News and Events
The Healing Story Alliance (HSA) presents Women’s Voices: Healing Stories Concert
Women’s Voices:
Healing Stories Concert
January 7, 2024
7:00 pm- 8:30 pm
HSA FUNDRAISER
The Healing Story Alliance (HSA) presents a concert of healing stories told by women members of the HSA Advisory Committee. Enjoy a varied evening of personal narratives and folktales that will delight you at one moment and inspire you the next. Please join us for this exciting fundraising event and help support our programming.
For Tickets:
https://www.simpletix.com/e/
ABOUT the STORYTELLERS
Lani Peterson, known for telling and encouraging personal stories, has a specialty in story exploration as a healing art and change agent. Her background includes over 25 years as a professional storyteller and story coach combined with a doctorate in psychology from William James College, a master's in counseling psychology from Lesley University and an undergraduate degree in literature from Smith College. She has taught Effective Organizational Communications Skills for Non-Profit Leaders in the master's program at Wheelock College as well as Healing through our Stories in the Expressive Therapies master's track at Lesley University. From CEO's to scientists, doctors, mental health providers, ministers and the homeless, Lani has worked with individuals, groups and organizations to help people find their stories, share their stories, and come together with a deeper level of connection and understanding. Her ongoing mission is to bring to light and share the stories that will open doors within and between storytellers and listeners alike.
Sara deBeer’s great love is telling traditional folktales from world cultures. Since 1978, Sara has been telling these stories to audiences of all ages. A listener said, “Sara is a captivating storyteller, sensitive to her audience and their interests. Her extensive repertoire enables her to present programs on a wide variety of themes.” Listeners discover the richness of each individual culture while also appreciating the universality of human experiences. An experienced classroom teacher with degrees from Yale and Bank Street, Sara offers workshops for tellers at every level of experience. She is a published poet who also teaches poetry-writing classes. In 2004, Sara was awarded the Barbara Reed Award for Distinguished and Outstanding Service to the Connecticut Storytelling Community. http://storydebeer.
Elisa Pearmain has been a professional storyteller for over 35 years. She began by telling healing personal and biographical stories, and leading workshops in helping others to do the same. She was a Storyteller in Residence in the Boston schools for over 10 years and brings a variety of healing story programs to public schools. She received her M.Ed. with a concentration in storytelling and taught Storytelling in the Curriculum for Lesley Master’s program. She has an M.A. in Counseling and works part time as a licensed psychotherapist with a focus on Forgiveness, Internal Family Systems and Mindfulness Based therapeutic practice with adults and teens. Elisa is the award-winning author of two collections of wise world tales including Doorways to the Soul: 52 Wisdom Tales from around the World, and a CD on Forgiveness through Story. New book coming soon: Forgiveness: Healing Resentments through Story and the ReStorying Process.
Heather Forest, PhD, is an award-winning storyteller, author, and musician. A pioneer in the American storytelling renaissance, she has appeared in theatres, schools, literature conferences, and major storytelling festivals throughout the United States and abroad since 1975. A modern-day bard, her dynamic fusion of original music, poetry, and the sung and spoken word brings multicultural folktales to life in the imagination of her listeners. She is a recipient of the Circle of Excellence Award presented by the National Storytelling Network for her performance skill and the 2021 Talking Leaves Award for her contributions to storytelling literature. An author of seven folktale recordings and ten folktale books, her published work has earned an American Library Association Notable Record Award, two Parent’s Choice Gold Awards, and three Storytelling World Honor Awards. Her musical monologue EARTHSONG won Best Composer in the 2021 United Solo Festival off Broadway. She views storytelling as both a fine art and a powerful tool for positive social change.
Noa Baum is described by The Washington Post as someone who "Spreads cultural truths that eclipse geopolitical boundaries...". An internationally acclaimed storyteller, author, and coach, she offers a unique combination of performance art and practical workshops that focus on the power of narrative to heal across the divides of identity and promote compassion and peace.
Born and raised in Jerusalem, Noa trained in theatre at Tel-Aviv University, studied acting with Uta Hagen and received an MA in Educational Theater from NYU. Since 1982, she’s been presenting internationally. She is the author of two books: A Land Twice Promised – an Israeli Woman’s Quest for Peace - winner of the Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award, the LDS Publishing Professionals Association Award, and a Storytelling World Award - and picture book How the Birds Became Friends, on the power of kindness to bring peace. Her audio recordings won Parents’ Choice and Storytelling World awards.
Karianna Rosenberg, through her life journey, has gained a deep understanding of the power of stories and nature for healing, planting seeds of awareness, and growing connection. Rooted deep in the earth, her work invites us to connect more harmoniously with each other, ourselves, all of nature, and with our own spirituality. Karianna offers programs for adults through Earth Song Transformations, igniting healing, curiosity, and joy. In addition to performing stories since the 1990s’, Karianna has also been part of the global deep nature connection movement. She co-founded Two Coyotes Wilderness School in 2008 where she mentors both children and adults. She is also a nature mentor and facilitator of nature connection programs and forums for adults both regionally and online internationally. Karianna is a dancer, healer, and basket weaver. She holds a Masters of Arts in Teaching English and Spanish as Second Languages. earthsongtransfor
Penny Post has been telling stories and producing storytelling events since 1985. To address her initial fear of audiences, she joined Toastmasters. For 30 years she told stories and presented workshops in the corporate world throughout southern California, as well as coaching clients in speaking and writing. After moving east in 2007 she joined the LANES (now NEST) board for three years, and in 2014 received an MFA in creative writing, non-fiction, from Lesley University. She is a member of the HSA Advisory and Programming Committees and continues to perform and teach storytelling in ESL and other venues on Zoom.
EMCEE
Laura Simms is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed storyteller, writer, and humanitarian advocating engaged storytelling as compassionate action for personal and community transformation. She brings over six decades of experience performing and teaching worldwide. She performs mythic stories woven with personal narrative and has worked in the capacity of story advisor, mindfulness instructor, and mediator. She offers in-depth coaching classes and powerful performances of stories that address the most pressing issues of our times with dignity, and joy. She is artistic director of the H C Andersen Storytelling Center and is the author of six books.