As adolescents face an unprecedented time of difficulty, we see a rise in suicidality, self-harming behaviors, identity confusion, anxiety, depression, negative social media impact, truancy, and isolation in teens. We believe a common thread in these challenges lies in youths’ misunderstanding of their own power to create the life and self they want and the misguided belief that life is happening to them. As we listen to participants’ stories of their past, My Story Matters helps teens gain evidence-based, therapeutic tools to meet these challenges as the authors of their own stories. They not only learn to tell their story, but to actually create the story of their lives and selves by connecting to a purpose driven vision of identity. My Story Matters empowers individuals and communities toward necessary change. Using trauma informed strategies, My Story Matters facilitators partner with participants through the experience of determining life focus, building positive communities, developing purpose driven identity, adopting a growth mindset, and engaging with daily, focused action. My Story Matters expands the singular focus of behavior and supports foundational attention to the additional systems of individuals impacted by trauma including beliefs, biology, bodies, and brains. In doing so, we employ a strengths based perspective that acknowledges what is wrong, but focuses on building upon what is strong.