Couples Story Group

Two golden wedding rings and opened pages of holy bible represents the concept of marriage and the love between two Christians

The bride and groom use the little finger together. lovely couple hold hand with sunset background

Through the profound experience of story writing and telling, cultivate greater understanding, empathy, and intimacy with your spouse. This occurs when we better comprehend how our spouse’s story informs our present conflicts. In the process, we grow in greater faith, hope, and love as we realize that our marriage is the instrument that God is using to heal and redeem our stories.

Story work for a couple can be done in a group with 2-3 other couples or privately with Frank and Kathryn Wessling. To inquire about private couples coaching, email Kathryn@wesslingphd.com.

What happens in a Married Catholic Story Group?

Within a Married Catholic Story Group, we explore the stories of our life, seeing how God, our co-Author, is calling us to greater healing, attunement, and holiness within our marriage. Here’s what it entails:

Curiosity: Story work begins with a deep exploration of our current struggles which may be rooted in our past experiences. This may involve identifying our deepest held convictions about ourselves which are often rooted in our early childhood experiences.
Crafting: In this phase, we begin to write the story that the Holy Spirit is prompting us to write. Without much thought to spelling or grammar, we simply put words and texture to our past, which helps us make more sense of our present (write a 600- 1,000 words short story). This greater coherence that comes from writing our story is the springboard needed to bring about greater meaning in our lives, interior integration of our brains & hearts, and understanding of how God is calling us in our present lives.
Telling: With the courage of the Holy Spirit, we read our short story aloud to our group. Through the active engagement of the members, our story reveals the ways we have been wounded and how God wants to use our marriage to redeem these wounds.
Blessing: Blessings spring forth in the present from our redeemed stories of the past. Our capacity to tenderly attune to our spouse, God, and others improves. We begin to experience more joy and connection in our marriage.

How to Begin?

If you are interested in private story work as a couple, reach out to Dr. Kathryn Wessling at kathryn@wesslingphd.com for availability, pricing, and more information.

If you would like to form a couples story group, please

1. identify one to two other couples who want to participate in a couples story group with you and your spouse (boyfriend or girlfriend, if not married).

2. reach out to Dr. Kathryn Wessling to set up a meeting to talk about the story group schedule and answer any of your questions (kathryn@wesslingphd.com). Weekend intensive (Friday – Sunday) can be facilitated on Zoom or In-person. Alternatively, weekly sessions can be hosted on Zoom or in-person if you live in the Huntsville area.

For more information and pricing, please email kathryn@wesslingphd.com.

Who are Couples Story Groups for?

Story work is for any couple who wants to grow in emotional intimacy and learn how to relationally repair with one another, even from minor day to day hurts. This keeps the relationship healthy! Couples who thrive are those who are open to understanding how their past (particularly childhood) shapes their patterns of relating in their marriage.

Story work is not designed to resolve issues related to domestic violence, addiction, betrayal trauma, or extra-marital affairs. If you are struggling in any of these areas, please reach out to a professional counselor. We recommend finding an Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) trained therapist for this work.