Your story isn't finished.
The pain and patterns of the past don’t have to decide your future.
When old wounds keep showing up in your present life, it’s a sign your story is asking to be heard. Through StoryWork, you can finally make sense or your past and move forward whole. Let’s walk together towards healing and freedom through one-on-one coaching, StoryWork groups, and retreats.
Your story isn't finished.
The pain and patterns of the past don’t have to decide your future.
I walk with you toward healing and freedom through one-on-one coaching, StoryWork groups, and retreats.
Becoming who we were created to be, together.
One-on-One Coaching
What if someone could witness your story, even the parts you tend to avoid? Together, we’ll explore the themes shaping your life, identify the patterns holding you back, and take steps toward freedom, wholeness, and a deeper sense of self.
StoryWork Groups
Healing often begins when someone else says, “me too.” These small groups create a safe circle to share your story, sit with others, and experience the relief of being seen.
Retreats
Step away for a dedicated pause in a home in Excelsior, Minnesota. In this warm setting, retreats create space for guided StoryWork and the intimacy of a small community. At times, gatherings are also hosted in other unique locations.
Your past has shaped you.
It doesn't have to define you.
Many of us carry stories that feel too heavy to face. Old wounds resurface in our relationships, our faith, even the way we see ourselves. We try harder, push through, or ignore the pain, but the patterns remain. It can feel lonely to hold these parts of your story, unsure where to turn or if real change is even possible.
I engage those stories with care and curiosity. It’s a process of naming what happened, understanding how it still echoes today, and experiencing kindness in places marked by shame. We create safe, faith-rooted spaces for that work through one-on-one coaching, small groups, and retreats. Together we explore the chapters that shaped you so you can live with greater freedom, deeper connection, and a renewed sense of divine presence.
When you embrace your story, everything changes.
Greater Self-Awareness
You begin to notice why certain moments affect you so deeply, and you finally find words for patterns you’ve carried for years.
Deeper Connection
Conversations with your spouse, kids, or close friends feel more open, because you’re free from the parts of your story that once held you back.
Renewed Freedom
Instead of being stuck in the same cycle of shame or fear, you begin making choices that reflect who you truly are.
Diane Dailey | Founder
I've walked this path, too.
Throughout my life I have faced hard seasons of loss and disappointment. Eventually my family experienced a trauma that was too big for me to manage on my own, and that was when I began story work. At first I thought it was only for the moment we were facing, but I soon realized I needed it for myself too.
Story work helped me integrate my past and understand how it continued to shape my present. Engaging my story changed me. It softened the way I parent, deepened my marriage, and helped me meet God with honesty instead of fear.
As I look at the world my kids are stepping into, fast, anxious, and often harsh, I know how much we all need safe spaces to slow down and be heard. My role is not to diagnose or hand you answers. I simply offer a welcoming space where you can reflect, explore, and name the experiences that have shaped you. Together we will listen for the places where healing and hope are already at work.
What is "story work"?
StoryWork is a guided process of exploring the events, relationships, and patterns that have shaped your life, especially those marked by harm. At Forging Deephaven, I utilize Narrative Focused Trauma Care® (NFTC), a method developed by The Allender Center, to help you name those stories and understand how they continue to influence your present. As Dan Allender states, “It is time to listen to your story.”
This approach isn't therapy in the clinical sense, nor is it a quick fix. Rather, it's a way to understand the connections between past and present, enabling you to move toward freedom and deeper connection with God, yourself, and others.
In practice, StoryWork involves slowing down with a trusted guide to reflect on specific memories and the emotions tied to them. You'll notice recurring themes, the beliefs you formed to survive, and the places where shame or fear still speak. Through compassionate listening and honest conversation, we invite God's kindness into those chapters. The goal isn't to rewrite history but to engage it with courage, allowing healing and transformation to take root.
Start the conversation.
Book a free 20-minute call to meet Diane, share a bit of yourself, and see if coaching is the right next step for you.
Resources
Adam Young, "The Place We Find Ourselves”
Allender Center Podcast
Dan Allender, “The Wounded Heart”
Adam Young, “Make Sense of your Story.”
Allender & Loerzel, “Redeeming Heartache”
Let's stay in touch.
Sign up to hear about upcoming retreats, new StoryWork groups, and coaching openings. Choose the options that interest you and we’ll keep you in the loop.