Broken And Blessed The Power Of Therapeutic Writing

Step into an inspiring true story of one woman’s battle with amnesia and discover the healing power of writing. Broken and Blessed delves into the scary world of memory loss because of Dissociative Amnesia, retracing author Zen Toronto’s journey through this worrying condition and illuminating the profound strategies and mindsets she used to free herself from fear. Equal parts spiritual and scientific, you’ll discover the medical mystery behind Transient Global / Dissociative Amnesia, how this condition continues to puzzle scientists and doctors, along with the holistic path Zen used to reclaim control of her life and her mind. As a testament to the power of writing therapy, this book details how amnesia sufferers can break the bonds of memory loss and enrich their lives through writing exercises. With journal prompts to spark your inspiration and plenty of authentic advice from Zen’s story, Broken and Blessed is a comforting read that will give solace to anybody struggling with memory issues. Echoing an enduring message of hope, this therapeutic autobiography offers practical advice that readers can incorporate into their daily experience, providing a detailed overview of Transient Global Amnesia and the steps we can take to manage it. And how to get over it by diving deeper into the world of Creative Writing as a therapeutic tool belt to reclaim our memory loss, to flip unfortunate into a fortunate and meaningful life. By the end of this book, you should have mastered each step, and are ready to start your own steps towards a more meaningful goal, there are options wide open, you can start writing journals, autobiographies, memoirs, or nonfiction, in short. Whatever genre you like and are in tune with it, even if you've never written an article before. When you are ready to transform your life, to rebuild a meaningful life, don’t wait, take action NOW. Remember, Time is free but not yours, no one guarantee tomorrow will be ours.

The healing benefits of writing can support traditional therapy. While much has been written about the physical and emotional benefits of writing, little has been written specifically for mental health professionals detailing how to use therapeutic journaling with their clients. Therapeutic journaling—any type of writing or related expressive process used for the purpose of psychological healing or growth—can be an extremely helpful adjunctive therapy. When integrated into an overall treatment plan, regardless of the therapist’s clinical orientation, journaling can become a dynamic tool for personal growth and healing. The first part of this book, “Journaling and the Clinical Process,” gives an overview of therapeutic journaling and the many potential benefits from its use. It provides concrete and specific steps for introducing journaling to psychotherapy clients and answers questions about structure and logistics. For example, engaging your client in writing a biographical statement will not only help focus the treatment plan but also provide a vast amount of background information. This section also introduces two very beneficial mnemonic devices to help clients focus and organize journaling between sessions. The next section, “Presenting Problems and Journaling Solutions,” addresses nine different diagnoses and explains specifically how therapeutic journaling can be integrated into the treatment plan of these diagnoses. Key diagnoses are covered: adjustment disorders, anxiety, depression, grief, low self-esteem, couple and relationship issues, addictions, disordered eating, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The final part of the book, “Journaling Roadblocks and Building Blocks,” addresses potentially difficult, sticky, or challenging situations regarding journaling, such as possible resistance to therapeutic journaling, privacy issues, safe boundaries, and protection of client material. Importantly, it also reviews those circumstances in which it is best not to use therapeutic journaling or when journaling is contraindicated. The author offers a program designed for therapists for creating their own therapeutic journaling practice. The Healing Power of Writing is filled with case studies, step-by-step exercises, and clear and practical guidelines for mental health professionals who want to incorporate journaling into their clients’ treatment.

Events in our lives, both good and bad, form rings in us like the rings in a tree. Each ring records memories that affect our feelings, our relationships, and our thoughts about God. In this classic work, David Seamands encourages us to live compassionately with ourselves as we allow the Holy Spirit to heal our past. As he helps us name hurdles in our lives—such as guilt, poor self-worth, and perfectionism—he shows us how we can find freedom from our pain and enjoy the abundant life God wants for us.

Life contains intense battles. When it has been infiltrated by heartache, suffering, and evil how does one move past it and leave the trauma behind? When our faith and belief clash with reality and crush us between the two, how in the world does one survive the force? Bitter, Broken, Blessed is the true story of a woman caught in such circumstances. Facing enemy forces that she does not understand, her desire is to be strong and steadfast in her faith. When her resolve weakens and strength eludes her, how does she continue on the journey? When life becomes devastating and full of destruction, can she survive? Can she be put back together after hitting bottom and shattering, crashing so hard there is little hope for survival? Life can get quite overwhelming at times. Many of us manage to trudge through and arrive on the other side of our trials, battered but not completely broken. Somehow, we manage to find the courage and stamina to get up and keep going. Some of us struggle with our faith in the process, and we cannot grasp the concept of how everything that happens works together for good and the glory of God. The resilient spirit of mankind is incredible, and our design is quite unique; this is because God does exist, and He is the Divine Creator. All things are possible through Him, even deliverance from the most horrific events and darkest corners of existence. There is unmitigated power in the cross of Christ.

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

First published in 1996. This new book gives voice to an emerging consensus among bereavement scholars that our understanding of the grief process needs to be expanded. The dominant 20th century model holds that the function of grief and mourning is to cut bonds with the deceased, thereby freeing the survivor to reinvest in new relationships in the present. Pathological grief has been defined in terms of holding on to the deceased. Close examination reveals that this model is based more on the cultural values of modernity than on any substantial data of what people actually do. Presenting data from several populations, 22 authors - among the most respected in their fields - demonstrate that the health resolution of grief enables one to maintain a continuing bond with the deceased. Despite cultural disapproval and lack of validation by professionals, survivors find places for the dead in their on-going lives and even in their communities. Such bonds are not denial: the deceased can provide resources for enriched functioning in the present. Chapters examine widows and widowers, bereaved children, parents and siblings, and a population previously excluded from bereavement research: adoptees and their birth parents. Bereavement in Japanese culture is also discussed, as are meanings and implications of this new model of grief. Opening new areas of research and scholarly dialogue, this work provides the basis for significant developments in clinical practice in the field.

This highly integrative book was written for students, professionals in aging, religious leaders, and older adults themselves. Readers will gain the knowledge and skills they need to assess, engage, and address the spiritual and religious needs of older persons. Taking a fresh approach that breaks new ground in the field, the author discusses eight major world religions and covers values and ethics, theories, interventions, health and caregiving, depression and anxiety, dementia, and the end of life. Meditations and exercises throughout the book allow readers to expand and explore their personal understanding of spirituality. Referencing the latest research, the book includes assessments and skill-based tools designed to help practitioners enhance the mental health of older people.

The author, a former clergyman, describes his healing journey with the help of psychedelics, sacred ceremony and psychotherapy. A marriage breakdown, the end of a career in the church and love force him to look at how early trauma (failures of love) impacted his life. This is a provocative, hopeful, look at the human condition.