‘The Lacuna’
by Barbara Kingsolver Recommended by Jo Vilogen.
‘A gracious plenty’
by Sheri Reynolds Recommended by Jo Vilogen. Jo says, This is so rich in metaphor. I had to read it a few times!
Playful approaches to serious problems
David Epston's playful approach invites mutual creativity in the resolution of family problems. His writings illustrate the hospitality, playfulness and “respectworthiness” with which David engages people facing difficult problems.Together with Jennifer Freeman and Dean Lobovits, David co-authored of the book, Playful Approaches to Serious Problems: Narrative Therapy with Children and Their Families, now available in English, Spanish, Chinese and German. Clickhere to read a brief description of narrative therapy with children. In 1997, following the publication of Playful Approaches [...]
‘Hooked: Secrets and highs of a sober addict’
by Melinda Ferguson Recommended by Jo Vilogen. Jo says, Melinda is a South African journalist, celebrating her tenth year in recovery. She says in her forward: "People often think that once you've stopped using the drugs and alcohol you are healed. in reality it's only when you've stopped that the hard work of unraveling the self really begins.... this is a book about my journey to fill the hole in my soul: the secrets, the [...]
‘The Danish girl’
by David Ebershoff Recommended by Sonja Bar-Am. Sonja says, This is a lovely, lovely novel - a delicate rendering of a marriage in which the husband emerges as transgender - really fascinating tale about the intimacy of the marriage.
‘In my skin’
by Kate Holden Recommended by Sonja Bar-Am. Sonja says, This is Kate's memoir about her life addicted to heroin in the streets of Melbourne's seedy suburbs as a prostitute and making that a profession before getting clean. A remarkable and elegant story.
‘I never promised you a rose garden’
by Joanne Greenberg Recommended by Sonja Bar-Am. Sonja says, I am reading this 1970s Mental Heath classic novel. This is my first time and quite honestly it is one of the most beautiful stories about one young women’s struggle with severe Mental Health disturbances. Peggy says, When I was a teenager, "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden" was one of my absolute favorite books!
Chris Beels: A different story
I've been a Chris Beels fan ever since reading his 2001 book, A Different Story...: The rise of narrative in psychotherapy. This book is really a memoir, telling the story of the rise of the influence of narrative therapy from the perspective of a psychiatrist with a breadth of experience. Whenever possible, I have also assigned this book, along with Lynn Hoffman's excellent 2002 memoir Family Therapy: An intimate history to social work and psychology [...]
Elyn Saks: A tale of mental illness — from the inside
Elyn Saks asks bold questions about how society treats people with mental illness. "Is it okay if I totally trash your office?" It's a question Elyn Saks once asked her doctor, and it wasn't a joke. A legal scholar, in 2007 Saks came forward with her own story of schizophrenia, controlled by drugs and therapy but ever-present. In this powerful talk, she asks us to see people with mental illness clearly, honestly and compassionately.
Elyn Saks interview
Elyn Saks is a remarkable woman diagnosed with schizophrenia. Recommended watching! Here is an interview in two parts. Part one: Part two:
‘The center cannot hold’
by Elyn Saks Recommended by Peggy Sax. This is a remarkable memoir by Elyn Saks, a woman diagnosed with schizophrenia who write eloquently about the effects of her illness throughout decades of her life. I listened to the audio version, and couldn't stop til I was finished. I don't want to give away the plot. Let us know if you have read it, and we can talk about it on The Collab. I highly recommend [...]
‘The relational being: Beyond self & community’
by Ken Gergen Recommended by Sonja Bar-Am.