PURPOSE
with veterans and cancer patients. Her writing
advice is sound, her research is well documented,
and her exercises gently pull the deeper truths out
of the depths of loss, trauma, and battling dis-
ease.
Using an expressive writing method (also referred
to as direct or stream-of-consciousness writing),
Sandra Marinella reveals how to understand, tell,
and edit your personal story, all while navigating
each writer’s individual challenge. Her prompts,
exercises, and indeed her techniques, allow the
reader to dive deep into their experience and
make sense of their suffering.
The Story You Need to Tell is a brilliant, yet simple
book that shines with Marinella’s gift for words.
It is now a must-read for my clients, and should
INTERVIEW
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW
30 | HAPI Guide
be for anyone who would like a deeply effective
transformative and healing experience. The pro-
cess of writing as Marinella describes in The Story
You Need to Tell unearths a deep knowingness
that no other tool I’ve tried does as well to reveal.
While we can’t go back to change what happened
to us, we can change our perspective of it, and
then create a new story. This book gently guides
you through that wonderfully effective process.
If you’d like to find deeper healing, more mean-
ing in your life, and transform your perspective of
your life story, I encourage you to read this book.
Words do heal, and Marinella’s advice will help
you write and rewrite the story you need to tell.
Reviewed by MJ Schwader