community
exploration was never meant to be a solo venture.
What I've learned from almost two decades of humanitarian service is that there is power in speaking our stories out loud and sharing them with each other.
We’ve been conditioned to believe that healing is personal and a burden we must carry on our own. But as human beings we are hardwired for connection. This means that healing actually happens in the collective — a feeling of common humanity that only emerges when we bring our experiences into the presence of others who understand. I wrote Tell Me My Story to name the wounds honestly — vicarious trauma, moral injury, institutional betrayal, collective grief shaped by systemic harm — and to begin moving through them. But reading alone only takes us so far.
These community spaces are part of the moral cartography of this work: places to name what we are carrying, witness collective grief, and imagine more humane ways to serve and live.
We do not gather to solve everything. We gather to remember that healing happens in relationship, and that our stories become less isolating when they are held with care.
These offerings are where those practices flourish. Read on to learn more about ongoing community conversations, collective imagination journaling circles, and upcoming cohorts of Challenging the Narrative writing circles.
tell me my story community conversations
a monthly conversation with Dimple
Join me on the first Tuesday of every month for a live 60-minute community conversation about Tell Me My Story — Challenging the Narrative of Service Before Self.
Part book club, part collective exploration — this isn't a lecture or a summary. It's a conversation — the kind I always envisioned the book opening.
Each month we’ll gather to discuss a single chapter from the book and explore the stories that shape how we serve, the costs of caring, and how to hold pain and possibility together to make service sustainable moving forward. We won’t be taking the book in any particular order, so drop-ins are welcome.
This is direct access to me, in a virtual, small group setting to talk about what it really means to be “of service” in this age of polycrisis, so bring your questions, your reactions, and your experiences and join the discussion.
NOTE: Reading the featured chapter before each session isn't required, but highly encouraged to make for a richer conversation.
Details:
60-minute live community conversation via Zoom
Ongoing registration — no prior preparation or prior sessions required, but registration is required.
$10 per session — or join as a rōot by dimple dhabalia and get unlimited access to all community circles, the full member library of videos, downloadable integration guides and toolkits, and a 10% discount on other offerings.
If cost is a barrier, just send us a note at hello@rootsintheclouds.com. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Have your own group? I'm happy to bring the conversation to you — in person or on Zoom. Let’s chat.
Upcoming sessions:
aug 4 | 12-1pm EST | chapter 1: the history we carry within us | generational trauma — this conversation will explore how we carry the pain and trauma of the family members who came before us and the impact it can have on our minds, bodies, relationships, and service.
sep 1 | 12-1pm EST | chapter 12: mission-driven, not superhuman | martyrdom culture — this conversation will explore the narrative of service before self, including how it took root in our families, communities and workplace cultures, what it costs us, personally and professionally, and why it’s so hard to let go of it.
oct 6 | 12-1pm EST | chapter 11: a conflicted oath | moral injury— this conversation will explore what happens when what we're asked to do conflicts with our own deeply held morals and beliefs, including the specific texture of moral injury in mission-driven work — what activates it, how it lives in the body, and what it looks like to stay rooted in our values and keep service sustainable.
Session themes are announced on a rolling three-month basis. To stay informed of upcoming conversations, share your interest here.
collective imagination community journaling circles
weekly writing prompts + reflection in community
Join me every Thursday for a virtual, 60-minute community journaling circle — a small, intentional space to slow down, drop in, and write.
Collective imagination — the capacity to hold both pain and possibility together — is an aspect of moral mapping that helps us better understand our inner terrain. Writing is how we access it: slowing down enough to connect with our conscience and values to create pathways to greater alignment.
Each session opens with a brief grounding practice, followed by a writing prompt drawn from different moral mapping elements including story-healing, moral courage, collective imagination, and spiritual ecology. We write together, and those who wish to share are invited to — though sharing is always optional.
This is not a writing workshop. It is a guided space for journaling, listening, and collective imagination. These circles are for people who want a grounded, accessible writing and reflection practice in community. You don't need to be a writer. You don't need to prepare in advance. And you will never be required to share.
$10 per session — or join as a founding member of rōot | by dimple dhabalia at $100/year and get unlimited access to all rōot circles, the full member library of downloadable resource guides, videos and integration journals, a 10% discount on other offerings, and a signed copy of Tell Me My Story or a virtual coffee with Dimple. Become a founding member →
If cost is a barrier, just send us a note at hello@rootsintheclouds.com. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Details:
60-minute live session via Zoom
Drop-in — no prior preparation or prior sessions required
$10 per session — or join as a rōot by dimple dhabalia and get unlimited access to all community circles, the full member library of videos, downloadable integration guides and toolkits, and a 10% discount on other offerings.
If cost is a barrier, just send us a note at hello@rootsintheclouds.com. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
a few important notes
GROUP SIZE - All community offerings are small by design. There is no version of story-healing that works at scale — trust requires time, and witness requires intimacy. These aren’t webinars or courses you move through at your own pace in isolation. They’re live, relational, and deliberately unhurried.
ACCOUNTABILITY - to maintain the integrity and safety of this community, I reserve the right to remove any participant who does not comply with community guidelines.
MENTAL HEALTH DISCLAIMER - I am NOT a therapist, and these community offerings are not a substitute for therapy or professional mental health support. While gathering in community can offer therapeutic benefits, these spaces are designed for reflection, connection, and collective care—not clinical guidance. If you think you need additional support , I encourage you to engage in this practice alongside therapy or other forms of professional care. Your well-being matters, and it's important to have the resources you need to navigate your experiences with strength and support.
REFUNDS - We do not offer refunds for any service or course. All sales are final. If you have an emergency arise we'll work to include you in a future cohort or circle. We appreciate your understanding and willingness to respect this policy.
If you are interested in bringing any of the community offerings to your organization or team as a private experience, that is available. Private groups can be scheduled on a timeline that works for your organization and are designed to meet the specific context of your work or challenges.