The Stories We Carry
Facilitator Guide
Every life is a story still unfolding. Building on themes in The Narrative Arc of Aging, this guide offers structured pathways for helping older adults bring their stories forward—with clarity, dignity, and a deep sense of meaning.
What to Expect
The Stories We Carry guide gives facilitators a grounded, repeatable model for reflective life‑story work. Through six sessions, you’ll learn how to:
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Guide structured reflection using developmental storytelling prompts
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Create safe, welcoming group environments where older adults feel seen and heard
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Help participants recognize patterns across their life stories
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Support meaning‑making in later life
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Facilitate conversations that build belonging and connection
Bring This Work to Your Community
Whether you want to lead groups yourself or bring this model into your organization, The Stories We Carry offers a clear pathway into reflective elder education and insight.
Designed for lifelong learning programs like OLLI, senior centers, faith communities and anyone who wants to bring meaningful life story conversations into their community
The Six Session Arc
Session 1 · Childhood
Discover early stories that helped to shape identity
Session 2 · Adolescence
Explore experiences that formed an initial sense of self
Session 3 · Early Adulthood
Relationships, patterns and themes
Session 4 · Midlife
Turning points and disruptions that redirected or altered the journey
Session 5 · Later Life
Integration and Coherence
Session 6 · Elderhood
Legacy and carrying the story forward
The Stories We Carry framework is grounded in the developmental and narrative concepts explored in The Narrative Arc of Aging: How Stories Shape the Lives We Live.
While the guide gives you the session outlines, prompts, and group structure, the book provides the deeper theoretical grounding—exploring developmental identity, late-life reflection, and the narrative framework that makes this work so significant.
If you are planning to facilitate a group or want to dive deeper into the philosophy behind these practices through a workshop or consultation, contact me.
The Story Behind the Framework
