Ideal for mental health professionals interested in the rich potential a narrative perspective offers, this revealing and innovative book demonstrates that people develop a sense of self through the creation of personal myths. It challenges the traditional view that personalities are formed by fixed, unchanging characteristics or by predictable stages through which every individual travels, and it persuasively argues that we are the stories we tell. Based on more than 10 years of research and hundreds of first-hand interviews, the book explores the intimate connection between personal myths and perceptions, relationships, and life choices. Table of Contents Introduction : Life and Myth I. Making Lives into Stories 1. The Meaning of Stories 2. Narrative Tone and Imagery 3. Theme and Ideological Setting 4. Becoming the Mythmaker II. Story Characters 5. Character and Imago 6. Agentic and Communal Characters III. The Mythic Challenge of Adulthood 7. Identity, Malaise, and Faith 8. Putting It Together in Mid-life 9. Generating New Beginnings 10. Exploring Your Myth Epilogue: Beyond Story Appendix 1: Agency and Communion Appendix 2: Nuclear Episodes from the publisher's website |