After hitting rock bottom with addiction and homelessness, Adam Vibe Gunton transformed his life’s darkest chapter into a mission of hope. Today, as the Founder and Managing Partner of Behavioral Health Partners and Executive Director of Recovered on Purpose, Adam has helped thousands break free from addiction through the power of personal storytelling.
His book “From Chains to Saved,” published in 2019, has reached over 10,000 readers worldwide, validating his belief that authentic stories can create lasting change. “With all the messages and emails I received, asking for help or sharing how my story helped them, I knew our ticket for solving this crisis was through our stories,” Adam reflects.
Finding a New Purpose
Seven years ago, Adam’s future looked bleak. Struggling with addiction and homelessness, he couldn’t envision a way out. “After thinking it wasn’t possible for me, I knew it was my life’s purpose to help as many people find the same freedom I found,” he shares, describing the turning point that would reshape his life’s trajectory. This transformation led him to develop a unique methodology for helping others articulate their recovery journeys. His approach isn’t just about telling stories – it’s about crafting narratives that can inspire and guide others through their own healing processes.
Developing a Storytelling Method
Adam’s method breaks down the daunting task of sharing one’s recovery journey into manageable, strategic steps. His process helps individuals not only recall their experiences but organize them into a compelling narrative that can impact others facing similar challenges.
“Every single one of you has a story that has the power to change someone else’s life that is struggling right now,” Adam emphasizes. “Maybe you’ve overcome addiction, maybe you’ve overcome a serious injury, or maybe you’re the first in your family to graduate college. Every struggle we have overcome is someone else’s struggle now.”
To help everyone out there, Adam created a three-step process for storytelling:
Step 1: The Story Vault Mind Dump
Adam’s first step involves a unique journaling exercise. “Get a journal and a pen and set a timer for 25 minutes,” he instructs. “In those 25 minutes, as quickly as you can, write every experience you can remember from your entire life in 5 words or less.” He emphasizes the importance of taking breaks between writing sessions, allowing the mind to reset and memories to surface naturally. “Have a phone call, get a glass of water, take a walk. Just get your focus off of it,” he advises.
Step 2: Timeline Categories
The second phase involves organizing experiences into five distinct categories, creating a coherent timeline of transformation. “Next to each story, write a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5,” Adam explains. These numbers correspond to different life phases:
- Life before troubles
- Beginning of struggles
- The darkest times
- The recovery process
- Life after recovery
“This is where you are going to connect with your audience who are experiencing this struggle now,” Adam says about the crucial middle phase. “Your process of how you escaped and overcame this struggle should be duplicatable for others to be freed from it.”
Step 3: The Hero’s Journey Mindmap
The final step synthesizes the most impactful moments into a coherent narrative. “Draw a circle in the middle of a page with 5 lines coming out from it,” Adam instructs. “Pick three experiences from each category and place them next to each line so you have a chronological map of your hero’s journey.” He emphasizes the importance of selecting experiences that reinforce the intended message: “To pick these three, make them the most significant experiences that point the audience to the message you are trying to share.”
Through his work at Behavioral Health Partners and Recovered on Purpose, Adam continues to demonstrate how structured storytelling can transform personal trauma into powerful tools for healing and growth. His methodology offers a practical framework for those ready to share their journey and inspire others toward recovery. “Your story could be their ticket for a new life,” Adam concludes, emphasizing the ripple effect that sharing personal experiences can have on others’ recovery journeys.
To learn more about Adam Vibe Gunton and his approach, check out his LinkedIn profile.
