How do we get to be who we are? Are we born that way, or do our experiences mold us into the people we eventually become? It's an old question, and the answer probably lies somewhere in between. Nevertheless, it's clear that our memories do play a critical role in establishing who we are and how we set about living our lives. This book discusses our memories and how you work to define our personalities. Research suggests that certain powerful recollections called self-defining memories (SDMs) have a profound impact on larger issues pertaining to our identity and mental health. This book offers an approach readers can use to tap into SDMs and analyze these memories for their specificity, meaning, content, and affect. Once understood, these SDMs reveal clues to the reader that he or she can use to maximize the helping aspects and minimize the hurting aspects of these memories.
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