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Holding on to unprocessed emotion is like carrying around a bag of bricks.

You're stuck in your story, which makes you reactive, angry, and disconnected from your inner wisdom.

Maybe you’ve experienced some of the following:

Going down a shame spiral when comparing yourself to other moms who seem to have work-life balanced figured out
Lashing out at your partner about dinner, because you're actually dealing with the anniversary of your mother's death
Getting sucked into Instagram before bed instead of sticking to the routine you had planned

It’s time to unpack your bag of bricks.

You have the power to reframe your story of struggle so that you can find healing within.

Imagine being able to:

Give yourself grace

Find whitespace

Forgive yourself

Restore your energy

Be present

Build resilience

Honor difficult relationships

Embrace love & acceptance

Shift out of victim mentality

I’m Rachel Nusbaum, a narrative coach and the founder of Orchid Story.

As a certified genetic counselor for 15 years, my favorite part of working with patients has been listening to and holding space for them to share their life stories. I have my Masters in Genetic Counseling and, yes, that means I am a huge science nerd who loves to read medical journals and understand how our actions affect our well-being. Writing saved me at a time in my life when I was trying to move up the ladder of academia, parent two young children with drastically different needs, and show up with integrity as a wife, daughter, sister, and friend.

Sanctuary is an eight week online, small group coaching program that transforms emotional pain into healing.

“I’ve never thought of myself as a writer and wasn’t sure if I would be good enough going into it. Those fears went away almost instantly as Rachel and the group created a safe and comfortable space I looked forward to joining every week. Through the writing prompts and discussions I was able to get to the heart of an issue I had been stuck on for years, and from there my story came together naturally. I have truly felt a weight lifted lasting months after finishing Sanctuary and am so thankful for this experience, I would recommend for anyone looking to move through a challenge large or small!” - Rachel

“While I have participated in many self-help programs over the years, Sanctuary has become one of the most profoundly healing experiences of my life. Having spent most of my life caught up in my head, Rachel’s program helped me find the way back to my heart.” - Roanne P.
"Sanctuary was a truly safe, unique and symbiotic healing space where you give and receive among women who are all on the same path." - Lou-Ann W-B

The Sanctuary Framework

For 8 weeks, I will guide you to reconnect with yourself, write your story, and be seen and heard with an intimate community of women. The Sanctuary Framework is structured to be the best way for you to finally stop putting everyone else’s needs above your own and take ownership over your own narrative for good. The Framework is a tool for life that can help you deal with whatever obstacles life throws at you.

Are you ready to learn how crafting your narrative within a small, supportive community can help you heal?

Let’s take a look at what’s included at each step of the process:

Here’s what you’ll cover each of the 8 weeks:

WEEK 1 | TIME

What it looks like to not have any time to yourself and what’s getting in the way.
Personalized guidance to start incorporating self care that works for you.
Address excuses that everyone makes about time that are causing you to be stuck in old patterns.

WEEK 2 | RITUAL

Create a vision board of your own personal sanctuary to have a mental picture of what life can look like.
Put into practice the routine we created in Week 1.
Get support through the resistance that everyone feels that makes you want to give up.

WEEK 3 | QUIET

Shift out of anxiety about whether your story will be good and into an expansive mindset to invite your story in.
Cultivate white space.
Stop judging yourself before you even start which causes blocks in the creative process.

WEEK 4 | STORY

An exercise to clarify the specific story you will focus on for the program.
Writing prompts to help make writing your story feel within reach.
Get over the hump of “I don’t know where to start” so that you can start building momentum.

WEEK 5 | PAIN

How to unpack the hardest parts of your story without getting stuck in the pain.
Four options for writing through pain so that you can choose what aligns with you.
Discomfort might arise that causes feelings of unworthiness - this is where the importance of the coach and community are critical.

WEEK 6 | REWRITE

Learn how to shift your perspective to one of courage and strength.
Bring your vulnerability to the group so they can hold you in a safe, supportive space.
Everyone feels isolated in their stories which often triggers shame; when you bring your story to a supportive community, empathy overtakes shame.

WEEK 7 | FUTURE

Where your healing journey is taking you and why it matters.
Understand how this story fits into the larger story of your life.
Ruminating on the past keeps everyone playing small while a focus on the future shifts you into an abundance mindset.

WEEK 8 | OPEN MIC

Celebrate the commitment you’ve made to yourself as part of this program.
Sharing your story with the group takes your healing process to the next level.
By completing your story within the Sanctuary Framework you’ve kept a promise to yourself which is a huge confidence boost.

Each week you’ll also get access to:

*You’ll also get lifetime access to all of the course materials*

If you’re ready to join the next round of Sanctuary click the button below!

You’re determined to prioritize your well-being and Sanctuary is going to help.

You’ll find time, practice self care, and re-establish a connection with yourself.

You could keep going at the current pace, which is unsustainable and might lead to burnout or you could choose to focus on learning a framework for healing that nourishes you and fills you up.

WOMEN HAVE USED SANCTUARY TO:

Help find their footing after divorce by reconnecting with themselves

Forgive herself after a long journey to a diagnosis of a learning difference in her child
Uncover what brings her joy and bring back her creative art practice
Unpack the events that re-triggered her about a past trauma to see them in a new light
View a difficult relationship with a parent through a new lens
Heal the child within herself still hurting from parental loss at a young age

What if you could actually find healing in eight weeks?

“I am my own sanctuary. 8 weeks ago, we opened the door to that sanctuary. Quiet time to sit or think or cry. Safe space to explore, drink coffee or tea. And dance till dropping from exhaustion. But so many other things happened during our Sanctuary. I healed so much of the broken and learned so much about me. The space you create and then I add to was like a pool of delicious water, not too hot and not at all cold. E.L.

“I loved the weekly group calls. You created a wonderful space for us to be open and honest and support and learn from one another.” Barb H.

“Rachel, you were very kind, considerate, sensitive and terrific at holding a safe space for us as we explored this work and our individual stories.” - anonymous

Eight weeks from now you will…

Have a process/tool to come back to for processing any story and building resilience

Know how to connect to your desires so you can find fulfillment
Feel mentally stronger so you can be brave as new challenges arise
Be more present with your loved ones because you won't have the same broken record in the background
Developed a self-love practice and routine that sticks

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

What if I’m not sure whether it’s a good fit?

Reach out so we can talk it through and you can make the best decision for YOU. Email me.

When will the weekly calls be?

Typically Mondays evenings from 8-9pm EST, but this is flexible and will be determined based on the needs of the group.

How much does it cost?

The cost of the program is $700. Payment plans are available. Email me if you are interested in a payment plan.

What if I join and I’m not a good fit?

I do not offer refunds for the program. You need to be ready to do the emotional work and I will be ready to hold the space for you.

Do I have time for this?

A major goal of the program is to learn how to prioritize your own needs and to feel what that’s like (it feels so good!). In addition to the one hour weekly class, plan to spend at least one hour on your homework.

Do I need to have writing experience?

Not at all! Our goal is to find healing in our writing; if you are interested in publishing your story we will support you, but publishing is not the focus of the program.

Can I still enroll if I can’t attend all the live classes?

Keep in mind that building connections with the other women in the class is a huge part of the program itself. Please show up for them like they will show up for you. That said, life is unpredictable and missing one class is not a big deal.

I am so Zoom drained - can I handle one more call?

Believe me, I get it. I promise that our community calls will fill you with energy and increase your capacity, rather than take it away.