Welcome to
Healing Story Alliance
Healing Story Alliance supports storytelling as a healing art. We provide dynamic programming and online resources to promote the healing of self, community, society, and the Earth. We welcome anyone into our circle who is interested in the healing power of story to bring about positive change. We foster collaborations with other groups and organizations who share our mission. We keep our mission central to all public programming, and resource offerings. Healing Story Alliance Inc. is a non-profit 501 c 3 cultural arts organization
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Next OARS in the Water
Wednesday, March 25th
7:00pm-8:30pm EDT
Hosted by Sara deBeer & Donna Marie Kuczynski
Theme: Seeking Understanding
The expressions in our eyes and gestures miming what we want to share can help us communicate with others if we don’t speak the same language. Join Sara deBeer and Donna Marie Kuczynski as we explore ways to seek and achieve understanding with those we meet in our daily lives.
OARS in the Water is a facilitated Zoom gathering that meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 7 pm Eastern Time. The Healing Story Alliance’s OARS in the Water offers a community listening space in which to share the experiences and stories that have emerged in turbulent times.
OARS co-hosts facilitate the evening and provide participants with a warm welcome and a meaningful theme which we hope will be healing, supportive and inspiring.
Format: A typical 90-minute meeting consists of a 20-minute, theme-based opening, followed by 20 minutes in breakout rooms, and then we reassemble for a whole group conversation.
Admission is free, although donations are deeply appreciated and help support our programming. Your tax-deductible donation can be made here: https://square.link/u/d9xbGN2I
ABOUT OUR HOSTS
Sara deBeer’s great love is telling traditional folktales from world cultures. Since 1978, Sara has been telling these stories to audiences of all ages. A listener said, “Sara is a captivating storyteller, sensitive to her audience and their interests. Her extensive repertoire enables her to present programs on a wide variety of themes.” Sara is a published poet who also teaches poetry-writing classes. In 2004, she was awarded the Barbara Reed Award for Distinguished and Outstanding Service to the Connecticut Storytelling Community. She is a member of the HSA Program Advisory Committee. https://storydebeer.com/
Donna Marie Kuczynski writes, “When I first decided to tell a story instead of read one, I wasn’t sure about the whole idea; but I remembered loving the stories that my grandmother (Katie Corcoran Barry) told me, so I started with one of hers and added a few details of my own. Telling stories isn’t easier than reading books, storytelling is a completely different art. Storytelling is a responsive art form.” Donna Marie won the 2002 National Storytelling Network “Oracle” award, North Central Region for exemplary service and significant contributions to the community through storytelling.
NEWS! The Book upon which this concert is based has won a Storytelling World Award!
ABOUT the Healing Story Alliance Website
This website offers resources, guidance and practical applications for storytelling, revealing and reflecting the many facets of healing story in the world today and in the past. In addition to bibliographies, and links, there is a library of articles on Healing Stories and Storytelling. Our acclaimed Journal, Diving in the Moon: Honoring Story, Facilitating Healing, is available from 2013-2017 as an e-journal on the HSA website.
All authored writing on the Healing Story Alliance website is the copyrighted property of its author. These resources are intended for not-for-profit educational use. Any commercial use of resources on this website must be arranged directly with the author of the text or video.
Many are drawn to our site in search of answers or resources for dealing with the pain and tragedy of turbulent current events in the personal, social and global realms. This interest is addressed in our compilations of stories which we encourage you to explore.
- Healing Treasures: Stories intended to precipitate conversation, and guide teaching and healing with participants.
- Stories We Live: Personal stories and methods for gathering and applying life experiences as healing references.
- Stories for Children in Crisis: Compiled by Laura Simms, includes stories, articles, and links, drawn from years of research and professional work with children.
- Stories for Peace: storytelling in pursuit of peace and understanding.
- Healing the Earth: featuring stories contributed by storytellers working in environmental settings or on educational projects with an environmental theme.
HSA was a long standing Special Interest Group of the National Storytelling Network. In 2022 it became fiscally sponsored by Story Arts Inc, a NY state 501(c)(3) arts organization dedicated to the fine art of storytelling and to its educational applications. Story Arts is directed by Heather Forest. As a subsidiary project of Story Arts Inc., HSA functioned as a not-for-profit arts organization under Story Arts Inc.’s fiscal umbrella while establishing it’s own not-for-profit organization in New York State. In January 2023 HSA Inc. received IRS recognition as an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Healing Story Alliance Inc is now an NSN Collaborative Partner.