Rev. Susan Princehouse, Story Circles facilitator at Doing Grief Community Healing Project in Sun City, is someone familiar with grief. As a teenager, Princehouse lost a parent to suicide. She is a cancer survivor who was told 19 years ago that she would die in six months from stage four kidney cancer. Princehouse has also been active in 12-step recovery programs since 1988.

After Princehouse became part of the planning team for the Healing Project that was launched a year ago in March, she got involved in the Project’s Story Circles and soon became a facilitator. Princehouse will host and facilitate a bimonthly Story Circle small group 2-3:30 p.m. Wednesdays, April 3, April 17, May 1 and May 15. Registration is required and limited to eight participants.

“It’s said that the shortest distance between two hearts is a story,” Princehouse commented. “My experience in leading and participating in story circles has taught me that when we share our hurts and hearts through stories, we can’t help but begin healing ourselves and each other.”

Story Circles at the Healing Project are a community-building experience to share personal stories on themes of life, death, grief, healing, loss and change. In turn, each person shares a brief personal story on a common theme as others listen attentively in engaged silence. The experience concludes with a conversation of the common threads that emerge between stories and connections made between tellers.

“In story circles, we deal with many kinds of change and loss,” said Princehouse, who is a retired United Church of Christ minister and former prosecuting attorney. “The pain of losing a loved one to death is not the sole province of grief.”

Healing Project small groups aim to build a sense of community and belonging among those who are experiencing grief caused by a variety of losses.

“We experience all sorts of loss as we age,” Princehouse explained. “We may lose loved ones, or ourselves, to creeping decrepitude or dementia, or find ourselves in the role of caretaker…We may experience loss of income, standing in the community, physical agility or independence.”

In addition to Princehouse’s Story Circle small group, the Healing Project will offer a one-time story-sharing program—“Story Circles for LGBTQ+ Family and Friends” 2-4 p.m. Sunday, April 28. The event was inspired by Georgia Feiste and Deb Bontadelli, who serve on the Church of the Palms LGBTQ+ Ministry Team and are both parents to LGBTQ+ family. At the event, Princehouse will offer an introduction to the story circle tradition and process and be one of several hosts and facilitators, including Feiste and Bontadelli.

Doing Grief Community Healing Project is located at the Interfaith Chapel for Healing–Church of the Palms, 14808 N. Boswell Blvd. RSVP for Story Circles and other Healing Project programs such as Healing Circles, fiber arts workshops, World Labyrinth Day Peace Walk and more at 602-315-8480, Connect@DoingGrief.com or fill out the RSVP form on the Healing Project page at DoingGrief.com. A suggested donation of $5-10 can be donated online or at the door. All are welcome regardless of an ability to pay.