From Despair Into Healing

The suffering that brings you to despair and even desperation can—with healing—become a source of hope, purpose and blessing. Are you: Feeling anxious? Feeling depressed because of the loss of health, a relationship or a job? Grieving the loss of a loved one? Grieving loss by a suicide? Feeling hopeless? Concerned about a friend who has suicidal thoughts? This wise and helpful guide explores the nature of personal suffering and brokenness and the potential for personal crisis as a source of strength and renewal instead of despair and death. Examining the personal journeys of biblical and historical figures such as Moses, Maimonides, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Buber—as well as the author's own personal experience with despair—it looks at brokenness as an inescapable element of the human condition. It traces the path of suffering from despair to depression to desperation to the turning point—healing—when first-hand knowledge of suffering can be transformed into blessing.

Pauline Doty presents her story and faith, sharing hope and the power of transforming love. This kind of faith leads to transformed lives and transformed communities. Doty shares questions and answers that have been a part of her journey with faith, mental illness, #metoo grief, and losses. This book will renew your personal faith in a loving God, and grow your loving relationships with yourself and others. Doty connects with an audience that includes all believers and all who live with doubts and questions. All seekers for peace, hope, and truth in our divided America will find stimulating and helpful dialogue with the hard questions. She lends confidence that God (by many names and revelations) goes with and before us, all ways and always.

Nautilus Book Award Gold Winner A psychotherapist offers “crucial” guidance on how to “alter fundamentally our fearful relationship to deep feelings,” from depression and anxiety to grief and fear (Los Angeles Times) We are all touched at some point by the dark emotions of grief, fear, or despair. In an age of global threat, these emotions have become widespread and overwhelming. While conventional wisdom warns us of the harmful effects of “negative” emotions, this revolutionary book offers a more hopeful view: there is a redemptive power in our worst feelings. Seasoned psychotherapist Miriam Greenspan argues that it’s the avoidance and denial of the dark emotions that results in the escalating psychological disorders of our time: depression, anxiety, addiction, psychic numbing, and irrational violence. And she shows us how to trust the wisdom of the dark emotions to guide, heal, and transform our lives and our world. Drawing on inspiring stories from her psychotherapy practice and personal life, and including a complete set of emotional exercises, Greenspan teaches the art of emotional alchemy by which grief turns to gratitude, fear opens the door to joy, and despair becomes the ground of a more resilient faith in life. “This remarkable book has taught me a whole new way of thinking.” —Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People “A beautiful piece of work destined to become a perennial classic.” —Martha Beck, author of The Joy Diet

Through healing, brokenness can become a source of hope and blessing. This wise and helpful guide traces the path of suffering from despair to depression to desperation to the turning point where suffering can be transformed into blessing.

"Do you sense your child might be struggling with something but you just can’t put it into words? Maybe you’re a youth pastor, small group leader, teacher, or coach who wants to know how to help kids who are facing despair. There are countless resources available for addressing the physical and academic needs of today’s youth, but what about their mental and emotional needs? Youth anxiety and depression rates are rising. No parent wants their kid to suffer from despair. This book contains essential information about the dynamics of despair in kids and teens in a clear and understandable way. On each page, you will find helpful information about why the kid or teen in your life might be struggling, but also comfort in knowing how you can help. Throughout each chapter, you will learn about different tools of connection and the critical steps you can take to help kids and teens feel seen so that they can find confidence in who God has called them to be."--Publisher's description.

"This book has the power to heal the world one person at a time." - Lorilee Binstock, host of A Trauma Survivor's Podcast and founder of Authentic Insider Magazine WHAT IF YOU ALLOWED YOURSELF TO TRULY FEEL? Whether it’s grief, despair, or anxiety, society will always find a way to label feelings as “messy.” But burying these reactions only leads to greater emotional turmoil. In the past, we have looked to self-help gurus like Gary Zukav, whose Seat of the Soul inspired Oprah Winfrey to help America process trauma. So why did that book resonate with her, and what does everyone still love about Oprah? It's not that she's rich or that she's successful...it's her authenticity. She taps into what she has described in her SuperSoul Sundays as Authentic Power: uniting all the pieces of herself so that she's always bringing her whole self to everything she does. Oprah didn't ignore her messy feelings: she shared them with America, and she processed and integrated them in order to tap into her own authentic power. She became her authentic self, which exudes from her in every second that you see her. In Authentic Power: Give Yourself Permission to Feel, accomplished entrepreneur, journalist, publicist, and award-winning podcaster Ashley Bernardi continues the brave work of these great thought leaders by teaching you that your darkest hours are disguised opportunities to uncover and process, feel, heal, and grow. Bernardi’s personal journey began when she witnessed her father’s sudden death at age eleven. Years later, a mysterious illness began a personal quest toward healing and taught her that trauma and adversity can be sources of strength and self-discovery. Through daily affirmations and writing prompts, you will discover Ashley Bernardi’s F.E.E.L. Framework: Focus Enter Experience Learn You will explore chapters such as: Embrace the Waves of Emotions Lift the Emotional Fog Make Space for the Brave Conversations The F.E.E.L. Framework Balanced Body, Balanced Heart Discover Your Deeper, Powerful, Self Exercise Your Empathy As the founder of a national media relations and publicity firm, Ashley has the privilege of access to many of the world's leading experts in health and wellness who offered healing and hope with her personal challenges—a rich collection of top doctors, neurologists, psychologists, nutritionists, coaches, spiritualists, and others. She shares their profound wisdom so that you can build hope during your times of struggle. Bernardi searched for true healing and growth for more than twenty years; Authentic Power equips you with the tools to ignite your own journey now. "Through daily affirmations, exercises, and journaling prompts...Bernardi walks readers through her FEEL framework—focus, enter, experience, and learn— to help them find a way forward after experiencing trauma." —Publishers Weekly "Ashley Bernardi completely reveals herself and therefore all of us with a compendium of powerful words, wisdom and practices to put into place immediately." —Dana Look-Arimoto, host of Settle Smarter Podcast and author of Stop Settling, Settle Smart

From Despair to Hope and Healing presents a collection of poetry written over two decades by author Barbara Mezera. It chronicles the journey of a woman struggling to keep her depression under control and searching for meaning in her job, her career, her family, and her relationships. Although her verses are dark at times, there is always a glimmer of hope that someday she would fit in somewhere, make a difference in someone’s life, and find her own fulfillment and enjoyment. The poems are both personal and universal. In works such as “Final Solution” and “Struggling” Mezera captures the loneliness and desolation of depression. She also offers poems like “July 25, 1986” celebrating the joyous birth of her nephew, and “The Road to Recovery” considering her long climb to hope and healing. With this collection, Mezera steps outside her comfort zone to share her poetry with the hope that her words may touch and help others who are facing struggles as she has.

From Despair to Hope and Healing presents a collection of poetry written over two decades by author Barbara Mezera. It chronicles the journey of a woman struggling to keep her depression under control and searching for meaning in her job, her career, her family, and her relationships. Although her verses are dark at times, there is always a glimmer of hope that someday she would fit in somewhere, make a difference in someone’s life, and find her own fulfillment and enjoyment. The poems are both personal and universal. In works such as “Final Solution” and “Struggling,” Mezera captures the loneliness and desolation of depression. She also offers poems like “July 25, 1986,” celebrating the joyous birth of her nephew, and “The Road to Recovery,” considering her long climb to hope and healing. With this collection, Mezera steps outside her comfort zone to share her poetry with the hope that her words may touch and help others who are facing struggles as she has.