Table of Contents

Part 1 Healing with Memoirs

1 The Courage to be a Real Writer
2 Writing and Healing
3 Memories: The Good, the Bad, the Dangerous
4 Discovering, Facing, and Writing the Truth
5 The Process of Healing
6 Witnessing and Self-Nuturing
8 Writing with a Beginner’s Mind
9 Beyond the Journal:Writing Stories as a Way to Heal

Part 2 The Psychology of Memoir Writing

10 How the Past Shapes the Present
11 The Secret Dynamics in Families
12 The Genogram
13 Conquering the Inner Critic
14 Ethics of Writing True Stories
15 Forgiveness
16 Love and Happiness

Part 3 Writing the Memoir

17 The Process of Writing
18 Organizing Your Work
19 Topics and Triggers
20 Themes to Unify Your Stories
21 Using the Techniques of Fiction
22 Researching the Hidden Stories
23 Bringing Your Memoir into the World

24. Inspiring Stories by Student Writers

Appendixes
A Meditations on Memory; Affirmations to Heal the Critic
B Developmental Questionnaire
C A Note to Therapists
D Quick Reminders for When You Think You’re Stuck