Josh LaForte has adapted Life Story Board into his approach with Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT on Wikepedia) . In the November 2025 LSB Practice Group meeting he shared a three-step process he devised for a known youth client, involving three persons: the Client; the Listener, someone known and safe; and Guide /therapist. They are arranged around the Life Story Board thus:
The Client sits before the Yellow ‘Inside’ Zone. The Listener is seated before the Red ‘Outside’ zone. The Guide is to one side.
Step 1: Client shares a significant life event , something that affected themselves, in the past or present,which they storyboard in the Yellow zone, personal / inside.
Step 2: As outsider witness, Listener listens to the process, and re-tells how they understand the story. This is storyboarded in the ‘Outside’ space, above the Red Zone.
Step 3: “The client reflects on what they hear- how their own story affected someone else. It gets them thinking differently, even about their own story, which enriches their narrative. The Green Zone is the pace for processing the two versions, how they resonate in the moment, And as emotions and feelings arise, they can be noted, with opportunity to apply and practice the Six Mindfulness Skills.
“This three step process has gone over very well.”… ELABORATE
As LSB practitioner, Josh says “I think creative people in general gravitate towards this modality (LSB). It is fairly abstract at first, its practical advantages come through over time. many modalities can be integrated into the life story board process, once you grasp the theory and its practical implications. It’s a really good tool, once things begin to click together.”