Story Sage: Frameworks & Tools Online Course

Course 1 in the Story Sage Series

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Course Description

As a counselor, pastor, leader, or friend you often hear stories that involve suffering and the impact of loss and harm. You have a heart to offer healing care and effective insight, yet at times it feels difficult to illuminate and tend to the deepest matters of the heart. Frameworks & Tools is a robust foundational course in the Story Sage Series that will equip you to take your work with others to the next level with the Allender Theory of story engagement.

This three-lesson course lays the foundation for what is required to hear and engage stories with a heart for redemption and navigate the complex terrain of heartache. Sit around the table with author and psychologist Dr. Dan Allender and gifted story experts, Cathy Loerzel and Rachael Clinton as they teach in-depth on the tools needed to uncover the shadowed places of the heart that act as strongholds to keep us from true healing, freedom, and joy.

Throughout this course you will be invited to:

  • Deepen your capacity to utilize story as a gateway into core matters of the heart
  • Reflect on how your own story shapes the way you hear, see, and offer care
  • Apply what you are learning through exercises designed to illuminate the essential steps of offering effective care utilizing the Allender Theory

Who is this Course For?

Story Sage: Frameworks & Tools is for people with a heart for vulnerability, healing, and freedom. Whether you are a counselor, pastor, teacher, small group leader, friend, or parent — this course is designed to develop and deepen the wisdom required to access not only the core of a story, but the core of the person telling it.

What’s Included in the Course

  • 3 foundational lessons diving deep into the Allender Theory for story engagement
  • 2.5 hours of video teaching from Dan, Cathy, and Rachael
  • Rare access to footage of Dan reading a story from his life with prompts for in-depth engagement
  • Downloadable workbook with reflection prompts and exercises designed to support you as you apply theory to practice
  • Lifetime access to course platform and material

How this Self-Paced Course Works
This is a self-directed course, with lifetime access to the material. All content is available immediately upon enrollment to view at a pace that fits your schedule. Each of the three lessons includes about 45 minutes of video teaching followed by reflection and engagement exercises. Plan for a minimum of 2 hours to complete each lesson — in one sitting or spread out over several days — to provide optimum space and time to absorb and engage the content.

Access the Complete Story Sage Series
Frameworks & Tools offers foundational material of the two-part Story Sage Series. The second course, Family of Origin, offers deep dive application of the Allender Theory in which you will witness Dan engage in artful, sacred story work with a woman wrestling through a past experience of harm from her family of origin narrative, and gain deep insight into how the family we grow up in influences the impact of all forms of harm and heartache. Own both Frameworks & Tools and Family of Origins by purchasing the Story Sage Series: Access the Bundle and Save $29

Interested in a Group Purchase?
We offer to bulk discounts of 10-30% for small groups, teams, churches, and organizations enrolling 5 or more participants. Learn more and enroll your group here: Story Sage Group Orders

Interested in Gifting This Course?
Visit our Gift an Online Course Page!

More questions about the course? See our FAQ section below


Enroll Today



Your Instructor


Story Sage Team
Story Sage Team

Dr. Dan Allender has pioneered a unique and innovative approach to trauma and abuse recovery over the past 30 years. Dan serves as Co-Founder of The Allender Center and Professor of Counseling Psychology at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. Read more...

Rachael Clinton Chen, MDiv is Director of Teaching & Care, and core Teaching Staff at The Allender Center. Rachael has worked alongside Dan since 2008, applying her pastoral and therapeutic story engagement talent in many forms through our workshops, podcast, and blog.

Cathy Loerzel, MA is Co-Founder of The Allender Center. Cathy has worked alongside Dan since 2008, creating a step by step methodology to teach and apply the Allender Theory.


Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
After enrolling, you have lifetime access to this course across any and all devices you own as long as your account remains active.
What are the required materials I will need for the course?
There are no required materials for the course. Once enrolled, you will have access to a printable Course Workbook full of reflection prompts and engagement exercises that correspond with each lesson.
Do I need to send any assignments into The Allender Center for review or evaluation?
No assignments are due to complete this course. Your own personal writing and reflection using our Course Workbook can be completed at your own pace and remains your own private set of notes.
If my small group, team, or spouse and I would like to go through this course together, do we all need to purchase and enroll in the class?
Each enrollment is intended to be a single user license per our Terms of Use policy. If a person is accessing content within the course as an individual, pair, or as a group they must be enrolled to comply with our Terms of Use policy.
I am taking the course with friends or a small group. What is the best way to go through this class together?
We recommend scheduling a minimum of 4 meetings to get through the material. You can watch the videos together and use portions of the Course Workbook activities as points of discussion, or complete the questions prior to meeting and share responses together. Each group member must enroll in the course through an individual or multiple-license purchase to comply with our Terms of Use policy.
Can I receive continuing education units (CEUs) for this course?
This course does not offer CEUs.
What are the technology requirements to take the course?
Once you've purchased the course, you will be able to view content from any web enabled device including a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. For the best user experience and video playback quality, we do recommend using the most updated version of your web browser (Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer).
What is your refund policy?
Please review all orders carefully before a purchase is made, as all sales are final.