040: Making Sense of Your Story by Engaging Past Pain with Adam Young
Mar 04, 2025
What if the key to understanding your present lies buried in the stories of your past?
In this episode, I talk with Adam Young about his new book Make Sense of Your Story and the transformative power of story work. Adam explains that story work isn't about telling your entire life from a 30,000-foot view but rather exploring specific, formative scenes from your childhood with granular detail. He challenges the common belief that we should "get over" our past, sharing William Faulkner's insight that "The past is never dead, it's not even past." Adam discusses how our brains are shaped by our past experiences, how our bodies hold these memories, and why comparison ("others had it worse") prevents healing.
We explore how desires and disappointments reveal who we are, why self-contempt must be replaced with kindness, and how the path through trauma leads to connection. Adam provides practical guidance on recognizing when someone is safe to share your story with, how to notice what your body is telling you, and why blessing your deepest desires—even when they led to painful outcomes—is essential for healing. This episode offers hope that engaging your story with curiosity and compassion can lead not just to understanding yourself better but to profound transformation and freedom.
download Episode Transcript 📄
Guest Spotlight ✨
Adam Young is a therapist who focuses on trauma and abuse, and the host of The Place We Find Ourselves podcast. Adam is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with a Master degree in Social Work (Virginia Commonwealth University) and Divinity (Emory University).
Adam is the author of Make Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your Story with Kindness Changes Everything. He currently serves as a Fellow and Instructor at The Allender Center. Adam lives in Fort Collins, CO, with his wife and two children.
Website | Instagram | The Place We Find Ourselves podcast
Links & Resources 🔗
- The Allender Center
- Confessional Communities (Center for Being Known with Curt Thompson, MD)
- THROUGH Cohort (Broken to Beloved)
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Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.
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