PURPOSE
REVIEW & INTERVIEW
The Story You Need to Tell:
Writing to Heal from
Trauma, Illness, or Loss
by Sandra Marinella
N
early twenty years ago, I be-
came a writing coach helping
authors publish their books.
At first I viewed my role as a
guide and teacher, steering
my clients through the maze
of publishing. But very quick-
ly, I began to see another phenomenon happen-
ing: they began to express their amazement at the
amount of blocks they were clearing, how many
more “aha’s” they were having, and in the end,
how significantly healing the process of writing
had been.
So when I picked up The Story You Need to Tell:
Writing to Heal from Trauma, Illness, or Loss by
Sandra Marinella, MA, MEd, I immediately con-
nected with its message: writing and rewriting
your story provides deep and lasting healing and
transformation.
Over the years, I’ve read hundreds of books on
writing, but very few of those were compelling
enough to want to read again. Where Marinel-
la’s book is different is in her narration. From
post-partum depression to her battle with breast
cancer, the author hooked me from the beginning
with her storytelling, and then carefully wove in
additional anecdotes and examples of her work
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