A Lifetime of Listening & Storytelling
I have dedicated my life to empowering relationships with ourselves and others through listening and storytelling.
My Background
We are shaped by a multiplicity of stories that we tell ourselves and others in order to live.
I first discovered the healing aspects of storytelling in my own therapy. I began to see my life in a new light, learning to identify the habitual negative stories I told myself and replace them with alternative stories that were positive and productive. The process unleashed my creativity, boosted my self-confidence, and helped me accept myself.
As a clinical psychologist, I applied the power of story to play therapy with severely mentally ill adults and children. After emigrating from South Africa to New York in 1990, I began the journey to becoming a professional storyteller and teacher by working with dying patients at the height of the AIDS crisis. Since then, I’ve drawn on the power of story in my work as a clinical psychologist, filmmaker, performer, and teacher, making it my life’s mission to share the power of listening and storytelling with others.
The Stories That Changed My Life
Ranging from personal to professional, these stories made me who I am today.
Meyer (Mick) Nossel, My Grandfather
Despite losing all his family to war, my grandfather never talked about his past. In July of 1941, the Jews of his native town in Neishtot, Lithuania, were all killed by Lithuanian citizens and buried in a mass grave. By then, my grandfather was some 10,000 miles away in South Africa, where he opened a concession store on the goldmines of Johannesburg. Discovering his story has shaped the trajectory of my life.
Paulina (Paula) Modisane, My Nanny
When I was 10 days old, my mother, a concert pianist, placed me into Paula’s arms. Paula was part Tswana and part Khoisan, the original indigenous people of South Africa. Paula cared for me from my infancy onward. It wasn’t until my mother was nearly fatally carjacked in 2006 that I came to understand her decision. This gave birth to the World Mother Storytelling Project, which helps mothers everywhere to tell their stories.
Paul Browde, My Enemy Who Became My Friend
In 1974, a teacher told a class of 12-year-olds to tell one another a story. Paul told me a story and then asked what my story was. I told him I didn’t have one. Three years later, Paul humiliated me in front of the class. I avoided him for 20 years until a chance encounter in New York City. Our story became Two Men Talking, an acclaimed performance in London's West End.
Ronnie & Sharon, My Patients Dying of AIDS
In June of 1986, I worked with Ronnie, the second person in South Africa to be diagnosed with AIDS. He was being hidden in a holiday apartment and never had the chance to tell his story. In 1994, for my social work PhD, I met Sharon while working in a day program for people with AIDS in Brooklyn, New York. I asked her what her story was, thus establishing my listening and storytelling method at the height of the AIDS epidemic.
My Vision & Mission
I envision a world in which people take care of themselves, one another, and the natural environment. I believe in the power of story to get us there. My mission is to create caring relationships with ourselves, others, and the natural environment through the practices of listening and storytelling.
Transforming Lives Through Story
Whether your story impacts a broader community, a business, or only yourself, my listening and storytelling method can transform your relationships.
Community Transformation
Apply listening and storytelling to your community to enhance connections, promote mutual understanding, and build empathy.
Group Masterclass
Learn alongside like-minded students as you master the creative process of listening to and telling stories.
Narativ
Build a better business by applying the power of story to leadership, onboarding, sales, or team building.
Community Transformation
Apply listening and storytelling to your community to enhance connections, promote mutual understanding, and build empathy.
Group Masterclass
Learn alongside like-minded students as you master the creative process of listening to and telling stories.
Narativ
Build a better business by applying the power of story to leadership, onboarding, sales, or team building.
Get in Touch
We each have a multitude of stories to tell. For over 20 years, I have witnessed the power of listening and storytelling to transform and give our lives meaning. Your story matters. Let’s tell it together.