Good intentions don’t keep us from doing harm. In storywork, care can quietly become control, and a desire to help can take away the very agency we’re meant to protect. Chris Bruno and Tracy Johnson explore the ethical responsibility of holding someone else’s story, from understanding the limits of our role to navigating power, consent, and the blurred lines between ministry and coaching. They also unpack what it means to recognize when someone needs a different kind of care, and why referring them out can be an act of faithfulness rather than abandonment. Because being trusted with someone’s story is not permission to direct it.

If you’re a Storywork coach, ethics and formation are part of the work too, and our Code of Ethics certification is a foundational step toward practicing with greater awareness, humility, and care, while the Storywork Coaching Collective offers ongoing community, training, and support for practitioners who want to keep growing in this work: https://www.restory.life/storywork-coaching-collective

Visit www.restory.life for more info!

Follow ReStory Counseling on our socials!
Instagram: @storyrestored
Facebook: ReStory Counseling
LinkedIn: ReStory Counseling
YouTube: ReStory Counseling

What happens when someone asks a Storywork coach, “Are you a therapist?”

In this episode of the ReStory Podcast, Chris Bruno sits down with Lora Kelley, a trauma-informed Storywork and life coach, host of the Storied Living Podcast, and someone who has spent years thinking deeply about the line between coaching and therapy, narrative-focused trauma care, and what belongs within each scope. They talk about boundaries, referrals, and why being clear about what you do, and what you don’t do, is part of caring well for the people who trust you with their stories. Lora also introduces the idea of a “matrix of support,” reminding us that healing rarely happens through just one person or one kind of care, and that coaches and therapists can work together rather than compete for the same space.

To get to know more about Lora Kelley, follow her on her socials:
Instagram: @lora_kelley, @storied.living
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lora.kelley

Also, check out her podcast, The Storied Living Podcast, available on all streaming platforms!

If you’re a Storywork coach, ethics and formation are part of the work too, and our Code of Ethics certification is a foundational step toward practicing with greater awareness, humility, and care, while the Storywork Coaching Collective offers ongoing community, training, and support for practitioners who want to keep growing in this work: https://www.restory.life/storywork-coaching-collective

Visit www.restory.life for more info!

Follow ReStory Counseling on our socials!
Instagram: @storyrestored
Facebook: ReStory Counseling
LinkedIn: ReStory Counseling
YouTube: ReStory Counseling

There’s a difference between knowing how to do Storywork and becoming the kind of person who can truly be present with someone else’s story. In this episode of the ReStory Podcast, Chris Bruno and Tracy Johnson sit down with Cathy Loerzel, co-founder of the Allender Center, author, and Storywork coach, to talk about what a coach carries into the room before a single question is asked: their presence, self-awareness, humility, and unfinished story. Together, they unpack the power differential between coach and client, why expertise can become something we hide behind, and how learning to be comfortable as a beginner can actually create more space for genuine connection and healing. Cathy also shares how slowing down, becoming more rooted, and learning to be present in her own life changed the way she shows up for others, offering a deeper look at what it means to move from simply knowing Storywork to being formed as a Storywork coach.

If you’re a Storywork coach, ethics and formation are part of the work too, and our Code of Ethics certification is a foundational step toward practicing with greater awareness, humility, and care, while the Storywork Coaching Collective offers ongoing community, training, and support for practitioners who want to keep growing in this work: https://www.restory.life/storywork-coaching-collective

Visit www.restory.life for more info!

Follow ReStory Counseling on our socials!
Instagram: @storyrestored
Facebook: ReStory Counseling
LinkedIn: ReStory Counseling
YouTube: ReStory Counseling