book groups + writing circles
challenging the narrative of service before self
What I've learned from almost two decades of humanitarian service is that there is power in sharing our stories and speaking our truths.
There is healing in the collective — a feeling of common humanity that only emerges when we bring our experiences into the presence of others who understand. I wrote Tell Me My Story to name the wounds honestly — vicarious trauma, moral injury, institutional betrayal, systemic grief — and to begin moving through them. But reading alone only takes us so far.
Community conversations and writing circles create something different.
They don't require much preparation. They make space for our lived experiences — personal and professional. And they give us opportunities to practice the things that matter most right now: empathy, cultural humility, listening, courage, vulnerability, and healing.
These offerings are where that practice happens.
"Part story, part manifesto, Tell Me My Story is a fully moving account of what it means — and what it costs — to be a humanitarian. In telling her story, she has told parts of all our stories."
— — Rebecca Dempster, PhD, Founder, Resileo
tell me my story community conversations
a monthly conversation with Dimple
Join me on the last Tuesday of the month when I open the door to a live 90-minute community conversation about Tell Me My Story — for anyone who has read it and wants to go deeper together.
This isn't a lecture or a summary. It's a conversation — the kind I always envisioned the book opening. Bring your questions, your reactions, your stories, and your experiences. This is direct access to the author, in a small group of no more than ten people, to talk about what the book surfaced for you, and what it means to be of service in an era of polycrisis.
What's included:
90-minute live community conversation via Zoom
Open enrollment — no prior preparation required beyond having read the book
Small group — 10 participants maximum
$75 per person
Join an upcoming conversation: [Dates to be added — last Tuesday of each month]
Have your own group? I'm happy to bring the conversation to you — in person or on Zoom
challenging the narrative writing groups
story-healing as practice
Working in service of others can be rewarding and provide opportunities to connect to a greater purpose. And any work that impacts the lives of other human beings is messy and challenging — and can leave you feeling depleted and susceptible to occupational traumas that are unique to people working in mission-driven sectors.
Writing is one of the most powerful tools we have for working through those experiences.
Putting pen to paper helps us re-evaluate our experiences by looking at them from different perspectives, ease the emotional pressure of what we've been carrying, and begin to move toward healing complex emotions — loss of trust, grief, demoralization, fury, shame, guilt, and despair — in order to preserve our own humanity and reconnect to hope and purpose.
Writing is one of the most powerful tools we have for working through those experiences. Putting pen to paper helps us re-evaluate our experiences by looking at them from different perspectives, ease the emotional pressure of what we've been carrying, and begin to move toward healing complex emotions — loss of trust, grief, demoralization, fury, shame, guilt, and despair — in order to preserve our own humanity and reconnect to hope and purpose.
Challenging the Narrative Writing Circles are guided journeys through each section of Tell Me My Story, ending in your own story. We write together. We share together. We witness each other. The book becomes a framework and a companion, but the real work is the writing each participant does — the stories they tell, the ones they revise, and the ones they discover they'd been carrying without knowing it.
This is story-healing as practice. Not a workshop where you leave with someone else's framework. A practice space where you leave with more of your own story — and the experience of having it witnessed by others doing the same.
This is a trauma-informed space — you will never be required to share the details of the personal experiences you write about, but you will be invited to share any thoughts, perspectives, and insights that emerge from your writing.
What's included:
6 weekly sessions (90 minutes each, via Zoom)
Guided writing prompts aligned with each section of the book
Facilitated sharing and collective witnessing — trauma-informed throughout
A specially curated writing kit
A signed copy of Tell Me My Story
Small group size — 6–8 participants maximum — because story-healing requires trust, and trust requires space
$550 per person
A limited number of mutual aid spots available for those experiencing financial hardship — inquire when you reach out.
Upcoming circles: [Dates to be added — placeholder]
You don't need to be a writer — and previous writing experience is not required.
a note on group size and pace
Both offerings are small by design. There is no version of story-healing that works at scale — trust requires time, and witness requires intimacy. These are not webinars. They are not courses you move through at your own pace in isolation. They are live, relational, and deliberately unhurried.
If you are interested in bringing the Challenging the Narrative Writing Circles to your organization or team as a private experience, that is available. Private groups can be scheduled on a timeline that works for your organization and are designed to meet the specific context of you