Guided Autobiography
Guided Autobiography (GAB) has been researched and developed by Dr. James Birren (founding dean of the Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California) over the past 40 years as a method for helping people document their life stories. Guided by a trained instructor, participants are led through themes and priming questions that evoke memories of events once known but filed away and seemingly forgotten. Participants write on a particular theme each week, bring the story to class and read it to receptive classmates. Writing and sharing life stories with others is an ideal way to find new meaning in life and to put life events into perspective. While connecting with one another on their journeys of self discovery, participants feel enlivened by the group experience and gain a greater appreciation of their own lives.