About MyPath
SPEAK YOUR FEAR...
From Roger Batton, Founder:
MyPath Bibliotherapy is a self healing practice based on insight and research into the universal nature of story in all human experience. In 2013, I wrote the first of the storytelling workshop manuals for Indigan Storyteller. In the next few years, Indigan conducted dozens of storytelling workshops and performance events. My research led me to five countries and throughout the Midwest of the United States. In 2015 I wrote the "Five Layers of Story" philosophy which illustrates the hidden origins of power story has in shaping the narrative of our lives. Click here to go to the "Layers of Story" page.
My commitment to improvement naturally led to the continuous evolution of the bibliotherapy practice. In the beginning days, Indigan was about preparing storytellers for stage performance, much like NPR's "The Moth". MyPath's process and practice still provides an educational experience for anyone simply wishing to learn storytelling craft. As time went on I realized many persons attending our workshops were grappling with significant events in their lives like births, deaths, marriage, and so on. Often, their stories centered on very traumatic or challenging events. As my research continued I began to shape the MyPath Bibliotherapy Workshops in alignment with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) principles and practices. By going through the process of shaping their stories in the workshop, practicing and ultimately sharing on stage, it became apparent many experienced a healing moment. Before going through the process it was as if they lived under that story... their recollection was so rigid because they memory-cycled through the events the same way every time and couldn't escape the outcome. During the workshop our participants deconstruct their story elements and revise their story so to become stage ready. By doing so, in a safe environment, they take ownership of the story, freeing them to move forward on their path in life. When stories are shared on stage, the audience always reflects back empathy and support because so many audience members have experienced very similar events.
MyPath Bibliotherapy expands on the practice and process foundation established by Indigan Storyteller by creating healing events for entire communities where mass trauma events took place. At the same time MyPath continues to provide storytelling workshops and performances for individuals.
ROGER BATTON
Creator of MyPath
Based on his 1976 Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing/Communications from Western Michigan University, Roger found success at OakTree, Inc. as a Family Business Consultant. Starting in 2013, as Executive Producer of Indigan Storyteller, Roger developed the basis for his contributions to social emotional learning through bibliotherapy. Gaining insight from leading dozens of storytelling workshops over the years, Roger developed a philosophy called “The Five Layers of Story” in 2015. This philosophy illuminates the anthropomorphic and cultural foundations of story in our shared human experience. To deepen his insight and to validate his understanding into the universal nature of story, Roger conducted research in the United States, Ireland, Mexico, Italy, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands. In 2018, Roger created MyPath Bibliotherapy, a 501c3 Public Charity. Roger is a member of The Dramatists Guild in New York. MyPath produces Storytelling Workshops and Performances throughout the United States. For more information about Roger and MyPath Bibliotherapy please go to www.mypath.center
Julia Stauffer - C.P.A.
Board Member - MyPath Bibliotherapy
Julia is the founding partner of J A Stauffer, CPA PC. She is responsible for financial and tax guidance for individuals and businesses. She graduated from International Business School, Fort Wayne, IN. Her extensive community service has been at the Goshen Hospital Board, Elkhart County Health Board and several local charitable organization in Goshen and Elkhart County.
Stacey Garcelon -
Board Member - MyPath Bibliotherapy
Stacey is the Founder and Director of Anam Cara – Horses Healing the Human Soul, a not-for-profit providing equine assisted psychotherapy to help people heal from trauma. Stacey received her Master’s degree in Education, Counseling and Human Services at Indiana University South Bend. She attended her first Storytelling workshop with Roger Batton in 2015, and experienced firsthand the transformative power of storytelling, from writing the narrative, “owning your story” to performing and having your story “heard”. Prior to founding Anam Cara, Stacey’s professional career included over 20 years of advocating for and protecting the unprotected, including Child Welfare systemic reform to the front lines of direct service Emergency Response Investigator to Manager of statewide policy and systems improvement. She has served as an Independent Ombudsman advocating for individuals living with disabilities, before becoming the Director of Quality Assurance. Through her work and her own healing journey, Stacey found that the approaches which integrated the physical, mental, energetic and spiritual impacts of trauma proved to be the most effective and the most empowering. She sustains her own ongoing recovery by incorporating complementary healing arts modalities into her daily life. Stacey is a strong believer in the power of storytelling to empower, to transform, to build resiliency and to heal. Stacey is a current member of the American Mental Health Counselors Association, the American Counseling Association and the Indiana Counseling Association.
Lorelei Siddall -
Board Member - MyPath Bibliotherapy
Lorelei is a Kansas native who relocated to Indiana in 2006 for a temporary change of pace that became permanent. She is a married mother of two residing in South Bend, IN with the kids, two rescue dogs, and her spouse.
She has spent the last decade growing her family and learning how to break harmful family cycles while also supporting her spouse during post-military career and life changes, including advocating for him with the VA.
She holds a bachelor of science in psychology from Kansas State University (2005) and a Master of Business Administration (2007), and currently works as support staff in a local bank. She enjoys a rich and varied volunteer life including race coordinator for local charity 5k, Marine Mud Run, supporting other local races, trail maintenance in state parks, and her own initiative to make fabric face masks available to individuals in the community who may otherwise not have access due to financial circumstances.
She has been participating in MyPath as a workshop attendee and performer since its earlier iteration, Indigan Storytelling, in 2014.
MyPath Bibliotherapy - Partners and Advisors
John Dietrich - Director/Choreographer/Writer
During February this year, John conducted a detailed evaluation of "MyPath the Musical" and offered the following comments...
"You are obviously a very skilled writer and exceptional storyteller, let me say that up front... I am very impressed and inspired by the mission of this piece. When art can invoke change, provoke thought and possibly even heal, that is a rather remarkable thing and something important to aspire to. I will first say that the integration of the actual stories from the students and people who experienced these incidents first hand is a compelling and obviously very emotional element to be woven through the storytelling. It should be the anchor of what you’re trying to do and I believe it is.
What you are trying to accomplish here is so important and there’s sort of a delicacy as to how it is done. You have done so much beautiful work already, congratulations, and onward. Thank you for sharing."
John has had an extensive career as a professional Director/Choreographer/Writer that includes a 17-year relationship with Radio City Entertainment, where he was the Director/ Choreographer for the world-famous Rockettes, for Rockette Special Events (including numerous Macy’s Parade and Today Show appearances, the Presidential Inauguration, and the NBC Gala Re-Opening of Radio City), as well as being the director/choreographer for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Other work includes hundreds of shows in a vast range of entertainment genres: from television to Off-Broadway & regional theatre, from industrial shows to ice shows. Some highlights include: National/International Tours of The Wizard of Oz, Beauty & the Beast, and Singin’ in the Rain, Disney On Ice The Little Mermaid, A&E Television Special Gershwin on Ice, CBS One World Jam, Mack & Mabel in Concert at Lincoln Center, Dolly Parton’s Smokey Mountain Christmas Carol and 7 years directing ABC Daytime Salutes Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. For nine years he was the Creative Director for Niles Creative Group, a film production company specializing in large scale theatrically based film and video productions and art installations worldwide.
As a writer, he wrote the book & lyrics for the musical Things As They Are, based on the life of documentary photographer Dorothea Lange with composer Jonathan Comisar. It was a Next Link selection for the New York Musical Theatre Festival and received the “Best of Fest” Award for most popular show. It was also twice nominated for the prestigious Fred Ebb Award. The musical Only Anne, with Composer Will Buck, an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion set in the 1920’s jazz age, was selected for development at the Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat and produced at the Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals. Selections from Only Anne were orchestrated by the Broadway legend Bill Brohn and performed by the Chelsea Symphony at the MTF New Orchestrations Gala. The musical Lautrec at the St. James with composer Julianne Wick-Davis was selected for and produced at the 2019 NAMT Conference. Other works in development: I, Me A Beautiful Man, Alone – The Nureyev Projectwith composer Will Buck and The Last War with composer Julianne Wick Davis.
He received his MFA from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, in Musical Theatre Writing, and his MA from New York University Gallatin School in Musical Theatre Structure & Directing Theory. He also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Wisconsin. He spent 3 years on the adjunct faculty at Marymount College of Manhattan teaching Musical Theatre Performance, and currently teaches the course The Architecture of Musicals at the Dramatists Guild Institute, and Dance As a Storytelling Device in the NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing program. John is a member of the Dramatists Guild.
Own your story. Share it with the world. Humans crave story in all its glory... the joy... the pain... the triumphs... the sorrow. Learn to own your story on your path.
