Great question!
Each week, members of the group, under the guidance of an experienced leader, will explore a different life theme that has been influential in shaping their lives. Participants write two pages on each theme at home and bring their writing to share in a small group with others also sharing their stories.
"We start by asking participants to write down the history of branching points in their lives," said James E. Birren, PhD.
Then in subsequent sessions, participants explore topics such as family, the role of money in one's life, one's major life work or career, health and body, and other topics that interweave to form the tapestry of a life.
Dr. Birren developed this guided autobiography technique to help would-be autobiographers find structure and meaning in the multitude of seemingly random events that compose a life.
Guided Autobiography is useful to people interested in beginning an autobiography or memoir, more fully understanding the meaning of their life, or finding knowledge in the past to help them live their present and future lives in more meaningful ways. It is particularly helpful to people facing any major life transition, such as divorce, retirement, career change, parenthood, a move, or health problems.
