This document discusses how people create life stories or histories from their past experiences and presents counseling perspectives on helping clients address unhelpful stories. Key points: - People interpret past moments and connect them into narratives with themes, details and labels like "success" or "failure". - We have many potential stories, not just one single history. It's the stories we tell, not just the facts of the past, that influence our present. - Counselors should listen to clients' stories while recognizing the stories are interpretations, not facts, and help clients develop and thicken alternative stories that aren't stuck in one perspective like "failure". - With self-reflection, input from others, and divine guidance, we