The Story Ahead is a professionally facilitated six-week therapeutic space for women navigating change, transition and the quieter questions that can arrive in midlife.
We are encouraged to make space for our physical health. The Story Ahead was created to make thoughtful, professional support for our inner lives feel just as accessible.
There is a gap between everyday wellbeing and traditional one-to-one therapy. Many women do not feel they are in crisis, yet know that something has shifted. A role no longer fits. A relationship feels different. Children need you in a new way. Work has changed. Or perhaps life simply looks right on paper but no longer feels entirely like yours.
The Story Ahead bridges that gap: a calm, structured therapeutic space where you can pause, reflect and think with professional support about where you are now and what might come next.
Led by a qualified counsellor and informed by established group therapy principles.
Each week explores a different part of the journey, from where you are now to what may be getting in the way of what you want.
A closed group of women, creating the continuity needed for trust, connection and meaningful reflection.
You choose what you share. There is no expectation to disclose anything you would prefer to keep private.
Not a women’s circle. Not a coaching programme. Not somewhere you are told how your life should look.
The Story Ahead uses group therapy principles, but it is designed for women who want space for reflection rather than treatment for a specific mental-health difficulty. It is not a crisis service and it does not replace individual therapy where more specialist support is needed.
The Story Ahead was founded and is facilitated by Lucy, a qualified counsellor with experience supporting women both individually and in groups, through private practice and work with women’s charities.
Her approach is warm, thoughtful and non-directive. The role of the facilitator is not to give you answers, but to create the conditions in which you can hear yourself more clearly, understand your patterns and learn through the experience of being with other women.
Ninety minutes each week away from the roles, demands and noise of everyday life.
Notice what becomes clearer when you say something aloud and hear how other women experience similar questions.
A qualified facilitator holds the structure, boundaries and process so the conversation can go beyond ordinary social chat.
Discover the relief of realising that thoughts you assumed were uniquely yours may be shared by others.
The first group begins in January 2027. Six weekly 90-minute sessions, in person, in Farnham.
Belonging, safety and recognising the transition you may already be in.
Identity, self-worth and the parts of yourself that may have become quieter.
Relationships, expectations, boundaries and the patterns we carry between us.
Needs, values, fulfilment and making space for your own wants without rushing to solutions.
The beliefs, ‘shoulds’ and internal messages that can quietly shape our choices.
Integrating what you have noticed and identifying what you want to carry forward.
You may leave with greater clarity about what has changed, a stronger understanding of what matters to you now, more awareness of the expectations and patterns influencing your choices, and a deeper sense that you are not alone in the questions you are carrying.
The Story Ahead is not built around dramatic promises of transformation. Its value is quieter and more enduring: reflection, recognition, connection and the opportunity to make your next choices more consciously.
A one-hour introduction to The Story Ahead for women who are curious about the six-week programme but would like to experience the atmosphere and approach first.
The evening explores one simple question: Where am I now? There is no pressure to share personal details. You remain in control of what you contribute.
Join Lucy at Well & Good in Godalming for a complimentary one-hour introduction to The Story Ahead - a therapeutic space for women navigating change, transition and what comes next.
The evening is facilitated by a qualified counsellor and informed by established group therapy principles. You choose what you share. There is no pressure to tell your story.
Book your complimentary placeNo. The Story Ahead is for women who are generally functioning in everyday life but feel that something has changed, no longer quite fits, or deserves more thought. It is not a crisis service.
The Story Ahead is a therapeutic space facilitated by a qualified counsellor and uses group therapy principles. It is not organised around treating one specific diagnosis or mental-health condition. Suitability and the exact nature of the service are explained before you join.
No. You choose what you share and can pass at any point. Meaningful participation does not require revealing names, identifying details or experiences you would prefer to keep private.
Because the groups are local, it is possible you may recognise another participant. Everyone agrees to clear privacy and confidentiality boundaries. If an existing relationship could make it hard for either person to participate comfortably, this can be discussed privately before the programme begins.
Participants are asked to keep what is shared in the group private and confidentiality is an important part of the group agreement. However, no facilitator can absolutely guarantee another participant’s behaviour outside the room. Professional confidentiality also has limits where safeguarding or serious risk is concerned; these are explained clearly before joining.
That is completely fine. In fact, you do not need to arrive knowing what you want to change. The programme begins by helping you notice where you are before asking where you might want to go.
Continuity matters. A closed six-week group gives relationships, trust and reflection time to develop while remaining a clear, finite commitment.
You will receive clear information about the programme, confidentiality, group boundaries and what to expect.