Building a Home for the Heart

In 1998, Pat Thalhuber and Susan Thompson began keeping a talking Circle with women incarcerated at the Volunteers of America Regional Correctional Center in Roseville, Minnesota. During their years with the Circle, they discovered that metaphors could help the women talk about values and lead to profound realizations that would not otherwise have been possible. In this volume, Pat and Sue share much of what they have learned about using metaphors to facilitate self-healing. Relevant for all who journey toward healing, the book follows the seasons through a full year, reflecting on the human condition, our place in the natural world, and our connections to ourselves and each other.


Patricia Thalhuber, B.V.M., is a Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary from Dubuque, Iowa, now residing in Minnesota. Pat has found through her life as a teacher, youth coordinator, community programmer, and Circle keeper that empowering ideas and their implementation come with heartfelt listening and a willingness to change. For more than a decade she has initiated Circles in the community to address famialy and institutional needs. Susan Thompson lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband and daughter. She spent one year training for Circles with the Circles of Harmony. She has also had the honor of taking part in the Circle trainng conducted by Phil Gatensby. She has been a grateful participant in Circles for twelve years and a keeper for eight years.