The Story Solution

Anna Katharina Schaffner

The voice in your head? It’s telling a story, and it might be holding you back. Anna Katharina Schaffner unpacks the six toxic narratives we tell ourselves, from “I’m not enough” to “the world is against me” - and shows how to break their grip. Blending psychology, real-life case studies, and practical tools, this is a powerful guide to rewriting your inner script and taking back control.

Anna Katharina Schaffner, PhD, is a burnout and executive coach, a clinical hypnotherapist, and a writer. In her previous life she was a Professor of Cultural History, but she is feeling much better now. She is the author of 'The Story Solution: Change your Toxic Self-Story and Thrive' (Profile, 2026), 'Exhausted: An A-Z for the Weary' (Profile, 2024), 'The Art of Self-Improvement: Ten Timeless Truths' (Yale University Press, 2021), and 'Exhaustion: A History' (Columbia University Press, 2016). Her writing and research have featured in the BBC, Guardian, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Psychologies, TLS, National Geographic, and various other media. She writes a regular blog for Psychology Today.