The Elder Journey

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Where elderhood is understood as a threshold of integration, wisdom and possibility

The Narrative Arc of Aging

The Narrative Arc of Aging invites us to look at later life not simply as the final chapter of a story already written, but as part of an unfolding narrative—one in which meaning, identity, connection, and becoming remain possible.

How Stories Shape the Lives We Live

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Our Stories Are Still
Being Authored

Exploring the changing story of aging, identity, purpose and community

Narrative Identity: How Stories We Tell Shape Who We Are

Our life story isn't written once and finished. Beginning in adolescence, we connect memories, experiences, and hopes into a story about who we are—and continue revising that story throughout our lives. Narrative Identity We remember things long before we think of ourselves as having a life story. A child can tell you what happened at school yesterday or remember a family vacation. But at some point, something more complex begins to happen. We start connecting experiences acr

A Journey of Continuous Growth

Development is not passive; it is a participatory feedback-rich process in which the organism and its environment continually shape one another. In the realm of biology, researchers are fundamentally rethinking how organisms develop. Instead of viewing development as a fixed genetic script—something that simply unfolds on autopilot—they are paying closer attention to how organisms actively respond to their environments. They regulate growth, allocate energy, and participate i

Aging and the Stories our Bodies Carry

How the Aging Body, Identity, and Active Acceptance Shape Meaning and Lived Experience as We Grow Older How the aging body, identity, and active acceptance shape meaning and lived experience as we grow older. For decades, gerontology studied aging without truly attending to the lived body. Women’s aging, in particular, was often treated as an aside — a “special case,” peripheral to the main story. Even feminist theory, so attuned to the politics of embodiment, frequently side

Facilitator Guide
Reflective Life-Story Work

Every community needs people who can hold space for story. The Facilitator Guide includes the complete six-session framework, discussion prompts, facilitator guidance, and Go Deeper notes connecting each session to the developmental and narrative concepts explored in The Narrative Arc of Aging.

Seasoned facilitators are able to use this guide to offer life story groups. For those who want deeper grounding in the narrative model, a facilitator training is available (upon request) to provide additional support, practice, and guidance.