• Live • Interactive • Online •
Mentor Your Memoir
Transform Your “Heroine's / Hero’s Journey” Story To Help Others Survive & Thrive In This Program With Bestselling Author Dr. Lissa Rankin
An IFS-Inspried Weekend Journey For Visionary Writers, Entrepreneurs, Healers, & Activists
Saturday April 26, and Sunday April 27, 2025 | 9:00 am - 3:00 pm PST
From Book Dreams To Book Reality: Mapping A Plan To Bring Your Book To Life
You've dabbled and drafted, you've written tirelessly, you have taken copious notes. You have the story that needs to emerge to the world in your mind's eye or even on paper. Now it's time to write the final version and let it see the light so that it can inspire, transform, and educate those around you and illuminate who you really are. As a person, as a writer, as a healer. The time is now.
Dear Author,
Our life’s challenges are grist for the memoir writer’s mill that can be transformed into works of art that not only help us heal; they can also help others who struggle like we have. When we’re in hell, it can be hard to imagine that anything good can come from our suffering. Yet, many of us, at least in retrospect, can see our challenges with fresh eyes and recognize that our most traumatic experiences can either crush us or motivate us to transform into the people we’re meant to become.
Trauma happens. You didn’t “manifest” your trauma. You didn’t “choose” your trauma. You didn’t “cause” your trauma. But it happens. How we handle life’s setbacks- and whether we can find meaning and purpose in what we went through- can be the lynchpin between slow decline and resilient breakthrough.
Writing about what you’ve been through and taking charge of your story in a therapeutic way can be a first step towards healing a broken heart, regaining trust, grieving what you’ve lost, and starting to feel safe again after you’ve been through something hard. Sometimes that’s enough- and nobody else needs to read what you’ve written.
But many people feel a passionate activist spirit that compels us to feel a strong sense of mission, a calling that guides us to want to use our stories and share what we’ve learned along our healing journeys with others who are not quite as far on the path of healing. Unfortunately, that calling doesn’t usually come with instructions or a business plan. That’s where Mentoring Your Memoir comes in…
"In the depths of your pain lies the power to illuminate countless lives. Your journey, once marked by shadows, now carries the seeds of inspiration and healing. Let your words dance upon the pages, for through your memoir, you gift others the courage to face their own darkness and find the flicker of hope within.”
-Lissa Rankin, MD, author of memoirs The Anatomy Of A Calling and Sacred Medicine
Trauma happens. You didn’t “manifest” your trauma. You didn’t “choose” your trauma. You didn’t “cause” your trauma. But it happens. How we handle life’s setbacks- and whether we can find meaning and purpose in what we went through- can be the lynchpin between slow decline and resilient breakthrough.
Writing about what you’ve been through and taking charge of your story in a therapeutic way can be a first step towards healing a broken heart, regaining trust, grieving what you’ve lost, and starting to feel safe again after you’ve been through something hard. Sometimes that’s enough- and nobody else needs to read what you’ve written.
But many people feel a passionate activist spirit that compels us to feel a strong sense of mission, a calling that guides us to want to use our stories and share what we’ve learned along our healing journeys with others who are not quite as far on the path of healing. Unfortunately, that calling doesn’t usually come with instructions or a business plan. That’s where Mentoring Your Memoir comes in…
"In the depths of your pain lies the power to illuminate countless lives. Your journey, once marked by shadows, now carries the seeds of inspiration and healing. Let your words dance upon the pages, for through your memoir, you gift others the courage to face their own darkness and find the flicker of hope within.”
-Lissa Rankin, MD, author of memoirs The Anatomy Of A Calling and Sacred Medicine
This is for you if ...
- You’ve survived something hard, you know you have a story in you worth telling, and you suspect it will help others who are going through something similar to what you’ve survived
- You’ve learned the hard way how to endure suffering and wish someone had written the book you needed back then, which you intend to write
- Writing memoir material has been therapeutic and healing for you, but you sense that what you’re writing is meant not just for your own eyes, but to help others
-
You have ambitions to write, publish a book, give a TED talk, teach online courses, lead a workshop, run retreats, offer ethical, safe coaching or counseling for others, or otherwise make a living helping others who are struggling the way you did
- You need a jump start to get you started towards bringing your vision of your calling into reality
-
You need a community of inspiration, collaboration, and support to take the next steps towards your calling
-
You’ve already written a memoir but you’re not sure what to do next or how to make a living from supporting others with what you’ve learned
-
You know the kind of support you wish you had when you felt lost and alone- and you want to be part of the solution for others
-
You’re interested in helping other survivors who have struggled in similar ways as you, but you want to make sure you don’t hurt anyone in the process
“You are a hero. I am a hero. We are all, every single one of us, on what mythologist Joseph Campbell calls ‘a hero’s journey,’ carrying within us a Nelson Mandela or Joan of Arc or Luke Skywalker or Mother Teresa or Helen Keller. We are all Bilbo Baggins and Erin Brockovich and Oprah and Harry Potter. Like all of these classic heroes, we are all little sparks of divinity on a mission to step into our true nature.. But if you’re like most of us, you may not yet realize what a hero you really are…”
-Lissa Rankin, MD, opening paragraph from The Anatomy Of A Calling
This weekend workshop will help you:
- Get clear on the parts of your life’s story you wish to write, either as a memoir or hybrid memoir/ self-help book
- Figure out and get help with healthy boundaries in your writing- and how to deal with whatever resistance you (or others) might have about the secrets you might wish to reveal and the people who might wish you’d stay silent
- Make a plan to be accountable to yourself and others to complete the memoir you know you need to write
- Gain clarity on your target audience so you’re crystal clear about the “ideal client” who might still be in the hell you’re in the process of healing from
-
Decide whether you wish to publish your memoir, and if so, whether to self publish a book, seek book publishing through a publishing company, or release your writing in some other way
- Have the opportunity to participate in a small writing group that will offer unconditionally loving support, gushing praise and encouragement for your writing (muses need cheerleading!)
-
Participate in an optional mastermind to brainstorm your writing, your visions, and your entrepreneurial, non-profit, or activist ideas with other brilliant, kind-hearted, altruistic visionaries who are committed to helping each other succeed and thrive
-
Learn your options for letting the public read your writing and begin to experiment with ways to release your writing into the world at a safe, brave pace that feels right to you, without bullying or pressure
- Learn the nuts and bolts of “how to build a platform,” which is required by most major publishing houses before you’ll qualify for a book deal
- Understand the basics of how to write a book proposal (which is required for most first time authors who wish to publish a memoir or hybrid memoir/ self-help book through a major publishing house)
- Get clear on what it takes to find an agent and/or publishing house- and get the most lucrative book deal possible
- Brainstorm ways to help your target audience (and potentially earn income) beyond just writing and releasing a book
-
Consider ethical and scope of practice issues to make sure you’re not overstepping bounds you’re not trained to deal with
- Use Internal Family Systems (IFS) to deal with parts of you that might want you to write a book and fulfill a spiritual or activist calling and other parts that might wish to sabotage your mission or muzzle your storytelling to keep you safe
“Embrace the transformative alchemy of storytelling, and with each chapter, breathe life into the hearts of those who yearn for understanding. Your voice, forged by adversity, becomes a guiding light, leading others out of the depths and towards the radiant shores of resilience.
Your story, born from the embers of hardship, has the power to ignite the flames of resilience within countless souls. Let your pen become a catalyst for transformation, and may your memoir be a testament to the extraordinary strength that dwells within us all."
-Lissa Rankin, MD
Saturday, April 26th, 2025
Session One
9:00 am - 10:30 am PST
Who Are You Writing For?
Session Two
10:30 am - Noon PST
Figuring Out Structure
If you've been writing for a while, chances are good that you have pages and pages of content and little idea how to weave it all together. Every story needs a plot, even true stories and memoirs. So what's the plot of your story?
Figuring out your story arc will help you organize your existing content and focus your writing going forward. We'll talk about different ways memoirs can be structured, without imposing so much structure that your creative process gets hampered.
We’ll also dig into the deeper themes and emotional undercurrents that make your story resonate with readers. We’ll explore how to pinpoint the central question or conflict at the heart of your memoir, and use it to guide the shape and flow of your narrative. By identifying the pivotal moments and the personal transformations they trigger, you’ll learn how to braid seemingly unrelated experiences into a compelling tapestry of insight, tension, and meaning.
Noon - 1:00 pm PST
Lunch break + Q&A
Session Three
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm PST
Building A Platform & Your Visionary Writer’s Website
(with Nicolay Kreidler)
For better or for worse, publishing changed with the advent of the internet and social media. The good news is that writers, artists, and musicians are no longer dependent on publishers, galleries, and recording studios! We can reach an audience on our own. And once you have a "platform" and an audience of your own, you can market not only books, art, or music but also online programs, physical products, downloadable meditations, music, and other digital or physical products.
The bad news is that if you're considering publishing your work with conventional publishing, publishers now expect writers to have a "platform" of readers who are primed to buy their book.
Writing talent still matters, but sadly, the size of your platform matters more than your talent. So now's the time to shore up those followers, get them organized and start building those relationships. At the end of the day, you have to get your work "out there" and this session will help you find your platform and your mode of expression.
This session with Nicolay Kreidler will talk about ways to build an online platform, as well as a website that will be your digital voice in the world and help you reach your impact goals.
Sunday, April 27th, 2025
Session Four
9:00 - 10:30 PST
Your Memoir As Your Calling Card For Other Business Ventures
(with Nicolay Kreidler)
Not every storyteller needs to make a living with their story. It might be a side hustle or even a project self-funded by other income. But in case you do want to earn money from your story, this session will talk about how your story could be a calling card for other potential entrepreneurial business ventures, whether it's one-on-one sessions, online programs, digital workbooks, speaking engagements, transformational workshops, or corporate consulting.
Once people read a memoir like Eat, Pray, Love, or Wild, readers are dying to have a deeper experience with the people who told those stories. So let's talk about how to anticipate what those who hear your story might want from you in ways that are win-win, ethical transactions.
Nicolay Kreidler will join us to talk about his experience supporting Lissa's business, as well as other transformational leaders, from the viewpoint of both strategy and backend tech. Consider your memoir as the most authentic "pitch" you could ever make. Your memoir can serve as the cornerstone of your personal brand, helping you to reach a wider audience and open doors to new opportunities.
Session Five
10:30 am - Noon PST
Your Book Proposal, Finding An Agent, Traditional Publishing, Or Self Publishing
Time for the nitty gritty nuts and bolts of actually getting your book out there! Writing is the fun part, but if you actually want to see a book on your book shelf, there are decisions to be made and barriers to entry to be overcome. In this session, we'll discuss book proposals, how to get an agent, and how to decide which format and which way you want to put your story out there.
Writing is fun and creative, but the reality is that publishing a book requires a business plan. How will you reach your ideal reader? What will motivate them to buy your book over all the other millions of books out there? How can you create a plan to sell books before the book is even written? Any publisher will require you to go through this process, so let's actually take some time to do it together.
Noon - 1:00 pm PST
Lunch break + Q&A
Session Six
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm PST
Holding Yourself To Account
It's great to dream big. But how will you hold yourself to account without bullying your parts or indulging in parts that don't want you to write? What are the writing rituals you'll commit to? How will you change habits so you can actually carve out the time. How can you get to know the parts of you that signed up for this workshop but also the parts that might interfere with actually getting a book in your hands? We'll map out the parts related to accountability around intention setting and actually achieving our goals. And then we'll give you the opportunity to find an accountability partner or set up writing groups on your own with other students after the workshop is done.
The best way to build in accountability is to play with others who also want accountability! We'll teach you how to mastermind your ideas, build in accountability, and get inspiration from others as you journey forward.
"From the ashes of your pain, let your pen ignite a beacon of hope. Your words have the power to heal wounds, illuminate darkness, and inspire others to rise above their own struggles. Embrace the courage within you, for through your memoir, you will not only find catharsis but also extend a helping hand to those seeking solace in the echoes of your journey.
Your story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit, a roadmap for others to navigate their own paths to resilience and renewal. Embrace the transformative power of your truth, for within your vulnerability lies the potential to touch hearts, mend souls, and sow seeds of inspiration that will bloom into a garden of triumph for countless others. Write fearlessly, for your story is a gift of hope to a world in need of healing."
-Lissa Rankin, MD
Have you been working on telling your story or writing your memoir or in some other way for self-healing purposes, and now you’re starting to feel ready to share it with others who might benefit from it?
Do you feel a strong sense of purpose arising, as if it’s bubbling to the surface and about to burst through like a beach ball held underwater, to tell your story so you can help others like you heal?
Are you ready to start feeling calm, clear, confident, creative, and connected from privately grappling with your story in your inner world, and instead of feeling terrified to take the risk of public disclosure?
Are you thinking of finally publishing your book, posting your story online, performing your play, or recording your album about your story?
Have you put your story into writing or art or music, and now you need a jump start to help you facilitate your next steps?
WHY?
Imagine what the world would be like if we didn’t have Maya Angelou’s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Liz Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, Richard Wright’s Black Boy, Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking, Glennon Doyle’s Untamed, Tarana Burke’s Unbound, and every book Anne Lamott and Mary Carr have ever written? All of these books are stories of traumas turned into art that heals not only those who tell the stories but also those who read, listen, and feel.
Think of all the cult survivors comforted by the memoirs of other cult survivors, the refugees healed by other refugee memoirs, or the memoirs of those who have lost a loved one that provide refuge for those who are grieving. Think of the stories of marginalized people who help heal racism, homophobia, sexism, or xenophobia by telling their stories and enlightening us all. Think of sick people who help heal and offer hope to other sick people or survivors of narcissistic abuse who validate that others like them are not crazy or foolish.
Even if a thousand people have told stories about something similar to what you went through, nobody has ever told your story your way. Plus, nobody else will ever be beautiful, wise, awakening YOU.
Creating art from your story in whatever form it flows out is the first step to letting your storytelling be medicine for your therapeutic process. When we exercise agency and take control of our story, transforming it into a work of beauty and grace, even if it’s also painful, we help solidify the neurological process of “memory reconsolidation,” not only rewriting our story into one of transformation but also rewiring our neural pathways to prepare for the neurophysiology of healing, rather than trauma.
Even if a thousand people have told stories about something similar to what you went through, nobody has ever told your story your way. Plus, nobody else will ever be beautiful, wise, awakening YOU.
Creating art from your story in whatever form it flows out is the first step to letting your storytelling be medicine for your therapeutic process. When we exercise agency and take control of our story, transforming it into a work of beauty and grace, even if it’s also painful, we help solidify the neurological process of “memory reconsolidation,” not only rewriting our story into one of transformation but also rewiring our neural pathways to prepare for the neurophysiology of healing, rather than trauma.
It’s a brave moment when your story becomes your power and your power become your purpose- to help others heal the way you have at least started to heal, whether you’re preparing to tell your story via memoir writing, fiction writing, art-making, playwriting, songwriting, public speaking, blogging, social media, a podcast, a YouTube channel, or some other creative outlet,
"Everyone has a story to tell and telling it is important. Sharing 'this is who I am, these are the things that shaped me, this is where I am now' allows a kind of magic and healing to happen." - Nancy Slonim Aronie, author of Memoir As Medicine
++ BonuS PROGRAMs
Pre-Recorded Program
Visionary Ignition Switch
Fire Up Up Your Message, Money and Meaning in the World
This online business school for spiritually-minded visionaries is aimed at those who feel clear about what they’re called to do in the world, but they feel like the world’s best-kept secret, like their message isn’t yet reaching the people they know need what they have to offer. This collaboration between Lissa Rankin, MD, and Amy Ahlers covers building a platform, effective networking, scoring a book deal, launching your book, bringing your message to keynote stages, building your online empire, monetizing your following, and the mindset of getting out of your own way.
"From the ashes of your pain, let your pen ignite a beacon of hope. Your words have the power to heal wounds, illuminate darkness, and inspire others to rise above their own struggles. Embrace the courage within you, for through your memoir, you will not only find catharsis but also extend a helping hand to those seeking solace in the echoes of your journey. Your story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit, a roadmap for others to navigate their own paths to resilience and renewal. Embrace the transformative power of your truth, for within your vulnerability lies the potential to touch hearts, mend souls, and sow seeds of inspiration that will bloom into a garden of triumph for countless others. Write fearlessly, for your story is a gift of hope to a world in need of healing."
-Lissa Rankin, MD
Pre-Recorded Program
Memoir As Medicine
A Healing Writing Workshop with Lissa Rankin, MD and Nancy Slonim Aronie
Have you ever thought of writing your memoir as part of your healing process? If so, you’re not alone. Kick off your creativity and join writing teachers Lissa Rankin, MD and Nancy Aronie as they combine forces for six 2-hour live recorded video sessions. This healing writing workshop, based on Nancy’s book – Memoir as Medicine, will help you create beauty from the life challenges that made you who you are today.
Pre-Recorded Program
The Literary Agent's Perspective
MICHELE MARTIN, Literary agent at MDM Management
This two-part prerecorded workshop offers practical support, advice from Lissa, Lissa’s literary agent Michele Martin, and former Sounds True editor and memoirist Jennifer Brown, with Q&A around the book publishing process. We discuss traditional book publishing versus self-publishing, how to get the right literary agent, what acquisitions editors look for in a memoir, and some tips for structuring your memoir.
What Serves The Reader
JENNIFER YVETTE BROWN, Writer and former executive editor at Sounds True
Sample Six Figure Book Proposals
from Lissa Rankin and her partner Jeffrey Rediger
So you can get an idea of the kinds of business plans publishers are looking for.
This workshop will be recorded
Mentor Your Memoir
Early Bird Registration $297
Only $197*
USD
Including All Bonuses
If the cost of this workshop presents a financial hardship, we hope you will contact us for tuition adjustment options. Please write to support@lissarankin.com
++ ADDITIONAL OFFERING
In addition to the core program we are excited to offer this personal one-on-one coaching program with Lissa for those who want the intimate guidance and accountability partner.
TRANSFORMATIONAL MENTORING
Lissa Rankin, MD
Lissa is currently accepting a limited number of new clients for one-on-one mentoring, offering IFS-informed guidance that spans business strategy, creative development, healthcare innovation, and personal transformation. Each session is tailored to your specific journey and goals, whether you're writing your first book, starting a visionary business, launching a revolutionary healthcare practice, or bringing your healing gifts to a wider audience.
Think of this as your personalized roadmap to turning your vision into reality, supported by someone who's walked this path and helped countless others do the same.
With a creative career that spans authoring eight books, practicing as an OB/GYN and mind-body physician, being an expert in the field of traumatology, online influencer, keynote speaker, workshop leader, founding both an educational institute and a non-profit, teaching memoir writing, and a functioning as a professional artist with gallery representation at ten galleries, Lissa has a variety of gifts she can offer to those who seek one-on-one mentoring support.
Although Lissa is no longer accepting patients as a medical doctor, Lissa is now accepting new clients on a first-come, first serve basis for one-on-one IFS-informed mentoring related to visionary business mentoring, guidance with book-writing and publishing, health care coaching, and relationship coaching.
About Lissa Rankin, M.D.
Her third book, the New York Times bestseller Mind Over Medicine, has sold over 300,000 copies in 28 languages.
In addition to putting in her 100,000 hours and writing every day, in 2012, Lissa founded the Whole Health Medicine Institute, where she and a team of luminary faculty train physicians and other health care providers about “Whole Health” and the “6 Steps to Healing Yourself.” Lissa has starred in two National Public Television specials, her TEDx talks have been viewed over 5 million times, and she leads workshops, both online and at retreat centers like Esalen, 1440, Omega, and Kripalu.
Her latest health equity project is non-profit work committed to democratizing trauma healing and spiritual healing while eliminating the public health epidemic of loneliness, bringing Internal Family Systems and other healing modalities out of its current status as a luxury good to anyone who needs it and is open to it, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, or gender identity.
Lissa lives bicoastally, half time in the San Francisco Bay Area with her daughter Mira, who is also a writer, and her puppy Gaia, who would tell great stories if only she knew how- and half time in Cape Cod with her partner Jeffrey Rediger, author of CURED, who is currently working on his own memoir-writing therapeutic journey.
About Nicolay Kreidler
Nicolay has been Lissa's business manager for the last five years. In 2009 he founded Lead Grow Thrive, a mission-driven marketing agency dedicated to amplifying the impact of non-profits, social enterprises, and purpose-driven organizations.
With over three decades of experience in leadership, advocacy, and innovation, he brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to every project.
Nicolay is a seasoned entrepreneur and strategist, in hospitality, health & wellness, and social-impact ventures. Guided by a core belief that businesses can be both profitable and deeply purposeful, he merges operational know-how, empathetic leadership, and mindful use of technology to help mission-driven organizations thrive.
His passion lies in empowering founders to develop streamlined, scalable systems without sacrificing their ethics or vision. Nicolay’s holistic approach stems from a lifetime of building diverse teams, championing community causes, and translating complex challenges into clear, actionable steps. By focusing on measurable outcomes and fostering genuine human connection, he ensures that every venture he touches drives real change in people’s lives.
As a co-facilitator of this course, Nicolay brings a unique blend of strategic thinking and heart-centered leadership—showing participants how to harmonize revenue growth with social responsibility, and ultimately create businesses that stand the test of time.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do I contact customer service?
Please contact us by sending an email to support@lissarankin.com
What kind of technology will I need in order to participate?
In order to participate in this course, you will need to:
a. Access Zoom for the live calls and
b. Access our learning platform through a web browser like Chrome or Safari. Teachable is a platform that hosts all the material for the course, including class recordings.
You will need a good connection to the internet. You can use a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet, or a smartphone.
Do you offer stipends or adjustments?
We believe that money should not be an obstacle to healing. If you currently do not have the means please write to support@lissarankin.com
I can't make some or any of the live calls
Many participants do not come to the live calls for many reasons ranging from time zones to work schedules or emergencies. For some its simply a choice. All classes are recorded and made available together with any material indefinitely on our teaching site. Chose what is best for you. You will not miss out on any content.
I am visually impaired
A person who is visually impaired will be able to navigate our content using a reader and other common navigational tools. We do not rely on slides or other visual representations.
Where can I access the recorded calls?
Once you have signed up you will log in to our learning platform where you will find all recordings and material. It takes time to provide the content after a call. Usually we will post within 24 hours. You will have access to everything for the indefinite future.
Can you call me?
We are not resourced to make calls to individuals. You can reach us by email at support@lissarankin.com.
I don't have Facebook!
If there is an associated private Facebook group, we recommend you join. It is optional but not critical for the course so don't worry if you don't have Facebook.
Can I cancel?
Once you make a payment it triggers a series of events and expenses on our side from payment processing costs to adding you to lists and platforms. If you cancel, we cannot recoup those costs and will have to pass them on to you. Please read our terms carefully before you make a purchase. Terms
