Maria, a woman in her early thirties, had been carrying the quiet pain of losing a friend to a chronic mental illness. Although her friend was still alive, the illness had created distance and unpredictability that left Maria feeling as if she had lost her. At the same time, memories from her childhood as a third culture kid – moving frequently due to her father’s international work – resurfaced, bringing unresolved questions about identity, belonging, and self-understanding.
Maria didn’t want coaching, nor did she feel she needed therapy. She was seeking a reflective, non-judgmental space to process complex experiences, explore her thoughts and feelings, and gain perspective on her life story. That’s when she booked Life Story Conversations with me.
What we explored together
In our sessions, Maria engaged in reflective dialogue, narrative writing exercises, and resource-oriented exploration to process both past and present challenges. Key aspects of the work included:
- Reframing ambiguous öoss: Through guided conversation and narrative reflection, Maria explored the subtle grief she felt for her friend and developed a compassionate understanding of her own emotional responses.
- Narrative writing for self-compassion and closure: Writing exercises allowed Maria to articulate her feelings, explore unresolved emotions from her childhood and current life, and practice self-compassion. These activities helped her notice personal strengths and resources she could draw upon in challenging moments.
- Meaning-centred, resource-oriented conversation: Together, we explored her values, priorities, and sources of resilience. Resource-oriented questions encouraged Maria to recognise her inner strengths and external supports, fostering a sense of agency and perspective.
Over several sessions, Maria began to notice gentle but significant shifts:
- She experienced clarity around her feelings of ambiguous loss and learned to hold them with self-compassion
- She connected past experiences of frequent moves and cross-cultural adaptation to her present sense of identity
- She gained practical strategies for emotional regulation and reflective processing
- She discovered a renewed sense of meaning and perspective, seeing how her past and present experiences could inform her choices moving forward
Maria reflected: “Life Story Conversations gave me a space to untangle experiences I hadn’t fully understood before. It wasn’t therapy or coaching – it was a reflective space where I could explore my story, connect with my emotions, and find clarity.”
Life Story Conversations are ideal for individuals who want to reflect on life experiences, uncover personal meaning, or explore complex emotions – whether related to ambiguous loss, life transitions, cross-cultural identity, or any area where deeper insight is desired. Each conversation is tailored to your needs and may integrate narrative reflection, writing exercises, and resource-focused dialogue.
You can begin with a Compass Session – 30 minutes (€50) or 60 minutes (€100) – to experience how a reflective conversation can support your self-understanding and help you make sense of complex life experiences. These sessions can provide clarity, perspective, and a gentle sense of peace of mind.