Anna’s childhood experiences and dysfunctional family patterns loom over her journey to adulthood. She struggles with relationships and cannot trust the good ones, eventually finding herself in an abusive relationship, as family secrets unfold in unpredictable ways.
Locked in a cycle of reacting to her emotional triggers and past, she constantly asks herself, What is wrong with me?
Through her journey to manage emotions and relationships, Anna gleams therapeutic insights and psychological tools, learning to cope with her mental health and discover healthy behaviors that lead to happiness and meaningful relationships. A fictional tale with a self-help twist, readers follow Anna as she hopes to answer one of life’s many questions.
How does one break free from the only role and life they’ve ever known?
In this, my third book, all I can share is those experiences of struggle I’ve had, in four domains. The conflicts have centered around: (1) Loss and Trauma; (2) challenges to find the best Direction, that ‘now, what’ dilemma ; (3) battles to find and empower inner and outer Voice; and (4) conflicts arising from Love, or the appearance of its absence. You will find the four are not distinct entities, but are interwoven with one another. This is so for clients, over the last 50 years, as well. Think of these categories as bumper cars, where when one car hits an obstacle, it sets off a chain reaction. While struggles to survive each experience is painful, it has proven true that the toughest conflicts have been the most prolific seedbed for growth. The urge to grow is embedded in all creation. Blocked growth thwarts development.
Meet Cara Barker
Visionary artist Dr. Cara Lee Barker has spent over 40 years to support the process of Post Traumatic Growth, helping literally thousands of individuals transform their secret suffering into greater strength. Learn about Cara’s journey and be reminded that the process of disappointment and loss doesn’t end with acceptance; the stage of acceptance simply prepares us for deeper connection and collaboration with what helps us thrive. Her work, for close to half a century, focuses on what she calls “the Way of Soul;” aligning life with what nourishes body and soul. Join in to explore and act upon unexpected opportunity to love and be loved to create fuller enjoyment of life.
As first responders and military we are the heroes for everyone else. We are first on the scene to emergencies at home and abroad.
So what then do we do when we are drowning and searching for breath? What do we do when we can’t escape the shadow that follows us in the sun and the darkness? What do we do when our world is spinning out of control and our world is falling apart?
I know this world. I lived under the rough seas and the shadow of PTS(D) for 10 years. As a Navy Rescue Swimmer with service in the special operations community and as a firefighter, I embraced the suck! It took me 10 years to discover what is embraced, embraces you back. I wrote this book to share my journey and show you it is possible to reclaim fun, fitness and fortitude. It is possible to come out from under the shadow and the depths.
It is possible to Reclaim Your Hero and transform your pain into power and thrive. Numquam Deficio! Never quit! Hooyah!
Meet Mathew Grace
Mathew Grace is a devoted father, a Retired Navy Rescue Swimmer, Professional Firefighter, speaker and mentor. He discovered how to Reclaim his Hero and free himself from a 10 year battle with PTS(D). His mission is to show veterans and first responders how to break through the powerlessness, overwhelm and darkness of PTS(D) so they can reclaim confidence, movement and freedom once again. Hooyah!
You’re probably considering this book because you’re struggling with mental health. Maybe it’s anxiety, maybe it’s depression, PTSD, or something else. Or perhaps, you have friends or family members with these conditions. Or perhaps you’re a health/fitness professional, wanting to help your clients or patients. If so, then this book is for you.
In this book, you will learn:
Anxiety and depression nutrition guidance: what to eat, and what to avoid eating to improve the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
The benefits of exercise for mental health
The anti anxiety food solution (2 very common drinks that you may be consuming, which could be making your anxiety worse… or possibly even being the root cause).
The connections between mental health and nutrition
How to improve your mental health naturally (using exercise, nutrition and supplements)
Does exercise help anxiety? Only if you use the right intensity (and it’s not high intensity). Find out why in this book.
Exercise and anxiety: what’s the right exercise prescription (type, duration, frequency and intensity)? Get this wrong, and you could make your anxiety worse.
The most effective natural supplements for depression.
The most effective anxiety supplements for anxiety
Two common conditions frequently misdiagnosed as anxiety and depression
…and so much more.
Meet Igor Klibanov
Igor Klibanov is the author of 7 books on exercise and nutrition, including the bestsellers “High Blood Pressure Reversal Secrets” and “Type 2 Diabetes Reversal Secrets.”
He was selected as one of the top 5 personal trainers in Toronto by the Metro News newspaper, and has also had various stories featured about him in major media, like the Toronto Star, Global News, and various local TV stations.
Igor is the founder and owner of Fitness Solutions Plus, a personal training and fitness/health education company.
Igor is one of the most sought-after wellness speakers in Ontario, having delivered over 400 speaking engagements for some of the world’s largest companies, including IBM, American Express, the Royal Bank of Canada, and many others.
To book Igor as a speaker at your event, please email him at [email protected]
A lot of people will struggle with their mental health because of recent developments around the globe. Some who profess faith in God may wonder, where is God in all of this mess? Why does God seem so distant when the storms of life rage? In this book, you will discover that no matter the challenges you face, God is mindful of you. Depression is already a major problem that many experience today. But God, who is mindful of His own, can touch the downcast in soul and restore them to wholeness. Expect the presence and truths of God to bring healing to your life as you read God is mindful of you. Connecting with God when our connectivity seems to have gone awry can appear to be adding pressure to pressure. But here is a book that reminds us that God’s ability to connect with us never wavers. Dr. Hugh Osgood, President, Churches in Communities
God is mindful of you gently walks readers through a practical understanding of how God holds and guides us in our deepest struggles… Thank you for the opportunity to read yet another powerful book! Theresa Harvard Johnson, The Scribal Conservatory Arts & Worship Centre, Atlanta
Although mental illness has received diverse attention at higher institutions of learning worldwide, it is concerning that this is rarely the case amongst Christians who are ever expected to walk and live by faith and all kinds of positive confessions. With this work, our brother has proved that the Lord is mighty to save a mind that is afflicted of the devil. From sharing his own instance, as well as expounding experiences of notable 5-Star Biblical characters, Tokunbo has given us all, sufferers and their families, the opportunity to be open, sincere and believe in a God that wipes away every tears. Dr Ola-Kris Akinola, PhD., Pretoria, South Africa
These poems are about therapy and life’s struggles. They take you on a verbal, visual and emotional journey. Written for anyone who reaches for deeper meaning in their inner and outer worlds, or who strives for personal growth through the puzzling process of becoming and being, this intricate, poetic and artistic tapestry invites the reader to engage on therapeutic, spiritual and philosophical levels. “Replenishes the soul… Brimming with honour and compassion.” – Amazon reviewer “… very beautiful and a moving evocation of therapy / soul work.” Professor Joy Schaverien, Jungian Psychoanalyst, Author of ‘Boarding School Syndrome: The Psychological Trauma of the Privileged Child’ “…an extraordinary accomplishment. …full of emotion, pain, and hope.” Pauline Andrew MA Couns/Psych, Director, Deep Release, Managing Director, Barnabas Counselling Training.
This book offers a compassionate and dignified view of distress and brokenness, while pointing to the beautiful and mysterious energies and immense healing resources of the mind. A collection of inspirational shaped poetry and corresponding artwork by the author, these are Richard’s reflections on psychotherapy and the creative energy and healing power of the mind, woven into a tapestry of metaphors and forms. This book explores archetypal themes underlying the therapeutic journey. The reader is invited to dive in to the intertwined verbal and visual world of the book – and themselves – to engage with their own experience and process. Themes running through the book include: light and dark, annihilation and resurgence; fragmentation and integration, transformation, healing and wholeness; concealment and discovery; identity, authenticity and becoming; creativity, energy, cycles and music; cellular, personal and universal perspectives. There is an air of mystery as the book raises questions and contains ambiguities and puzzles. The richly concentrated style is thought-provoking and moving, and its pages can be read rewardingly many times. It is written for anyone who finds life a challenge, for clients and students of therapy, for counsellors, psychotherapists, and others concerned with mental health. It may also appeal on a spiritual and philosophical level, and to anyone interested in shaped poetry. The substance of the poetry is expressed both in the shapes and in the words, and there is an essential coherence in the relationship between them. There is an unexpected depth and multi-layered symbolism to be found in the imagery, which is a vital, architectural part of the whole, and models a personal space for nurturing psychological resources in a world where intense pressures frequently defy a healthy state of mind. This book reminds us that woundedness is not to be looked down on, that therapy is as much an art as a science, and that its essence can be as diverse and original as the mind itself.
Changing how you think is possible. I wasn’t always so sure that was true until I experienced it myself, but I know now we don’t have to just accept unhappiness. Not always anyway. This book is my collection of tips and suggestions that have helped me achieve happier thinking. It’s sort of a gym for my mind. I’d love to tell you it was easier than the real gym but well… it’s not really. It takes time, effort, and practice but it’s absolutely well worth the rewards.
Ever wonder what you loved one really thinks and feels about his combat related experiences ? Especially those events in a war zone that he will not open up and talk about … to you or anybody else? From the Preface of Season of Sorrows: Post Traumatic Disorder In The Combat Veteran reads in part “Season of Sorrows makes me smile, laugh, hurt and cry. You are painting a picture of war that few people have or will ever experience. It is important that you do this. I hope that these writings find their way to a larger audience than those of us privileged few who are experiencing them. War, to this generation, is a fictional activity, confined to movies and video games. Many of my students, when I was teaching high school, were intrigued by Vietnam and could only see what they thought was the glory and “coolness” of combat. The most asked question was “Did you ever kill anyone?” What bothered me was the way the question was asked, like wow, you were really cool if you had actually killed another human being. I thank God I was never put in the position where I had to. Their impressions were reinforced by the media coverage of Desert Storm, in which war was portrayed as a sterile video game like experience. I hope however, that you can find some way to publish Season of Sorrows in print also. This generation, and future generations need to hear not only your experiences but they need to hear your feelings and get even just a small glimpse of your hurt, fear and emotion. I know they will probably not be able to fully understand all they will read or hear, but even if they get just one small percentage point of understanding, they and society as a whole, will be the better for it.” If your loved one’s mental pain is more than you can stand or is now past your family’s understanding and patience, Season of Sorrows lets you in his/her world.
Ashamed of his past and overwhelmed by his future, Ronoah Genoveffa Elizzi-denna Pilanovani feels too small for his own name. After a graceless exit from his homeland in the Acharrioni desert, his anxiety has sabotaged every attempt at redemption. Asides from a fiery devotion to his godling, the one piece of home he brought with him, he has nothing.
That is, until he meets Reilin. Beguiling, bewildering Reilin, who whisks Ronoah up into a cross-continental pilgrimage to the most sacred place on the planet. The people they encounter on the way—children of the sea, a priestess and her band of storytellers, the lonely ghosts of monsters—are grim and whimsical in equal measure. Each has their part to play in rewriting Ronoah’s personal narrative.
One part fantasy travelogue, one part emotional underworld journey, The Heretic’s Guide to Homecoming is a sumptuous, slow-burning story about stories and the way they shape our lives.
