaving no disposable income for additional savings, investments, outings, or entertainment.

2. I or a member of my immediate family is facing a health crisis that has significantly intensified the financial strain, making it even more difficult to meet our minimum daily needs. As a result, I/we frequently depend on community services and charities for essentials like food and clothing due to these financial constraints.

Thank you for your thoughtful reflection and consideration. We believe liberation is a collective path that thrives on meaningful relationships and mutual sustainability and sacred reciprocity. We appreciate your honest reflection and collaboration to expand these offerings to more beings in our community! 

Refund Policy

If you've had a change of heart-mind and wish to withdraw from the program, we can issue:

• a 100% refund if you cancel at least ten business days before the date of the first session in the series
• a 50% refund if you cancel 7-9 business days before the date of the first session in the series

Unfortunately, we cannot issue any refunds if you cancel within six business days or less of the date of the first session in the series. If you wish to cancel your registration, please contact Janet at janetr@braidedwisdom.org.

Participation & Recordings

We request participants attend the whole program to respect the container of the group and Dr. Madrigal. We understand that life happens, and if you know you will miss more than two sessions, we recommend that you join at a time when you are available for all the sessions. Your presence and engagement in the program is essential for the course.

At Braided Wisdom we strive to build an online environment that creates a safer container for all. Part of creating a safer environment is asking for participants to have their cameras on during the session. If you have an access need around this request, please reach out to info@braidedwisdom.org so we can discuss how best to support you.

Please note sessions will be experiential and interactive in nature. Participants will have opportunities to engage in creative and expressive art practices which will include individual and group shares and performance. Sessions will be recorded and only shared with registered participants.

About Dr. Renda Dionne Madrigal

Dr. Renda Dionne Madrigal is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Author, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, a Registered Drama Therapist, the President of Mindful Practice Inc, and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner with over twenty years of experience in the field. She has been featured on the cover of Mindful Magazine and was recognized as a Powerful Woman of Mindfulness in the August 2022 edition.  

She is a mentor for the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior Mindfulness Awareness Research Center Teacher Training Program, a Stanford Certified Applied Compassion Educator/Consultant, and faculty member at the Drama Therapy Institute of Los Angeles and California Indian Nations College.  

Dr. Renda Dionne Madrigal specializes in Story Medicine which combines mindfulness, somatic therapies, and storytelling to support insight, healing, growth, wisdom and decolonization.  

In addition to her work as a clinician, she is also an author, with an MFA from the American Indian Institute of the Arts (May 2023), and a performer. She has appeared in Indigenous plays written by her daughters and enjoys writing fiction featuring Indigenous female protagonists who save the world. Her book, The Mindful Family Guidebook, has been listed as a Best Book of Mindfulness 2021 by Mindful Magazine. Dr. Renda Dionne Madrigal is currently working on her next books, Story Medicine, and thriller-fantasy Silenced, featuring Indigenous women saving the world. 

Zoom Link:

An email with the Zoom Link will be sent to you the day before and one hour prior to each session. Please search for info@braidedwisdom.org and check your spam folder if you do not see our email with the Zoom Link.

This program registration is for the Story Questing 2025: A Narrative and Expressive Arts Approach to Wellbeing Live/Online on Wednesdays, February 26, March 26, April 30, May 21, June 25, July 23, August 20 and September 17, 2025,  5:00-7:00 pm PT.

If you have any questions, please email info@braidedwisdom.org.