The key to gaining awareness of the present and preparing for the future lies in our understanding of the past. There is little coverage of this topic in the existing psychology and counseling literature.

Jeff and Christina Garland break new ground in making a straightforward presentation of the theory and practice of the everyday process of life review, which is a therapeutic approach for helping clients make sense of their past, and can be used to help change undesirable behavior and plan for the future. The theory and structure of the life review process are examined and clinical examples of how it works in practice are given. This includes interviews both with "narrators" (people engaged in life review) and "listeners" (health and social care professionals). These examples demonstrate how professionals can use life review to help their clients overcome difficulties and face the future with confidence.