Make Sense of Your Past to Empower Your Future:

The Power of Creating a Coherent Narrative

We all carry around wounds, behaviors and beliefs about ourselves and others form our earliest attachments, which direct our lives. Research shows that when people fail to make sense of their past, they find themselves reliving and recreating it. Presentation will focus on methods  for helping clients create coherent narratives of early attachment trauma. This allows them to develop a sense of inner security through resolving unresolved trauma. It will integrate findings from attachment research, Interpersonal Neurobiology and separation theory.

Dr. Firestone will draw upon the latest research and outline the process of writing a coherent narrative. latest findings in neurobiology show that when a person writes a coherent narrative, they rewire their brain to feel more secure within themselves and their relationship. Creating a coherent narrative also contributes to developing earned secure attachment

Published: September 2026

Format

Online Course

Credits

3.0

Instructor

Lisa Firestone Ph.D.

Price

$ 59

Course objectives

Make Sense of Your Past to Empower Your Future: The Power of Creating a Coherent Narrative

  • Describe, using cutting edge neurobiological research, how clients can rewire their brains to feel more secure
  • Explain how to help clients identify their early attachment style
  • Apply Step by Step guidelines for how to help clients develop a coherent narrative

Instructor

Lisa Firestone Ph.D.

Lisa Firestone Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist and the Director of Research and Education at the Glendon Association and Senior Editor at PsychAlive.org. She is the author of numerous articles and book chapters and coauthor of the books Self Under Siege, Conguer Your Critical Inner Voice. and Creating a Life of Meaning and Compassion. Dr. Firestone is a national and international trainer and presenter on topics including couple relationships, attachment, suicide, and violence prevention assessment and treatment. Lisa has been involved in clinical training and research in the areas of suicide and violence, which resulted in the development of the assessments Firestone Assessment of Self-Destructive Thoughts (FAST) and (FASI) and the Firestone Assessment of Violent Thoughts (FAVT) for adults and adolescents. Lisa Firestone is a clinical psychologist in private practice and a consultant on the management of high-risk clients. You can learn more about Lisa Firestone's work at www.psychalive.org, and www.glendon.org.

Course Lessons

How It Works

  • View the presentation. Classes are broken into small video segments of less than 30 minutes, so you can come and go as you please.
  • Take the quiz. Answer a few questions after each lesson before you move to the next lesson.
  • Complete the course evaluation.
  • Print your certificate and you're done!

We Make It Easy

  • Handouts from the class are available as PDF files to view or print.
  • Once you've purchased a class, you can view it as many times as you like.
  • Login with your email address and password. It takes you to your personal library/dashboard of all classes you have purchased.
  • Over 90% of professionals report being absolutely satisfied with their online experience!

Levels of Classes

All of our classes are offered at the intermediate level unless otherwise indicated. All classes are designed for experienced mental health professionals.

Test Policy

You need a score of 75% or higher in each lesson/module to move to the next lesson/module. Most people pass on their first attempt. You have up to 3 attempts to pass each module. After 3 failed attempts, you need to contact our office and we will reset the quiz for one more attempt.

Refund Policy

We offer a no-risk guarantee for our online courses. You can view any class for three days, and if not satisfied, contact PPS and we will refund your money in full. This refund offer does not apply if you have completed the class and passed all of the lesson/module quizzes.

Technical Support For On-Demand Courses

Please call 877-777-0668, Monday-Friday from 10 am - 4 pm Pacific Time or email info@psychsem.com.

Questions, Special Needs & Grievances

If you would like additional information, require special accommodations, or have a grievance, please contact Professional Psych Seminars at: toll-free phone: 877-777-0668, phone: 805-371-9443, fax: (805) 371-7443 or email us: info@psychsem.com.

On Demand Course FAQs

How long to I have to complete this class?

There is no time limit. You can take as long as you'd like to complete the class.

Can I sign-up for a class now, even though I don't want to take it for some time in the future?

Yes. Customers often do this when we are running a special, offering you a discounted price.

I lost my certificate. What do I do?

Log in to your account, navigate to the course, and view/print your Certificate.

Do I have to take the entire class at one time or can I stop and come back another time?

You can sign in and out anytime, from any computer, to continue the class. We break our classes into segments of 20 to 30 minutes. You can watch one segment and then come back later. You can even fast forward within a segment.

I am concerned about having to remember everything to take the test. Will this be a problem?

No. We ask you 2 to 3 questions after each 20 to 30 minute video lesson. Answer the questions after each lesson and save your answers. You can come back later and watch another video lesson when you have time. You don't have to remember more than one video lesson at a time. Also, most of our questions are very straight forward. You should have no problem answering them if you've watched the video lesson.

Can you print out the handouts for my on-demand class and send them to me?

No. You can view them online or print them out yourself.

My certificate won’t print. Can you help me?

Hold down the keys Ctrl + P at the same time to access the print screen on your computer.