Ego is the bad guy here, a brimming pool of selfishness, spite, defensiveness, emptiness, and whatever negative term you want to add. We have to transcend ego to get to Spirit, which is pure happiness, Mutchler tells us. This is essentially his book’s thesis, with some explanation of the mechanisms he encourages the reader to use to get from ego to Spirit. We live in “uncertain times,” he says, and this makes us feel isolated and competitive. We look for answers outside of ourselves when we should look within and go back to where we come from — which, apparently, is Spirit.

Spirit, as defined in the book, is equivalent to pure consciousness and comes from a single source of divine energy. Ego, on the other hand, is limited consciousness, because it’s not who we are. In the author’s words, “Consequently, and over time, an ever-widening gap has developed between who we are—ego—and who we really are—Spirit. The result is a growing state of tension for humankind that makes life stressful, disconcerting, and oftentimes miserable.”

The explanation of Mutchler’s perspective begins with the Big Bang, and tries to connect quantum physics to human consciousness. There are also brief descriptions of  different types of subhuman consciousness, including material, plant, and animal, presumably meant to set the stage for human consciousness, the main topic of the book. Consciousness, however, is not something the author wants to break down. He tells us: “But remember, consciousness is purposely not defined in this discussion. To define anything is to limit and confine, and we want to do neither. We want simply to stay open to what consciousness is and let our understanding of it unfold as we work our way through its various levels of expression.”

Considering that science started with classification and definition, the above statement is a little startling.

The word ego, meanwhile, is derived from the Latin for I, and in Freudian theory was the arbiter between Id and Superego. In popular usage it refers to a heightened sense of self importance. But according to Mutchler, these are all mistaken concepts. Instead, he defined ego as a “state of consciousness.” Yet since he won’t define consciousness, we’re left without all the information we need. Is he saying that ego is consciousness, and consciousness, ego?

Whatever this ego-consciousness is, it isn’t a positive thing, he tells us in subsequent chapters. It makes us claim superiority to quell our unconscious sense of inferiority. It makes us project blame on others, and thrives on suffering and bad news. It’s judgmental, acquisitive, and entitled. It’s a jealous, envious drama queen that will do anything to survive.

In the next section, the combat between ego and Spirit takes on Manichean dimensions; it’s clearly evil versus good. Ego consciousness is likened to hell with almost unlimited destructive powers. “Collectively ego consciousness threatens to destroy mother earth and her ability to sustain us,” Mutchler writes. Love is Spirit’s weapon in dealing with the ego. In the author’s words, “ ‘Talk’ to your ego, assure it that dying isn’t necessary. It needs only to transition to another state of being….”

Being aware of ego is, Mutchler writes, the way to transition. How to do this? Look for situations where you feel upset, the author says, as ego thrives on suffering. “Each time you notice ego intruding into your thoughts, behaviors, or emotions,” he posits, “you are stepping directly into the world of Spirit.” As ego recedes, you become more open, friendly, moral, and ethical. If you spot ego in others, he says, you’re less judgmental.

The most useful part of the confused book, therapeutically speaking, focuses on how we describe our ongoing lives to ourselves. This section is very much in tune with contemporary cognitive therapy. The author states that there is a language of the ego and a language of the Spirit. Ego language is deeply ingrained and has been with us all our lives, though it is not the original cause of our suffering. This so-called ego language, Mutchler writes, “plays a large role in sustaining ego consciousness and perpetuating human suffering.” A few examples from a long list of words is “Disgrace, Regret, Shame, Worry.” Spirit language on the other hand is positive, life affirming. It includes “Peace, Joy, Happiness, Harmony.”

Awareness of our ego language and changing it is, according to the book, a major means of moving from ego to Spirit. To this end the author provides pages of judgmental adjectives and their less judgmental alternatives.

After all of this, the final section of the book, called “The Choice Is Yours,” talks about death in the style of a Hallmark condolence card.

The essential message of Beyond the Ego can be reduced to one line: Be less selfish and you’ll have a happier life. The book’s most salient aspect is the focus on language as a means of perpetuating unhappiness. But it is not a real behavioral science book, and leaves too much out.

Beyond the Ego: Where Love, Joy, and Peace of Mind Await You
Balboa Press, 2012
Paperback, 208 pages
$14.99 

In The Secrets of As a Man Thinketh, Mortimer writes that his coaching philosophy is influenced by Allen. But it’s hard to know what to make of his reflections. His is essentially a book of thoughts on the power of cognition to create joy or sorrow for oneself. The original ideas from Allen reveal a harsh, social Darwinist outlook. And, conceptually, Mortimer’s additions are so lacking that a critical refutation of some of his passages would be futile.

The book is organized into a forward and seven chapters, most of them very short. The format is generally a brief commentary by Mortimer, followed by a paragraph or two by Allen. The book’s primary thesis is expressed in somewhat doctrinaire fashion in the first chapter: “A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.” This idea is repeated in a numbing fashion throughout the book. The language is rotund and vaguely biblical, and Allen’s original point of view is of an unequivocal blame-the-victim variety. There are quotations on almost every page, many of them from the bible.

Another passage from the first chapter illustrates the highly moralistic and deterministic nature of the book: “A noble and Godlike character is not a thing of favour or chance, but is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking, the effect of long-cherished association with Godlike thoughts,” Allen writes. “An ignoble and bestial character, by the same process, is the result of continued harbouring of groveling thoughts.” Mortimer’s commentary adds little. “Good people are not good by chance,” he writes. “If people are good and positive, it is because they have created the habit of thought.”

The second chapter, “Effect of Thought on Circumstances,” is one long exercise in pick-yourself-up-by-your-psychic-bootstraps-and-stride-toward-success. Some of the observations on man’s place in his social world are jarring in their lack of wisdom and compassion. For example, Allen writes,

“A man does not come to the almshouse or the jail by the tyranny of fate or circumstances but by the pathway of groveling thoughts and base desires.”

Even a staunch believer in personal responsibility would have to gag at this. Poverty is a very complex affair and imagine telling somebody today who is working three jobs and is still treading water financially that his problems are caused by his “groveling” thoughts.

Allen’s treatment of suffering sounds like something out of the Inquisition. “Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction,” he writes.

“It is an indication that the individual is out of harmony with himself, with the Law of his being. The sole and supreme use of suffering is to purify, to burn out all that is useless and impure. Suffering ceases for him who is pure.”

Mortimer seconds this. “Suffering cannot and will not come from good thinking. It would go against the law of the harvest. What you send out there must come back to you. There is an order in the universe and there are laws that cannot be broken.”

Reading this, I wondered what an inmate of Auschwitz, some poor soul in a Soviet labor camp in the Arctic Circle, or somebody trapped in one of Pol Pot’s killing factories would think. Or the parents of a two-year-old stricken with terminal cancer.

The acquisition of wealth is also dealt with in this chapter. Mortimer writes, “A few examples of money-making affirmations are as follows: ‘Money Comes to me easily. I am a money magnet. We live in a world of abundance. Today I choose to be wealthy. I deserve to succeed. Living a wealthy life is my birthright.’ ” Allen is less specific on the subject of money, writing, “Let a man cease from his sinful thoughts, and all the world will soften toward him, and be ready to help him; let him put away his weakly and sickly thoughts, and lo, opportunities will spring up on every hand to aid his strong resolves;…”

The book next discusses thought as either the engine of health or sickness, depending on its tenor. The essentially spiritual message of the book comes through clearly in the following quote from Mortimer: “Thoughts based on faith will always produce a strong body, while thoughts rooted in fear will always cause sickness.”

The remaining four chapters are more of the same, hammering home through semi-Biblical language the basic message that positive thought is the source of all that is good.

The book is so simplistic that it reads like a satire. I can’t recommend it at all.

The Secrets of As a Man Thinketh
Cedar Fort, Inc.,  2012
Hardcover, 64 pages
$12.99

Stop! Before you reserve the moving truck or buy the ring, take the time to discuss the issues that can make or break your relationship. Love really isn’t enough. Once the pheromones calm down, once you get over the intoxicating time of new love, how you handle these topics will decide whether you will have lasting love. It’s essential that you are on the same page, or at least in the same chapter, when it comes to your feelings or convictions about each one.

Fidelity. Do you have a common understanding of what being faithful means? What would each of you consider to be “cheating”? Is it okay with you if your partner has friends of the other gender? Where is the line between being a friend to others and doing things that will jeopardize your relationship?

Sex. Few couples keep up the frequency and intensity of new-love sex. What is a comfortable rhythm for each of you? When and how and how often do you like to have sex? If you like it in the evening and your partner only wants it in the morning, it can be trouble. How adventuresome or athletic are you each willing to be? How generous are you in satisfying each other?

Money. This is even harder for many couples to talk about than fidelity and sex. What are your attitudes about who should provide for the family? Who should pay the bills? Do you have similar ideas about what should be mine, yours, and ours? Have you been honest about any debts that you are bringing into the relationship? Are you on the same page about how money is spent and how much should be saved? Who is going to take responsibility for such things as insurance, taxes, and retirement accounts?

Work. What is the role of work in each of your lives? Are you in agreement about how hard each of you should work and the choices you should each make about bringing in the money? If one or both of you is in a high-powered career, what are you each willing to sacrifice to make it possible? If one of you out-earns the other, does it matter in terms of decision-making? Will the agreement change if you have children?

Leisure time. What are your ideas about how much of your leisure time you spend together and how much you spend with your individual friends? Is it okay with each of you for the other to go out for a guys’ or girls’ night out? Do you have strong feelings about what can happen then? What do you like to do together that will ensure that you will continue to have some fun as a couple?

Health and fitness. Related to the use of leisure time is how you each regard the importance of the basics: getting enough sleep, eating well, getting in some exercise as part of your routine. Are you in agreement about bedtime and about nutritional choices? Are you supportive of each other in building activity into your lives? Do you have similar views about getting to the dentist and routine doctor visits?

Social media and gaming. What is the place of video gaming, texting, and computer surfing and chatting in your lives? Do either of you have strong feelings that some sites or games aren’t appropriate? How much time can be devoted to gaming and screen time before it becomes a threat to your relationship?

Church, charity and volunteering. Do you share religious or spiritual beliefs? If not, do you respect each other’s? If you have children, will there be issues about which religion they will be raised in? Do you agree about how much time and money should go to charitable work and volunteering to better your community?

Kids. Are you on the same page about having children? If you are going to have kids, do you have similar ideas about when and how many? How about discipline? Do you share an approach to child-rearing? And how will you each distribute time for childcare, carpools, kid activities, and family time?

Relationships with in-laws. How much time do you think you should spend with relatives? What occasions are non-negotiable events for each family? Where do you set your boundaries? Are relatives welcome to drop in any time they please or do they need to have an engraved invitation three months in advance to visit you?

Chores. Arguments about who cleans what have pulled many couples apart. Do you have similar ideas about who should do the laundry, the food shopping, the cooking, the cleanup after dinner, and the general straightening up of the house? Who is supposed to take care of the trash, the yard, the snow shoveling? It’s easy to fall into stereotypical roles that neither person likes. Do you have shared standards for how clean is clean enough?

Partying. Are you in agreement about the use of alcohol and recreational drugs? Gambling may also fit into this category. How much, if any, is okay? When do you think someone has crossed the line and it is a problem? What will you do if that happens?

Conflict. How do you each handle conflict? Do you have the tools you need to negotiate differences? Do you avoid conflict? Blow up? Stomp off? How should your partner handle it when you are upset or angry?

Planning for the future. As heady as the present may be, if your relationship is to last, the two of you also need to be on the same page about where you think you are headed. Do you have similar goals? Are you mutually committed to those goals? Of course, goals may evolve and change but it’s important to have some idea of what you both hope for the future.

Don’t assume that of course you and your true love are in agreement just because you are in love. Once the wonderful haze of new love settles into daily loving, these are the issues that can become deal breakers. Better to talk about them before making a commitment than to find yourselves astonished, angry, and saddened by huge differences that can’t be resolved. Serious discussion now can prevent a painful breakup later. Even more important, conversations about these issues can help you get to know each other better and to lay down a united and strong foundation for your relationship.

Other factors, including cultural context and faith, play an enormous role in implementing crisis interventions. This paper will compare and contrast some of these elements and models to examine how crisis interventions can be best handled now and in the future.

Crisis Intervention

Crisis management after a natural disaster is critical. Going about it properly is key to the success of crisis aversion.

There are many elements to examine when looking at a natural disaster. These include: disaster type; disaster zone environment; available resources; and delivery of resources to the area in which the disaster occurred.

Psychological First Aid

It is important to consider psychological first aid when talking about crisis management for natural disasters. This model examines the needs of the first responders and those involved with crisis recovery and management. Such people can include rescue workers, police officers, firefighters, humanitarian relief workers and any others who are in a position to help out during a natural disaster. This model includes key aspects such as education, providing support of peers, speedy recovery, mental health accessibility and a continuum of care (Castellano & Plionis, 2006).

As Castellano and Plionis (2006) discuss, first responders view themselves as having to be strong for others. Showing emotion is considered a type of weakness. This often develops into a hesitancy to seek help, which ican lead to worsening mental health. This creates a domino effect. The first responder needs to be psychologically and physically healthy enough to assist others. However, if their own physical and psychological health is ignored, the person in need may not be taken care of either (Kronenberg, Osofsky, Osofsky, Many, Hardy, & Arey, 2008).

However, psychological first aid is not applicable only to the first responder. It also is a model of how the first responder is able to help those in need. Providing compassionate engagement is key to helping those who are faced with a natural disaster, as well as allowing those in need to know that the first responder’s purpose is to provide safety and emotional comfort (Vernberg, Steinberg, Jacobs, Brymer, Watson, Osofsky, et al., 2008).

The first responder also must be able to collect information pertinent to disaster victims’ immediate needs. The first responder must be clear-headed enough to recognize the population’s needs and resources available to meet those needs. This requires the first responder to maintain psychological steadiness (Vernberg, Steinberg, Jacobs, Brymer, Watson, Osofsky, et al., 2008).

Stabilization is another key to psychological first aid. A first responder must be able to calm those who are in crisis due to a recently experienced trauma. This is applicable to those who are helping the first responders as well. However, the level and immediacy of stabilization may be different according to the different scenarios and to the needs of a crisis victim vs. those of a first responder. (Vernberg, Steinberg, Jacobs, Brymer, Watson, Osofsky, et al., 2008).

Cultural Considerations

As with most other topics, cultural considerations come into play when looking at crisis management for natural disasters. For instance, within an Asian setting, emphasis may be placed in different areas of a crisis intervention model than it would in a Western one (Udomratn, 2008).

In India, the Nitte Rural Psychiatric Project was adapted for those with limited access to resources. This project offers free care. Its goal is to overcome the stigma of mental health care by utilizing respected community members of, such as religious leaders and local doctors. Education, lectures and awareness are components to mental health care and crisis management. (Akiyama, Chandra, Chen, Ganesan, Koyama, Kua et al., 2008).

However, in another part of Asia, Senior Peer Counseling may be viewed as important in crisis intervention. In Singapore, the respect given to elders may play a valuable role in developing models of overcoming crises after a natural disaster (Akiyama, Chandra, Chen, Ganesan, Koyam, Ku., et al., 2008). In Korea, the Seoul Mental Health 2020 project offers a review of key components of the community mental health resources available to those in the area. This includes looking at adequate coverage, diversifying services in particular areas and also an integration of services. This model is looks at the overall structure of mental health and crisis intervention and aims to improve it (Akiyama, Chandra, Chen, Ganesan, Koyam, Ku., et al., 2008).

Holistic support also may be an important consideration in crisis intervention needs within an Asian population, as discussed in the Yuli psychiatric rehabilitation model for Taiwan.

Faith-based Interventions

Faith-based models also may be considered when dealing with crisis intervention following natural disasters. One model in particular, called the Camp Noah model, focuses mainly on children who have been affected by natural disasters. It is a week-long camp that allows children to express their trauma and be in an environment that supports their faith. It also relies on fun activities to provide therapeutic relief of trauma for these children (Zotti, Graham, Whitt, Anand, & Replogle, 2006).

The Camp Noah model is similar to some of the culturally-based Asian models in that it takes the context of the individual and community to heart. However, its format differs. It does not take on the viewpoint of therapy, but of a therapeutic means of expression. The Camp Noah model is more of a strategy, whereas the Asian-based models are more of an implementation. The Camp Noah model utilizes Bible study, therapist consultation, music, games and crafts. It also has the elements of low participant ratios for quality care and highly trained staff to provide adequate care for children (Zotti, Graham, Whitt, Anand, & Replogle, 2006).

Camp Noah seeks to improve disaster trauma processing and coping skills related to natural disasters. Most of the Asian-based models focus on reducing the stigma of seeking mental health care when a natural disaster does occur. There also are similarities between these models: the community setting is taken into account, and the community and its available resources are included.

Integrative Reviews

An examination of the purpose, sample, method, procedure and results of differing models is a good means of conducting an integrative review for crisis intervention models. Walsh (2009) examined different means of cultural crisis interventions for relief workers after natural disasters had occurred. A cross-cultural sample was examined in-depth to see what governmental and non-governmental agencies could do to intervene.

Walsh (2009) focused primarily on the incidence of reducing post-traumatic stress disorder and how each model worked within the context of cultures such as New Zealand, Germany, the United States, Australia, Turkey, Taiwan, Israel and Iran. Walsh found that three key elements in the data reduction model were relevant to each culture. These three elements included: debriefing, team building and preparation. These elements were different according to the cultural context; however, each proved effective in each of the cultures (Walsh, 2009). Walsh notes that long-term effects on relief workers should be further researched for future crisis intervention models (Walsh, 2009).

Conclusion

Crisis intervention has many elements in the context of a natural disaster. There are the considerations toward the population involved in the natural disaster and the aftercare of not only this population, but the relief workers as well. Models based on cultural contexts are necessary to provide effective intervention and treatment to particular populations. There is also the element of faith when developing crisis intervention models, so as to look at ways of coping with and overcoming trauma. And finally, there is the relevance of examining a model within the cross-cultural context that integrates key elements so as to be globally applicable and efficient in reducing such traumas as post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health concerns.

References

Akiyama, T., Chandra, N., Chen, C., Ganesan, M., Koyama, A., Kua, E., et al. (2008). Asian models of excellence in psychiatric care and rehabilitation. International Review of Psychiatry, 20(5), 445-451. doi:10.1080/09540260802397537.

Castellano, Cherie, and Elizabeth Plionis. 2006. “Comparative analysis of three crisis intervention models applied to law enforcement first responders during 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.” Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention 6, no. 4: 326-336. PsycINFO, EBSCOhost.

Kronenberg, M., Osofsky, H., Osofsky, J., Many, M., Hardy, M., & Arey, J. (2008). First responder culture: Implications for mental health professionals providing services following a natural disaster. Psychiatric Annals, 38(2), 114-118. doi:10.3928/00485713-20080201-05.

Udomratn, P. (2008). Mental health and the psychosocial consequences of natural disasters in Asia. International Review of Psychiatry, 20(5), 441-444. doi:10.1080/09540260802397487.

Vernberg, E., Steinberg, A., Jacobs, A., Brymer, M., Watson, P., Osofsky, J., et al. (2008). Innovations in disaster mental health: Psychological first aid. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(4), 381-388. doi:10.1037/a0012663.

Walsh, D. (2009). Interventions to reduce psychosocial disturbance following humanitarian relief efforts involving natural disasters: An integrative review. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 15(4), 231-240. doi:10.1111/j.1440-172X.2009.01766.x.

Zotti, M., Graham, J., Whitt, A., Anand, S., & Replogle, W. (2006). Evaluation of a Multistate Faith-based Program for Children Affected by Natural Disaster. Public Health Nursing, 23(5), 400-409. doi:10.1111/j.1525-1446.2006.00579.x.

Though the book could have used a good editor and been more intuitively organized, it’s still a fairly compelling read, and offers some pointed comparisons between the Spiritist approach and the modern mainstream U.S. approach — the latter of which views mental illness as a physical disease to be medicated away despite the sometimes crippling side effects of medication.

Bragdon begins by introducing us to Gerry, an “attractive young woman” who experienced what seemed to be a psychotic break during a time of extreme stress. About four years ago, Gerry began exploring alternative forms of healing, including consulting with Bragdon, a spiritually-oriented psychologist. Now, Gerry is doing well, engaged, and intending to enter graduate school. The author writes that Gerry’s recovery was facilitated by empathy, encouragement, caring health professionals and family members, and “teachers who helped educate her about lifestyle choices.”

This approach, Bragdon tells us, mirrors the Spiritist methodology that is currently in practice in Brazil, where more than 12,000 Spiritist community centers and 50 Spiritist psychiatric hospitals freely offer “a highly effective… program of integrative care, treating the needs of the public side-by-side with conventional medical practitioners.” It’s a community-oriented, relationally-focused, holistic and welcoming model that treats the patient as a human being who has just as much insight into her illness as any professional. But it also involves some practices that the average U.S. citizen might find unfamiliar.

“According to Spiritists,” writes Bragdon, “optimal wellbeing is ours when we are 1) doing the mission that we agreed to do before coming into this life and 2) treating ourselves and others with compassion consistently.” She goes on to explain that a Spiritist “considers that a pervasive and long-lasting mental imbalance that threatens life may come because a person is rebalancing themselves after a life experience that was not compassionate or may come from having lost his/her purpose in life.”

That part may not sound unusual, save for the part about making agreements before we were born. But the Spiritist approach offers multiple techniques that a non-religious, States-bound consumer might find “out there.” These include the laying-on of hands, inspired speech and prayer, blessed water, peer support for the patient and the family (called “fraternal assistance” in the book), interactions with mediums and psychics, and a post-hospital program of study and philosophical and spiritual conversation. It also welcomes family members and loved ones to be involved.

Although it’s unlikely that the U.S. healthcare model is going to follow the Spiritist one anytime soon, and although the author doesn’t provide objective proof of the success of the treatment, what I found fascinating about Bragdon’s book is how the Spiritist approach reflects some of the insights the mainstream psychological community has come to about mental health. The differences are obvious, but the underpinnings between these two very disparate models is surprising. Some descriptions of the Spiritist approach that may sound more familiar:

“The inspired speech directs the patients to focus on the value of compassion and love, helping them recollect loving relationships they may have had or may long for, assisting them toward greater self-acceptance, compassion, and tolerance,” one description goes.

“Perhaps Spiritism has been so successful in its treatments because it facilitates individuals clarifying their life purpose and aligning with that purpose,” Bragdon posits.

“The treatment aims at working with the patients’ motivation and with their state of readiness or eagerness to change.”

Another passage describes spirits that cause negative thoughts. Taken together, these concepts of forgiveness, self-acceptance, compassion, life purpose, negative thoughts, and motivation are all vital aspects of established psychotherapy modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Buddhist Psychology, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing.

Bragdon’s book may be of limited value unless one is interested in different cultural approaches to psychological treatment. For those who are intrigued, however, it draws a compelling Venn diagram of the similarities between seemingly separate schools of thought. The author’s description of several U.S.-based holistic mental health clinics certainly gives the reader hope that there are people in the States working to change the dominant “medication-not-meditation” paradigm — even as we’re slow to accept alternative healing methods.

Resources for Extraordinary Healing: Schizophrenia, Bipolar and Other Serious Mental Illnesses
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, February, 2012
Paperback, 264 pages
$24.95

In An Unknown World: Notes on the Meaning of the Earth, philosopher Jacob Needleman begins by recalling a dream on his 75th birthday: a meeting with his childhood friend Elias. In the dream, as in his childhood, he and his friend wonder together about “god and the stars and the planets, about life and death and the mind” as they sit atop a low stone wall separating neighborhoods. Outside of the dream, the real-life Elias died of leukemia at the young age of 13. Near death, the author tells us, Elias dreaded the loss of learning, while Needleman promised to continue for them both — a commitment to duality that remains significant throughout the book.

In the 1970s, Needleman was one of a team interpreting “The Biosphere,” Russian geochemist Vladimir Vernadsky’s seminal paper on the Earth as a living, dynamic, and integral part of the universe, controlled by life itself — not an accident existing without purpose. Now, in “An Unknown World,” he writes about the planet and its inhabitants, weaving in recurring dream — visits from his childhood friend that prompt him to explore the role of humanity in keeping the Earth viable.

Most of the reveries Needleman recounts are clear, but in some his friend’s words, or his silence, are vague. Elias’s “visits” steer the philosopher toward new discoveries, including, significantly, an understanding that human consciousness is essential in the service of saving the Earth.

In an orderly fashion, Needleman also revisits many of the great thinkers of science, theory, philosophy, theology, and spiritualism. Along with Vernadsky are Plato, Kierkegaard, Harding, Fechner, Ouspensky, and others who spent lifetimes deliberating human conscious and unconscious states. Drawing on these thinkers, Needleman takes us on a spiritual, scientific, and metaphysical exploration of humanity and the planet, articulating the beauty, mystery, contradictions, and possibilities of this epic topic with poetic clarity while acknowledging his unconventional approach to the serious issue of a decaying Earth and our lack of a commitment to do something about it.

Ultimately, the author stresses an intentionally inward effort to learn what the Earth needs from us. It is an effort mirrored by how he uncovers his own revelations: both by the implicit learning derived from his dreams of Elias as well as by what he knows explicitly.

Needelman’s thought process is an eye-opening one, but due to its spiritual nature, any manner of reviewing his book risks scaring away readers. That fear should be put aside, however, as he walks us with clarity through his journey of understanding mankind and Earth as incomplete works that require looking inward as much as outward, using intuition and unconscious routes to reveal the needs of the world within and about us so that all can survive.

The book may still sound daunting, but it is not a hard one to read so long as the reader is interested in our decaying planet. Needleman talks of dualities in science and religion, understanding and consciousness, knowledge and intuition. He speaks deeply and thoughtfully about why humans inhabit Earth. And he stresses an urgency to allow us to “wonder” as we did as children, to use science and religion to not limit but expand our perceptions and liberate the possibilities of our transforming this unknown but evolving planet, to rise above our ego. It is our ego, he believes, that dangerously limits our ability to consciously grasp concepts greater than our current knowledge because it stops us from searching further.

“If our planet is in crisis, as it surely is, it is because we ourselves are in crisis, because we ourselves have lost our way in the world,” he states, adding that to find a “real and not self-deceptive understanding of the crisis of the Earth, we are going to have to find a real understanding of the crisis of our human life, both our inner life of  the mind and the life of action and relationship.”

Needleman’s book is a fascinating pilgrimage toward understanding our role as humans in guardianship of Earth. It deserves all your attention — the payback being never looking at our planet and our beliefs the same way again and in so doing saving Earth through our own redemption.

An Unknown World: Notes on the Meaning of the Earth
Tarcher, September, 2012
Hardcover, 240 pages
$24.95

Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, was influenced by Carl Jung. In correspondence, Jung wrote Wilson that the cure for alcoholism would have to be a spiritual one — a power equal to the power of spiritus, or alcohol.

The 12 Steps are that spiritual remedy. They outline a spiritual process of surrender of the ego to the unconscious, or a higher power, and very much resemble the process of transformation in Jungian therapy.

The following is a description of that process. However, the fact that it is described in a linear fashion is misleading, because the Steps are experienced both simultaneously and in a circular manner. Although the same process is applicable to recovery from addiction to a substance (e.g. alcohol, drugs, food) or a compulsion, such as gambling, debting, or caretaking, the focus of this article is on alcohol and drug addiction and the family members in a codependent relationship with the alcoholic or addict.

Facing the Problem

The beginning of recovery is acknowledging that there is a problem involving drugs or alcohol, that there is help outside oneself, and the willingness to utilize it. This also represents the very beginning of trust in something beyond oneself (such as a therapist, sponsor, or the program), and the opening up of a closed family system. Invariably, it takes years to face the problem.

With growing understanding of the problem, denial further thaws. In Step 1: “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives have become unmanageable.”¹ The addict begins to understand she or he is powerless over the drugs or alcohol, and the codependent begins to understand that she or he cannot control the substance abuser. The struggle not to drink and the codependent’s vigilant watching the addict begin to slip away. Gradually, attention starts to shift from the substance, and, for the codependent, the substance abuser, to focus on oneself.

There are deeper levels of working the First Step. The first stage of coming out of denial is to acknowledge that there is a problem; second, that it is a life-threatening problem over which one is powerless; and third, that actually the problem lies in one’s own attitudes and behavior.

Surrender

The acknowledgment of powerlessness leaves a void, which formerly was filled with mental and physical activity trying to control and manipulate the addiction or the addict. Feelings of anger, loss, emptiness, boredom, depression, and fear arise. The emptiness that was masked by the addiction is now revealed. It is an awesome realization when you acknowledge that you or your loved one has a life-threatening addiction over which you are powerless, subject only to a daily reprieve. Now, with a modicum of trust, one acquires a willingness to turn to a power beyond oneself. This is Step 2: “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”

In the book Alcoholics Anonymous, it states: “Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power — that One is God.” (p. 59). That power can also be a sponsor, therapist, the group, the therapy process or a spiritual power. Reality itself becomes a teacher, as one is asked to continually “turn over” (to that Power) an addiction, people, and frustrating situations. The ego gradually relinquishes control, as one begins to trust that Power, the growth process, and life as well.

Self-Awareness

What has been happening up until now is an increasing awareness and observation of one’s dysfunctional behavior and addiction(s) – what is referred to as “insanity” in the Second Step. This crucial development signifies the genesis of an observing ego. Now one begins to exercise some restraint over addictive and undesirable habits, words, and deeds. The Program works behaviorally as well as spiritually.

Abstinence and forbearance from old behavior are accompanied by anxiety, anger and a sense of loss of control. New, preferable attitudes and behavior (often called “contrary action”) feel uncomfortable, and arouse other emotions, including fear and guilt. From a Jungian perspective, one’s “complexes” are being challenged:

“Every challenge to our personal habit patterns and accustomed values is felt as nothing less than the threat of death and extinction of our selves. Invariably such challenges evoke reactions of defensive anxiety.” (Whitmont, p. 24)

Group support is important in reinforcing new behavior, because the emotions triggered by these changes are very powerful and can retard and even arrest recovery. Additionally, resistance is experienced from self, family, and friends for the very same reasons. The anxiety and resistance may be so great that the addict or abuser may go back to drinking or using.

There is help in Step 3: “We…turn our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.” This is the practice of “letting go” and “turning it over.” As faith builds, so does the ability to let go and move toward more functional behavior.

1. Other words, such as “food,” “gambling” or “people, places and things” often are substituted for the word alcohol.

Or maybe you’re a bundle of nerves. You are so anxious you just want to hide. You’re nervous about your job. You’re scared to speak up even when you know you should and could. You are so anxious that you are anxious about being anxious.

Or maybe the issues are about relationships. You don’t have one or the one you have isn’t the one you want. You and your partner are fighting all the time. Every day seems to be “same fight, different day.” Trust has become a huge issue. Neither one of you can relax into your relationship. You each wonder where the love and sweetness and tenderness have gone.

And then there are family issues: The mother you can’t get along with. The father who expects too much or too little of you. Siblings who are mean-spirited, favored, or so self-centered that you feel constantly taken advantage of. Parents who are fighting. Parents who are splitting. Family you are expected to like but who are entirely unlikeable – and here comes another painful family event.

Any of these types of issues can stretch a person beyond his or her ability to cope. Any of them can challenge the most creative, caring, and responsible person, You’ve tried your best. You’ve tried to look at a brighter side, to be rational, to be smart about whatever it is. But you still can’t figure things out. You still feel alone in your troubles and without the inner resources or the outer supports to change things. This is when people often go to therapy. You wish you could. But you have no insurance and you know it can be costly. The situation seems hopeless.

It’s not. Serious, yes. Hopeless, no.

Inexpensive and Alternative Treatment Options

There are many ways to get the help you need, therapist or no. Before you give up on the idea of getting some therapeutic help, consider these alternatives.

Sometimes therapy is free or low-cost.

Depending on your problem, there may be funded or subsidized therapy available to you. Many communities have women’s centers that offer free services to women who are being abused. Many have free services for adolescents. And an increasing number of communities have men’s resource centers to help men with anger management, relationship or vocational problems. Go online and check.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).

Many businesses and companies offer a limited counseling benefit. Usually the company provides three to six sessions. If you need further help, the counselor will refer you to a local therapist. Check with your human resources department to see if there is an EAP counselor at your workplace. Often even a couple of focused sessions is enough to offer some relief.

Sliding scales and free slots.

Many mental health clinics and many therapists in private practice have sliding fee scales so that people can pay what they can afford. Ask your doctor if he or she knows who offers this service. Call some of the therapists in your area and ask. Many therapists keep a number of slots at a lower rate as their way of giving to their community.

Support groups.

Often a support group can be very therapeutic. By talking to people with a similar problem, you will feel less alone. Often there are people in the group who are a little ahead in their healing and who can offer you good practical advice as well as emotional support. Local hospitals, libraries, churches, and schools often offer support groups for grief, parenting issues, managing chronic illness, etc.

PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) offers support to those supporting family members and friends who are coming out. There are also support groups online and in the community for gays, lesbians, and transgendered people who need information and advice.

Parent education classes.

Not all problems are mental health issues. Parenting is difficult. Often people new to parenting or new to a stage of parenting could just use some additional information and the reassurance and advice that can come from parents who have been there and done that. Often such groups are offered through the school system or through local parent centers.

12-step Groups.

Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon (for families of problem drinkers) and Alateen (for teenage family members) offer support to people who are struggling with alcoholism and to their families. Other spinoffs include Overeaters Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Clutterers Anonymous and Parents Anonymous. If you think a 12-step program is for you, search your issue and “anonymous” and you are likely to find a group.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has chapters throughout the U.S. They often offer support groups for those struggling with mental illness as well as for family members.

Online support groups.

Name a problem and there is probably an online support group for it. Here at PsychCentral, there are over 100 such forums and groups. Members are not professionals. They are people who are grappling with the same issue you are. Their compassion and understanding can help you feel less alone. Often members offer experience and wise suggestions.

Are you a veteran? Every branch of the service has a program for military personnel and their families. Call your local Veterans Administration office for information.

Are you a teen? Many high schools have free counseling available through the guidance department. Often the guidance counselors are themselves counselors and can be very helpful with both individual and family problems. Sometimes they know which therapists in town have free or nearly-free services and where you can go for further help.

Are you in college? Check to see whether the health services at your school include a mental health department. Often the health insurance you pay for at school can enable you to see a local therapist for at least a few sessions.

Hotlines and warmlines.

There are important hotlines and warmlines in almost every country. In the U.S., the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) is available 24/7. The Boys Town National Hotline is also available 24/7 for teens (girls as well as boys). Google “hotline” and your problem and you are likely to find a number to call.

Houses of worship.

Spiritual leaders often have had training in counseling as well as in the practices of their faith. See if your church or synagogue or house of faith offers such help. If your spiritual leader isn’t comfortable dealing with secular problems, he or she may be able to refer you to someone who can.

Journaling or writing letters you will never send can be an important method for self-help. Don’t get put off by having to put something down. You’re the only one who is going to see it. Writing out what troubles us often helps us put our feelings into perspective. Often enough, a solution will come as you work to make your problems clear.

Bibliotherapy is a fancy name for reading a book. Whatever your problem, someone else has probably written about it to share their journey of healing. Sometimes we learn best from reading how someone else did and did not address issues. Search for your issue at one of the major online bookstores and you can find what you are looking for.

Prayer, meditation, chanting.

Anything that helps you relax and get out of yourself for a bit can do wonders for your state of mind. Turning your problems over to God, your higher power or the universe can help relieve the pressure and begin the healing.

Get off the screens and go outside.

Mother Nature is a great therapist. Stop spinning about your problem with online friends who are in the same spin and go for a long walk instead. Open your senses to the outdoors and you may be able to cut your problems down to a more reasonable size.

Talk to a trusted friend or family member.

You know who they are. Many of us have a friend or relative who is wise and loving and supportive. Don’t waste your time on anyone else. People who are critical or judgmental will make you feel worse. Reach for the people in your life who will listen with their hearts and who will validate your strengths.

Take care of yourself.

Getting enough sleep, eating right, and making sure you get a little exercise each day can do wonders for your troubles. You may not feel like doing any of it. But doing it, whether you feel like it or not, can help you start to feel a bit better. You will have taken a step toward self-care and self-love that is the basis for any therapeutic action.

Sound familiar? The thought of taking a pill that alleviates your symptoms but whose known side effects can sometimes be worse than the condition itself may leave you thinking that your options are limited. Think again.

Husband-and-wife doctors Richard P. Brown and Patricia L. Gerbarg, of Columbia University and New York Medical College, respectively, have written a book to help treat common stress and mood conditions without medication, as well as boost performance in different activities and improve personal relationships. In The Healing Power of the Breath: Simple Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety, Enhance Concentration, and Balance Your Emotions, you’ll read about breathing techniques meant to help you in myriad ways. And, it seems, they work.

The authors present their instructional steps in detail, along with a helpful CD accompanying the book that features 10 breathing exercises. Their core practices of “Coherent Breathing” (“recharging part of the nervous system while quieting the defensive, energy-burning parts”), “Resistance Breathing” (creating resistance to the air flow to enhance Coherent Breathing) and “Breath Moving” (moving the breath and awareness to different parts of the body) make up what they refer to as “Total Breath.” They also encourage incorporating slow physical movements into one’s practice.

These techniques may sound familiar to some readers as their foundation is drawn from “yoga, Buddhist meditation, the Chinese practice of qigong, Orthodox Christian monks, and other sources.” However, the authors explain which techniques work well with different conditions, as well as the types of obstacles you might encounter along the way and how to overcome them.

Research conducted by others and results of the authors’ own experiences with patients indicate that these types of mind-body techniques are also useful in assisting people recovering from life-changing events. Presented are survivor stories from the attacks on the World Trade Center, the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the earthquake in Haiti, the war and genocide in Rwanda, the war and slavery in Sudan, and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Your memory will be jogged and your compassion renewed as you read how survivors were able to find solace and calm simply by breathing and moving in specific ways. The authors also claim that their techniques can “improve disaster-preparedness and community resiliency.”

If you are one of those lucky individuals who does not feel stress from day-to-day living and has not experienced a large traumatic event, the authors believe their techniques can still improve your daily activities. ”Breath practices can relieve the anxiety and tension that interfere with performance in any arena,” they write. “They promote better integration of the mind, body, and emotions, enabling artistic expression to flow and optimizing physical movements to conserve energy and reduce wear and tear on joints, muscles, and tendons.”

Of course, individuals may feel different levels of effectiveness depending on their type of stress, trauma, or activity. But unlike medication, breathing techniques do not require a trip to the pharmacy for a drug with questionable side effects. You don’t have to be concerned that your insurance plan will not cover them, as they wil not empty your wallet save for the cost of the book that teaches them. The Healing Power of the Breath just might be the best prescription never written for you by your physician.

The Healing Power of the Breath: Simple Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety, Enhance Concentration, and Balance Your Emotions
Shambhala, June, 2012
Paperback, 240 pages
$12.21

Grace had grown up in a religious home. She was familiar with the above proverb. She understood it as a reminder to maintain pure thoughts to be a better person. Unfortunately, she was challenged by obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and every time she read verses such as this, her anxiety and guilt would torment her.

Honesty and integrity were often talked about in her home. Impure and blasphemous thoughts were against her religious beliefs. She had learned that if she were to sin, she could take steps to be forgiven. A broken heart, contrite spirit, and confession were essential.

Her troubles began in middle school. She was taking a history test and inadvertently looked at her neighbor’s test. Her guilt drove her to tears. Because of her values, she had to come clean. She did, and failed her test. This seemed to be the beginning of her cascade of constant guilt caused by her thoughts.

When a kid at school would announce someone had stolen his lunch money, she’d quickly look in her pockets, school bag, and desk to ensure she was not the thief. Her thoughts and fears felt real. Once, when she got an A+ on an English essay, she felt remorseful. Her mom had proofread her paper for spelling and grammar errors. She believed she had cheated. Getting rid of her guilt was more important than passing her class. Praying and confessing were a must so she could feel peace.

“Somehow my honesty issues subsided while I was in high school. But before I began college my troubles reappeared. This time my thoughts morphed into something disgusting that drove me crazy,” she told me.

Grace’s thoughts didn’t match her values. She couldn’t accept the thoughts and images in her mind of actually harming someone. She began to miss school and stay in her dorm all day. She’d spend hours “figuring things out.” She questioned her worthiness.

The truth about thoughts is that every single human being — regardless of whether he or she suffers OCD — has intrusive, disturbing thoughts at one time or another. When non-OCD sufferers have a distressing thought, they may be surprised. They may say to themselves, “Whoa! That was a weird thought.” They acknowledge it and move on.

On the other hand, when people who struggle with OCD have “random” perturbing and unpleasant thoughts, they panic. “Why in the world would I think such an awful thought? Where did that come from? What does this thought mean about me? I’m not this terrible person!”

OCD sufferers begin to reassure themselves in many ways to decrease anxiety and guilt. Their thoughts are troublesome because they are incongruous with their moral character. After all, the scriptures tell us to have pure thoughts, don’t they? However, prophets and biblical writers did not have OCD in mind.

OCD is a neurological and behavioral issue. It does not relate to religious beliefs, despite the symptoms. In truth, OCD often attacks whatever matters most to the person. In Grace’s case, as a devout, religious person, her OCD symptoms were related to that area of her life. She believed that thinking hideous thoughts would lead her to frightening actions. She began to question her self-worth. Depression began to surface because she couldn’t get rid of her “sins” despite her repeated repentance and confessions.

Prayers, hymns, and certain words became rituals. She began to avoid situations, places, and people to avoid triggering any tormenting thoughts. Her “OCD mind” kept telling her of the daunting consequences she would face in the future if she were not able to control her thoughts. She could not bear the thought of seeing herself living in eternal damnation.

The guilt Grace experienced was a biological consequence of her “OCD mind.” She had grown up learning “we must resist temptation,” but this wasn’t working for her. She had not learned that the guilt she felt was due not to sinning, but to OCD.

As Grace began treatment, through cognitive-behavioral therapy that included exposure and response prevention therapy, she discovered that finding reassurance and hating her thoughts were the stumbling blocks in her progress. It took some time, but she finally understood that resisting her sinful thoughts was not the answer. She learned that it’s impossible to control one’s thoughts. She learned that some of her thinking errors were contributing to her suffering.

For instance, most people who experience obsessions such as Grace’s have the belief that their thoughts equal their actions. This thinking error is called “thought-action fusion.” She believed that thinking something was just as bad as doing it. Grace had a constant need to assess her behavior and question her thoughts. She would spend hours figuring out the reason for her evil thoughts and how to undo them. She gained the experience and insight that thoughts are just that: thoughts. They come and go, and mean nothing themselves.

The road to modify her thinking habits was not easy. But she knew that what she had been doing all these years hadn’t worked. She realized that OCD had gotten in the way of enjoying her life and religion. For as she thought, she was not.

Religion

All world religions stress the importance of gratitude. In Judaism, prayers of gratefulness are an essential component of worship: Orthodox Jews recite them one hundred times a day. Gratitude was referred to by Martin Luther as a “basic Christian attitude.” The Koran states that the grateful will be given more. Muslim believers are encouraged to give thanks five times a day. Sufi, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions also emphasize giving thanks.

Moreover, religious traditions suggest that you should be grateful notwithstanding your current problems and circumstances – not to deny them, but in addition to and in spite of them. To feel gratitude only when you feel good is considered narrow-minded. In the Bible, Paul teaches, “In everything give thanks.” The Hebrew Midrash instructs, “In pleasure or pain, give thanks!” Islamic tradition says that those who give thanks in every circumstance will be the first to enter paradise.

The purpose of prayer is to open people to the presence of God. When it’s heartfelt, it is life-altering. Prayers of gratitude affirm God’s presence in everything and make our actions infinitely more effective.

Why Be Grateful?

Meister Eckhart, a well-known mystic, believed that thanking God was the most important prayer. Prophets and monks know that gratitude brings you closer to God. Even if you’re not religious, gratitude enables you to see your life in a larger context beyond your immediate troubles. It expands your life experience. It counteracts an ego-centered contraction and preoccupation with losses, fears, and wants. Being grateful only when good things happen reinforces your ego’s demand that good things happen, setting up greater disappointment when things don’t turn out as you desire. This, according to Buddha, is the cause of suffering.

The sages also knew that gratitude actually shifts your perspective from feeling depression, envy, anger, or self-pity to happiness. It can open your heart to joy and generosity, because you begin to feel that you’re blessed. Moreover, how you view your circumstances determines your ability to manage and overcome them. Often it’s worry or anxiety about the future that colors how you see a situation. Negative emotions limit your imagination and ability to cope and solve problems. Hence, your state of mind ultimately is more important than your outer experience.

Cultivating an attitude of acceptance enables you to feel grateful even when you’re in pain. It’s helpful to view all experience is an opportunity to grow and learn. Helen Keller wrote, “Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.” Rather than seeing yourself as a victim of circumstance, accepting reality and developing gratitude for what you do have vs. focusing on what you don’t empowers you to take appropriate action.

Gratitude has only been subjected to empirical research since the advent of the positive psychology movement. What religion has known for millennia, science has confirmed. Numerous studies suggest that grateful people are more likely to have higher levels of happiness and sense of well-being and lower levels of stress and depression. This naturally translates into better physical health.

Developing an Attitude of Gratitude

Gratefulness comes more easily to some than others. When you’re discouraged or weighed down with negative thoughts, there are several things you can do to develop an “attitude of gratitude:”

1. There’s wisdom in the phrase “count your blessings.” Listing the things for which you’re grateful can generate feelings of appreciation and gratitude. It’s often suggested to write them down daily. You can start with the fact that you have a brain, can write, and can read. Add small things, for example, seeing a child smile, receiving affection from a pet or greetings from a co-worker, or accomplishing a task, such as doing laundry or taking a walk. After several days, you’ll begin to look for things to add to your list and find that your mood significantly improves – faster than taking an anti-depressant.
2. Read your list to someone. Sharing your grateful feelings doubles the effect. Arrange to regularly share your gratitude lists and give thanks together. Praying together heightens your sense of connection and well-being.
3. Express thanks daily. Doing so out loud has more power. In the morning and evening, and before meals, recite prayers of gratitude, or just say thank you to your higher power.
4. Thank others. Throughout the day, thank others for their help — particularly people you don’t ordinarily thank, such as cashiers. This is a recognition that you depend upon many people in order to survive and acknowledges your interdependent existence. The same is implicit in saying grace for the labor that goes into food on your table.
5. Compliment people. Giving compliments shows appreciation and lifts others’ mood as well as yours.
6. Write notes. Put them on your refrigerator, mirrors, and computer to remind you to be thankful.
7. Think about people you appreciate. The act of visualizing them with positive feelings opens your heart to gratitude.
8. Write people unexpected thank-you notes. Writing your appreciation prompts loving feelings that engender gratitude.
9. Do small acts of generosity. Give someone your place in line, help someone pay for a purchase, or bring food to a neighbor.
10. Thank yourself at the end of the day for things you did well. List at least three things. They may be small and include the above acts of gratitude.

In time, you’ll notice a change in your mood until your “cup runneth over” – or, at least appear half full rather than half empty.

This month we had the pleasure of talking to Christina Hibbert, PsyD, a clinical psychologist and expert in women’s emotional health across the lifespan; pregnancy and postpartum mental health; grief and loss; and parenting.

Hibbert is the founder of the Arizona Postpartum Wellness Coalition and author of the upcoming memoir This is How We Grow. A frequent speaker, she’s been called “The Singing Psychologist,” and often shares an original song or two when she speaks.

Hibbert is the mother of six energetic kids and has a private practice in Flagstaff, AZ. Get to know Christina Hibbert by visiting her website at www.drchristinahibbert.com.

1. What’s surprised you the most about being a therapist?
How similar we all are on the inside, despite how we appear on the outside. Deep down, we all just want acceptance and love.

2. What’s the latest and greatest book you’ve read related to mental health, psychology or psychotherapy?
My all-time favorite “greatest” book is Bonds That Make Us Free: Healing Our Relationships, Coming to Ourselves, by C. Terry Warner (I’ve read it 3 times!). Warner shows us how we “betray ourselves” in relationships by failing to act on impulses to do the “right” thing. Then, we end up fighting to protect our self-betrayal and this blocks out love.

For instance, if a dad hears his newborn cry and thinks “I should feed him so my wife can sleep,” but then falls asleep instead, he has betrayed himself. He then has to tell her all the “reasons why” he didn’t wake up (“I work all day, you know!”); she feels hurt, so does he, and the love has vanished. Understanding these principles has changed my world, and now it helps me change others’ worlds too!

3. What’s the biggest myth about therapy?
That the therapist is going to “fix” you. That’s not it at all. Therapy is a partnership, and when both parties do their part, change is the result. The therapist offers insights, suggestions, and tools, and the client implements them in his or her life. That’s what therapy is all about.

4. What seems to be the biggest obstacle for clients in therapy?
Implementing the insight gained from therapy into real life. One of the most common questions I get as a psychologist is: “What stops us (human beings) from making the change we know we need to make?”

And all I can say to that is that making change is tough business. But it’s also simpler than we think. It can take just an instant to choose to change — just an instant to make up your mind and do it.

Instead, we are our own worst enemies, standing in the way of the change we desire. My job is to not only help clients see and understand the need for change, but to help them “get out of their own way,” and let change happen.

5. What’s the most challenging part about being a therapist?
The emotional drain. It’s lovely to get to know clients on such a deep level — to be there with them in their most intimate moments. But it can take a lot out of you if you’re not careful.

I have to consciously choose to leave it all behind when I go home, and I have to set limits on how much I can give to clients so I still have enough to give to my family and myself. (For instance, at this time I only see clients one day a week. I spend the other days being a “stay-at-home-mom” while also blogging for my website and working on my upcoming book!)

6. What do you love about being a therapist?
The deep connection with clients. There’s nothing like feeling someone’s heart and helping them heal it. It bonds you for life. I also love being a psychologist for the opportunities it provides for other types of connections; through speaking, teaching, and writing I also connect with people. It’s wonderful to have a career with so many options.

7. What’s the best advice you can offer to readers on leading a meaningful life?
Make “space” to check in with yourself each day. Even 5-10 minutes to be still, meditate, ponder, or pray will make a huge difference in creating a meaningful life, for it will allow you to “unplug” and instead “tune in” to what really matters.

Ask yourself, “What matters most to me?” Then listen, and write it down. Compare everything you do each day to your list of “what matters most.” Pay attention to the things that do matter, and get rid of all that doesn’t. Repeat this process often, and your life will be full of love, joy, and meaning.

(Hibbert has written more on these topics in her posts “What Matters Most,” and “Joy is in the Moments: 3 Tips for Discovering & Appreciating the Joy in Life.”)

8. If you had your schooling and career choice to do all over again, would you choose the same professional path? If not, what would you do differently and why?
I would absolutely choose the same path. I love what I do. The only thing I might do differently is add a minor in music and songwriting. It’s a favorite hobby of mine I often incorporate into my talks and seminars, and I’d love to have more expertise in that area!

9. If there’s one thing you wished your clients or patients knew about treatment or mental illness, what would it be?
That’s there’s so much more to life than just “feeling better.” Many of us are simply hoping to overcome mental illness—to just “feel better.” But we’re shooting far too low. That’s why my tagline is “Overcoming, Becoming, Flourishing.”

I want everyone to know that life isn’t just about overcoming challenges—it’s about becoming who we’re meant to be and even living a life that’s flourishing!

Don’t settle for just “being better.” Keep with it until you’re “better than better”!

10. What do you do to cope with stress in your life?
I put myself to bed early as often as I can so I can be up early and feel rested the next day. I take an “hour of power” each morning, including exercise, meditation, prayer, and scripture study before getting the kids ready and out the door. This gets me centered and focused on what really matters for my day. I strive to give my family my full attention when I’m with them, so I’m very careful about taking on new projects that can’t be done in the few hours when everyone’s at school.

I take a little time each afternoon to rest, read, nap or relax before my kids get home and my “night shift” begins. I also know I need time alone to de-stress and I love to travel, so I try to get away for a night or two as often as I can (with six kids, leaving the house is often the only chance I get to just “be me”!).

I also take baths, walks, talk with my husband, and get a massage at least once a month. And music is a great stress-reliever! If I’m really needing help, I’ll sit down at the piano or guitar and write a new song or sing!

This approach is supported by ancient wisdom as well as modern discoveries in physics, biology, and medicine. This worldview underlies many healing methods that seek to release energy blocks, limiting beliefs, and trapped emotions. Ancient cultures used shamanic methods and rituals to facilitate healing transformations.

In today’s society, methods that help us recognize and release limiting beliefs include muscle testing through kinesiology and using acupressure. This concept of consciousness in medicine isn’t really new. It is a system that has been lost or ignored as technology and the use of drugs have come to dominate medicine and other sciences.

Grayson’s book explores the evidence for the perspective that consciousness connects us all and provides the power to heal ourselves. He believes that each and every person has the capability to lead happy, healthy and productive lives. However, most, if not all, people subconsciously believe they’re not worthy of all the great and beautiful things that life has to offer.

This book has many excellent quotes and practical exercises to help readers address their own unconscious beliefs. The book informs us that we often have unconscious beliefs and intentions that lead us to create and maintain illnesses. Merely repeating positive affirmations won’t work, if those unconscious beliefs/programs aren’t cleared out first. That’s why these energy psychology techniques are so important. They help shift the beliefs/thinking and emotions at the level of consciousness.

Grayson cites many sources and evidence to show how emotions affect health and are keys to understanding illness. This book is best read carefully to really absorb and integrate the wisdom it offers. Opening up to its empowering perspective will prepare readers to effectively apply the exercises presented in the book.

As I read “Use Your Body,” I categorized the information into two areas: self-help and how-to. There are a lot of explanations on how people end up trapped in their negative states, whether they are emotional or physical; conscious or subconscious or even intentional or unintentional. Self-evaluations help readers explore what type of negativity might be affecting them. Grayson goes on to explain several approaches to break the negative pattern, depending on the individual.

I truly believe that, as he concludes, what you think does affect your health and the way your body works.  There were some things that made this book unfortunately hard to get through at times. I had issues with the very technical language he uses to discuss quantum physics.

I also found the book redundant about certain things, mainly how negative emotions affect the human body and how we have the capability to fix it without any third-party help. I believe the book could have been cut in half to make it more direct.

Despite those two personal issues I had with the book, I do believe in and support what Grayson is trying to get across in his latest book. We aren’t as disconnected from the universe as we feel. We have the ability to tap into its greatness and to heal ourselves without heavily relying upon drugs, doctors and different therapies.

 Use Your Body to Heal Your Mind: Revolutionary Methods to Release all Barriers to Health, Healing and Happiness
BalboaPress, March, 2012
Paperback, 336 pages
$14.27

Many of these people claim that these moments are proof of a higher power, such as God or Allah.  C. G. Jung refers to these moments as feeling the presence of the “Self.”  “Becoming Whole: Jung’s Equation of Realizing God” is an in-depth examination of the equation that Jung created to explain how the “Self” arises in each person and how that fits with the concept of God.

It is important to mention though that Jung’s equation should not be taken as proof of the existence of God.  Jung stated that it proves “only the existence of an archetypal God-image, which to my mind is the most we can assert about God psychologically.”

Leslie Stein studied with Jungian analyst Rix Weaver and deeply researched the Jung equation to prepare for examining this challenging concept. He not only dissects Jung’s complex equation, but also Stein points out the similarities and differences between it and other spiritual theories.

Stein devotes almost one fourth of the book to explaining Jung’s equation for the transformation within the Self.  To those unfamiliar with it, this might seem like a lot of ink to devote to an equation.  However, this equation is not as simple as say x + y = z.  Jung claims that this complex process takes place within each person and is necessary for the Self to become conscious. 

An important aspect is that it is circular.  Jung states that the circular movement “has the moral significance of activating the light and dark forces of human nature, and together with them all psychological opposites of whatever kind they may be.” Stein points outs out the similarity between the movement of Jung’s equation and the circling within the Buddhists’ mandalas as well as the Bible’s “wheel” in the vision of the prophet Ezekiel.

Stein breaks down pieces of the equation to more thoroughly explain how Jung viewed it.  One particularly interesting aspect is including nature as part of the spirit or “Self.”  Including nature as essential to spirituality can be seen in various religions and faiths, such as Wicca or Gnosticism. Jung was concerned with the gap between spirit and matter, which he believed was widened by Christianity’s de-spiritualizing of nature. 

Stein explains that Jung used theories and practices from Gnosticism and alchemy to solve this issue, attempting to bridge the gap and join spirit and nature again.  Stein claims that this is the “basis for and the object of the equation.” Jung wanted to show how by becoming more aware of the split between the spirit and the material world, the God-image or “Self” would become stronger.

Stein then delves even deeper in the pages of “Becoming Whole” by comparing Jung’s theory to the ideas of others.  One interesting comparison focuses on the three stages of the alchemical process drawn up by Gerhard Dorn.  Stein is very thorough and concise as he weighs the two theories.  For instance, the second stage of the alchemical process posited by Dorn is the “Reunion” of the spirit with the body.  Jung’s equation sets out a similar stage marked by “C”, also known as “Paradise.”  “C” is the point in Jung’s equation when the God-image emerges, because it has begun to recognize itself.

Becoming Whole also makes comparisons with works dealing with the transcendental God.  Stein compares and contrasts Jung’s equation with the Jewish mystical texts of the Kabbalah. Stein’s comment about the two: is that the “Kabbalah has the same goal as the equation: to use the emanations as the means to come closer to God or the Self.” Although the processes within Kabbalah and within Jung’s equation are different, the end result is the same.

Becoming Whole is very well researched and clearly written, it is not for the average reader. It’s written for scholars. It is a valuable resource for research about Jung and his equation for realizing God. The writing style is advanced and intended for an audience that is comfortable reading scholarly works.

That being said, I would not recommend this book for anyone looking for spiritual guidance or inspiration. With my experience of earning a degree in religious studies and years of personal research, I found this book to be very rewarding. I am very happy to add it to my collection of religious and/or spiritual analyses and texts.

Becoming Whole: Jung’s Equation for Realizing God
Leslie Stein
Skyhorse Publishing; May 1, 2012
Hardcover, 336 pages
$20.64

It’s not. Research has shown that Reiki (pronounced RAY-key) healing can be effective in addressing a number of the challenges dementia patients and their caregivers face every day. Scientific validation of Reiki’s effectiveness comes from numerous studies examining a variety of types of people, problems and settings. This type of solid research has helped bring Reiki into the mainstream.

Reiki, Mild Alzheimer’s and Cognitive Impairment

Reiki and other touch and energy therapies significantly aid dementia patients and their caregivers in several areas. One is an indication from published, peer-reviewed research that Reiki can help people with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s.

In one experiment, one group of patients received four weeks of Reiki treatments; a control group received none. The Reiki recipients showed statistically significant increases in mental functioning, memory and behavior after Reiki treatment. (Crawford, Leaver and Mahoney, 2006). Caregivers can administer Reiki at little or no cost, potentially reducing the need for medication and hospitalization (Crawford, Leaver, and Mahoney, 2006).

Reiki May Reduce Stress, Depression and Anxiety

“Stress” most often is mentioned by those seeking Reiki treatments (Potter). Dementia is extremely stressful, and anxiety and depression often coincide. Several studies have found Reiki provides biological indications of significant stress reduction, as well as a relaxation response (Baldwin, Wagers and Schwartz, 2008; Baldwin and Schwartz, 2006; Friedman et al., 2011, others).

Research shows that Reiki also can help reduce depression and anxiety among people with chronic illnesses (Dressin and Singg, 1998). Both hands-on and distance Reiki (the latter performed nonlocally, without touch) were found to reduce depression significantly. Effects lasted up to a year post-treatment (Shore, 2004).

Chronic or periodic pain-inducing illnesses can co-occur in dementia patients. As their dementia progresses, it can become impossible for the patient to verbalize their pain. Instead, they may become agitated, withdrawn, aggressive, depressed, anxious, or show some sort of “difficult behavior.” Caregivers must figure out that the behavioral change results from untreated physical pain, and then find the painful site and address it. Since Reiki has been shown to reduce pain, dementia patients with pain who undergo treatment might have both disorders addressed simultaneously. (Dressin and Singg, 1998; Birocco, et al., 2011; Richeson, Spross, Lutz and Peng, 2010; others).

Reiki treatment often results in a state of calm relaxation (Richeson, Spross, Lutz and Peng, 2010; others). Whether pain or some other issue caused their agitation, Reiki can help calm down dementia patients and make dealing with them easier for all involved in their care.

Reiki Also Helps Caregiver Burnout

The Reiki studies reviewed above apply to caregivers as well as patients. The Family Caregiver Alliance reports in general that “…20% of family caregivers suffer from depression, twice the rate of the general population.” When it comes specifically to dementia caregivers, “…41% of former caregivers of a spouse with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia experienced mild to severe depression up to three years after their spouse had died. In general, women caregivers experience depression at a higher rate than men.” Covinsky, et al. (2003) report the number with depression to be one-third of primary caregivers during the period while they are caring for their loved ones with dementia.

Nurses are an excellent group to study when it comes to caregiver burnout and Reiki. Many nurses have added Reiki to their skills, and they are a population prone to burnout and compassion fatigue. Studies involving nurses’ self-care have demonstrated that Reiki can help prevent and heal caregiver stress and overwhelm. Nurses who practiced Reiki on themselves reported that they choose to do so for daily stress management and self-healing, among other reasons (Vitale, 2009). Perceived stress was also significantly reduced among nurses learning Reiki, though less so if they did not practice self-help Reiki during the study (Cuneo, 2011). In a study of nurses with “burnout syndrome,” Reiki was found to provide a significant relaxation response (Diaz-Rodriguez, et al., 2011).

It can be challenging to return to warm, caring feelings following caregiver burnout. Brathovde (2006) and Whelan and Wishnia (2003) reported increased self-satisfaction with nurses’ work, and a returned ability to feel caring toward others after the nurses had received Reiki training and used it on both themselves and others.

Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias cannot be cured. People live for many years with the disease, which takes a huge toll both on them and their caregivers. As many effective tools as possible are needed to help manage ADRD and improve quality of life for everyone involved. Empowering family and professional dementia caregivers with Reiki skills can help meet many needs. For both patients and caregivers alike, calmness, improved moods, increased memory capability, reduced pain, and healing from caregiver burnout can be the help so many have been waiting for.

References

Baldwin, A.L., Schwartz, G.E. (2006). Personal Interaction with a Reiki Practitioner Decreases Noise-Induced Microvascular Damage in an Animal Model. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 12(1):15–22, 2006. In Center for Reiki Research, Retrieved June 23, 2012, from http://www.centerforreikiresearch.org/

Baldwin, A.L., Wagers, C. and Schwartz, G.E. (2008). Reiki improves heart rate homeostasis in laboratory rats. Journal of Alternative and Complementary

Birocco, N., Guillame, C., Storto, S., Ritorto, G., Catino, C. et al. The effects of Reiki therapy on pain and selected affective and personality variables of chronically ill patients. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Published online 13 October 2011 DOI: 10.1177/1049909111420859. In Center for Reiki Research, Retrieved June 23, 2012, from http://www.centerforreikiresearch.org/

Brathovde, A. A pilot study: Reiki for self-care of nurses and healthcare providers. Holistic Nursing, 20(2): 95-101, 2006. In Center for Reiki Research, Retrieved June 23, 2012, from http://www.centerforreikiresearch.org/

Covinsky, K. E., Newcomer, R., Fox, P., Wood, J., Sands, L., Dane, K., Yaffee, K. (December, 2003). Patient and caregiver characteristics associated with depression in caregivers of patients with dementia. J Gen Intern Med 18(12): 1006–1014. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2003.30103.x PMCID: PMC1494966 In Center for Reiki Research, Retrieved June 23, 2012, from PubMed.com.

Crawford, S. E., Leaver, V. W., Mahoney, S. D. Using Reiki to decrease memory and behavior problems in mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s disease. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 12(9), 911-913, 2006. Retrieved July 28, 2012 from PubMed.com.

Cuneo, C.L., Curtis Cooper, M.R., Drew, C.S., Naoum-Heffernan, C., Sherman, T., Walz, K., Weinberg, J. The Effect of Reiki on Work- Related Stress of the Registered Nurse. Journal of Holistic Nursing. 29(1): 33-43, 2011. In Center for Reiki Research, Retrieved June 23, 2012, from http://www.centerforreikiresearch.org/

Diaz-Rodriguez, L., Arroyo-Morales, M., Fernández-de-las-Peñas, C., García-Lafuente, F., García-Royo, C. and Tomás-Rojas, I. (2011). Immediate effects of Reiki on heart rate variability, cortisol levels, and body temperature in health care professionals with burnout. Biol Res Nurs, 13: 376 originally published online 5 August 2011. In Center for Reiki Research, Retrieved June 23, 2012, from http://www.centerforreikiresearch.org/

Dressin, L.J., Singg, S. Effects of Reiki on pain and selected affective and personality variables of chronically ill patients. Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine, 9(1):53-82, 1998. In Center for Reiki Research, Retrieved June 23, 2012, from http://www.centerforreikiresearch.org/

Family Caregiver Alliance. (Fall, 2002) Retrieved July 28, 2012 from http://www.caregiver.org/.

Friedman, R.S.C., Burg, M.M., Miles, P., Lee, F. and Lampert, R. (2010). Effects of Reiki on Autonomic Activity Early After Acute Coronary Syndrome. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 56: 995-996. In Baldwin, Fall, 2011. In Center for Reiki Research, Retrieved June 23, 2012, from http://www.centerforreikiresearch.org/

Potter, Joe, Research Report, Introduction and General Findings. Retrieved July 21, 2012 from http://www.reiki-research.co.uk/

Richeson, N. E., Spross, J. A., Lutz, K. and Peng, C. Effects of Reiki on anxiety, depression, pain, and physiological factors in community-dwelling older adults. Research in Gerontological Nursing, 3(3): 187-199, 2010. In Center for Reiki Research, Retrieved June 23, 2012, from http://www.centerforreikiresearch.org/

Shore, A.G., Long term effects of energetic healing on symptoms of psychological depression and self-perceived stress. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 10(3), 42-48, 2004. In Center for Reiki Research, Retrieved June 23, 2012, from http://www.centerforreikiresearch.org/

Vitale, A.T. Nurses’ Lived Experience of Reiki for Self Care. Holistic Nursing Practice, 23(3): 129-145, 2009. In Center for Reiki Research, Retrieved June 23, 2012, from http://www.centerforreikiresearch.org/

to a nurse/Reiki practitioner. Holistic Nursing Practice, 17(4):209-217, 2003. In Center for Reiki Research, Retrieved June 23, 2012, from http://www.centerforreikiresearch.org/