The Story Solution: Change your Toxic Self-Stories and Thrive

Change your Toxic Self-Story and Thrive



Have you ever told yourself one of these?

I'm stupid... I'm ugly... I'm bad...
I'm the best... I'm a victim... I'm different...

We all tell ourselves stories to make sense of our place in the world and why we are the way we are. Sadly, the most damaging ones often dominate and hold us back.

In The Story Solution, coach Anna Katharina Schaffner identifies the six core self-blaming and world-blaming stories, revealing how to break free from these self-sabotaging scripts and release yourself from their grip.

Mixing powerful psychological tools and practical guidance, this empowering course will help you to rewrite your self-story in five accessible steps and learn how to grow, thrive and prosper

This course is for anyone who struggles with automatic negative thoughts, unhelpful core beliefs, negative self-talk, harsh inner critics and a lack of self-confidence.


It teaches you powerful metacognitive techniques from ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), co-active coaching, ancient wisdom, and clinical hypnotherapy.


"Compassionate, insightful and empowering. Anna Katharina Schaffner is one of the wisest authors I know."

David Robson, author of THE LAWS OF CONNECTION

"It's one thing to know that the stories we tell ourselves can be tremendously unhelpful, but unpicking and retelling them is another, much harder thing. This excellent book supports us through that process, teaching us how we landed upon the narratives that play over and over in our heads, and how to turn them into something better, healthier and more kind."

Rebecca Seal, author of BE BAD, BETTER

"The narrative you tell yourself is either limiting you or expanding you. This is a useful book to help you understand the stories that you tell yourself and whether they are helpful ... or not."

Nahid de Belgeonne, author of SOOTHE


"When I first started working with Anna I was in a waking coma - depressed, exhausted, suffering from panic attacks and crippling self-doubts. I had tried lots of different therapies but nothing helped. Anna helped me to reconnect with my inner strength and resources and to trust myself and my body again. I am so grateful she is in my life. Best of all, she has given me the courage to radically change my life and reorientate myself professionally - I am now highly motivated again and have dared to follow my heart and passion." - CEO


"Working with Anna has been an incredible experience. Anna’s wisdom and guidance have helped me understand the burnout I experienced and how I want to show up in the world, my life, and my career. Anna’s insights and thoughtful questions helped me to make peace with decisions of the past and gain clarity on what I want to feel and experience in the present & beyond. I am grateful for Anna’s support to help me thrive and dance through the chaos." - Project Manager


"Thank you so much for all your help. I have met you when I was in a really dark place, and you helped me to see the light again, to climb out of the hole, and to plan the next chapter of my life with hope, vision, and confidence." - Professional Athlete

Example Curriculum

  Chapter 1: Introduction - What Is a Self-Story and Why Does it Matter?
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  Chapter 2: The Six Toxic Self-Story Scripts
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  Chapter 3: The Five-Step Self-Story Change Process
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  Chapter 4: Stepping Into Action
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Anna Katharina Schaffner, PhD


I am a writer and a burnout and executive coach. I am a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach(CPCC), and I also hold a Diploma in Integrative Evidence-Based Clinical Hypnotherapy & Mind Body Health Practice (PDHyp/MBH) from the International College of Clinical Hypnosis Practitioners, as well as qualifications in ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy).

In my previous life, I used to be a Professor of Cultural History at a British university, but I am feeling much better now. I couldn’t be happier now, doing what I truly love, and helping others to make courageous changes in their lives. 

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I am the author of The Story Solution: Change your Toxic Self-Story and Thrive (Profile, 2026), Exhausted: An A-Z for the Weary (Profile, 2024), Exhaustion: A History (Columbia University Press, 2016) and The Art of Self-Improvement: Ten Timeless Truths (Yale University Press, 2021).

​My writing has appeared in the Times Literary Supplement, the Guardian, the LA Review of Books, Psychology Today, PositivePsychology, AEON and PSYCHE. My research has been discussed in national and international media, including on BBC Radio 4 and WBUR, as well as in Vogue, the Atlantic, the Financial Times, National Geographic, Philosophie Magazine and Psychologies.​

I am an introvert who loves people. In my spare time, I play the piano and do kick-boxing. I live with my daughter, partner and two Siberian cats in a quaint English cathedral town.