Make Sense of Your Story

Why Engaging Your Past with Kindness Changes Everything

By: Adam Young, Dr. Dan Allender - foreword

Narrated by: Adam Young

Looking back at painful stories from the past seems counterproductive, especially when it appears unrelated to our present lives. But what if exploring our past stories can help us make sense of where we are now and begin to imagine who we would like to become? Rather than ignoring, suppressing, or running from our past hurts, looking at our stories of heartache and how they have shaped us helps make sense of who we are now and points the way to freedom and meaningful change.

In Make Sense of Your Story, trauma therapist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker Adam Young helps you explore your personal story so you can understand how your experiences have shaped your brain—which, in turn, allows you to understand why your present day-to-day life looks and feels the way it does. He shows you how to confront and process the story of your family of origin, your sexual story, the story your body is telling you, your cultural story, your story with God, and more with kindness rather than judgment so that you can experience healing, self-acceptance, and release.

The secret to making sense of your present life is understanding your past experiences. And if you want to change the narrative, you have to engage your story.

©2025 Adam Young (P)2025 Christian Audio

My story matters.

It’s worth a visit to the past to find the healing I crave. Thank you, Adam, for the encouragement to explore.

If entered into.... it'll change your life

Excellent book. About half or more is a repeat of his podcast (which is top-notch). Regardless, excellent starting point to understand why engaging your own story is so needed to live more fully present in your life today.

Questions to engage the material throughout the book were super helpful.

I felt to understood

This is the most life changing book. It was exactly what I didn’t know I needed to hear. It allowed me to see my story for the first time. I highly recommend.

The book we all need and want whether we know it or not.

I like absolutely everything about this except that Adam’s winsome personality didn’t come through as clearly as it does on his podcast. I missed his laughter, his tears, his sighs, his pauses. But thanks be to God both this book and that podcast exist. Cheers!

It does make sense!

I’ve listened to Adam Young’s podcast for years - it has been a lifeline to help me understand what had landed me in the last third of life with little understanding of my persistent pain. This book takes the concepts I’ve heard him talk about and puts them in one easy-to-access place in a logical, easy-to-follow sequence. I want everyone I love to experience the freedom and healing I’ve found from engaging my story, and now I have just the tool to invite them into the healing journey of story work. Thank you, Adam!