While changes in self-experience have been suggested as an element of recovery from schizophrenia, little is known about how they are linked with other subjective indicators of recovery. To examine this, we have developed methods of eliciting narratives of self and illness in schizophrenia and quantitatively rating self-experience expressed within those narratives. In this study, we rated the narratives of 34 persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorder prior to entry into rehabilitation using the Scale to Assess Narrative Development (STAND). STAND scores were then correlated with concurrent assessments of self-esteem using the Rosenberg Self Esteem schedule and readiness for change using the Stages of Change Questionnaire. Results indicated that higher ratings on the STAND were associated with greater levels of self-esteem and greater overall readiness for change. This may suggest that qualities of self-experience within personal narratives of persons with schizophrenia are linked to objective and subjective assessments of recovery.