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Link to Web Sites
Link to Articles and Books
Link to the Adminstrator's Page
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Web Sites
These links will connect you to sites that we find
useful. They are resources that we may refer to in our workshops
or in our work with our clients. Selecting a link will open
another window on your computer. Of course, whenever you leave one
site and visit another you may find that links might not be updated.
While we are referring you to these alternative sites, we cannot be
responsible for the content of someone else's web site.
Authentic Happiness
"Yes, it's possible to be happier -- to feel more
satisfied, be more engaged with life, find more meaning, have higher
hopes, and probably even laugh and smile more, regardless of your
circumstances. The research keeps pouring in. The book Authentic
Happiness makes this research available to all of us."
Go to the Authentic Happiness Page.
Reflective Happiness
Reflective Happiness provides you
with the knowledge, tools, and skills needed to master the three
components of happiness: 1) the Pleasant Life ; 2) the Engaged Life ; 3) the Meaningful Life .
Rigorous scientific testing demonstrates that these three components of
happiness can reliably be increased. Based on this research,
Reflective Happiness, together with world-renowned psychologist, Dr.
Martin Seligman, has created the Reflective Happiness Plan to accurately
measure, improve and sustain your emotional well-being for a more
fulfilling and satisfying life.
Go to the Reflective Happiness Page. Go to Top. |
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Books of Interest
Click any link to order the book
from Amazon.com
Delivered From Distraction.
Ed Hallowell
From Publishers Weekly
This follow-up to the authors' 1994 manual, Driven to Distraction, has
the advantage of personal testimony regarding adult Attention Deficit
Disorder (ADD)-the authors themselves have ADD-as well a very readable
presentation of the latest research in the field. Defining ADD as a
collection of traits, some positive, some negative, the authors intend
to encourage those who have this condition or are raising children with
it and advise on how to maximize their abilities and minimize
characteristics, such as procrastination, that may hinder them at school
or work. In a comprehensive overview, Hallowell and Ratey provide a new
screening questionnaire for adults and list methods that physicians,
parents and educators can use to diagnose and treat the ADD child. Of
primary importance to readers are the recommended steps for living a
satisfying life with ADD; these include developing personal
relationships and engaging in creative activities that will foster
self-esteem. The authors also separate nutrition fads from what is known
about how diet can affect brain functioning and discuss whether to take
medication. Overall, this is an excellent resource.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.
All rights reserved.
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interest
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work
John Gottman
Amazon.com
According to most relationship books, the key to a solid
marriage is communication, communication, communication.
Phooey, says John Gottman, Ph.D., author of the
much-lauded
Why Marriages Succeed or Fail.
There's much more to a solid, "emotionally intelligent"
marriage than sharing every feeling and thought, he
points out--though most couples therapists ineffectively
(and expensively) harp on these concepts.
Gottman, the director of the Gottman Institute, has
found through studying hundreds of couples in his "love
lab" that it only takes five minutes for him to
predict--with 91 percent accuracy--which couples will
eventually divorce. He shares the four not-so-obvious
signs of a troubled relationship that he looks for,
using sometimes amusing passages from his sessions with
married couples. (One standout is Rory, the pediatrician
who didn't know the name of the family dog because he
spent so much time at work.)
Gottman debunks many myths about divorce (primary
among them that affairs are at the root of most splits).
He also reveals surprising facts about couples who stay
together. They do engage in screaming matches.
And they certainly don't resolve every problem. "Take
Allan and Betty," he writes. "When Allan gets annoyed at
Betty, he turns on ESPN. When Betty is upset with him,
she heads for the mall. Then they regroup and go on as
if nothing's happened. Never in forty-five years of
marriage have they sat down to have a 'dialogue' about
their relationship." While this may sound like a couple
in trouble, Gottman found that they pass the love-lab
tests and say honestly that "they are both very
satisfied with their relationship and they love each
other deeply."
Through a series of in-depth quizzes, checklists, and
exercises, similar to the ones he uses in his workshops,
Gottman provides the framework for coping with
differences and strengthening your marriage. His
profiles of troubled couples rescued from the brink of
divorce (including that of Rory, the out-of-touch
doctor) and those of still-happy couples who
reinvigorate their relationships are equally
enlightening. --Erica Jorgensen
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Shadow Syndromes
John Ratey
Amazon.com
Freud once said that nobody is "normal," and after
reading Shadow Syndromes, you may well be
convinced of that. While more than 50 million Americans
suffer from full-fledged mental illnesses such as
depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, millions
more suffer from milder forms--yet they likely don't
realize it. From chronic sadness to low self-esteem to
shopping addiction to intermittent rage disorder,
compassionate authors John J. Ratey, M.D. and Catherine
Johnson, Ph.D. chronicle the often-undiagnosed (yet
definitely insidious) "shadow" disorders. One of the
most eye-opening points the authors make is that men who
"can't commit" to a relationship may in fact be
suffering from an unrecognized adult form of attention
deficit disorder.
Shadow Syndromes is thorough, but at the same
time it simplifies the technical aspects of mental
illnesses--no stacks of footnotes or complicated
neurotransmitter charts here. The authors use plenty of
anecdotes to illustrate how everyday people have
recognized and overcome shadow syndromes. They also
prevent the book from becoming one big bundle of bad
news by stressing that these disorders are treatable
with medications such as Prozac, which Johnson took to
handle her mild depression. Specific lifestyle changes
are also advised, including more sleep, changes in diet,
and more exercise. The "Care and Feeding of the Brain"
chapter compiles other empowering, healing approaches.
This book will be valuable not only for those who
believe they're suffering from a shadow syndrome, but
for doctors and therapists as well. --Erica Jorgensen
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Authentic Happiness
Martin Seligman
From Publishers Weekly
In his latest user-friendly road map for human emotion, the author of
the bestselling Learned Optimism proposes ratcheting the field of
psychology to a new level. "Relieving the states that make life
miserable... has made building the states that make life worth living
less of a priority. The time has finally arrived for a science that
seeks to understand positive emotion, build strength and virtue, and
provide guideposts for finding what Aristotle called the `good life,' "
writes Seligman. Thankfully, his lengthy homage to happiness may
actually live up to the ambitious promise of its subtitle. Seligman
doesn't just preach the merits of happiness e.g., happy people are
healthier, more productive and contentedly married than their unhappy
counterparts but he also presents brief tests and even an interactive
Web site (the launch date is set for mid-August) to help readers
increase the happiness quotient in their own lives. Trying to fix
weaknesses won't help, he says; rather, incorporating strengths such as
humor, originality and generosity into everyday interactions with people
is a better way to achieve happiness. Skeptics will wonder whether it's
possible to learn happiness from a book. Their point may be valid, but
Seligman certainly provides the attitude adjustment and practical tools
(including self-tests and exercises) for charting the course.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc
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of interest
You Can Beat Depression
John Preston
Here's an all-new, revised and updated
edition of the most readable book on depression. Folks who are feeling
really depressed often don't feel much like reading, but YOU CAN BEAT
DEPRESSION is a very reader-friendly self-help guide. This important
resource has been recognized by the National Mental Health Association.
Readers will find all-new information on bipolar disorder diagnosis and
treatment, along with helpful material on prevention of depression,
prevention of relapse after treatment, brief therapy interventions,
exercise and other non-medical approaches, the Prozac controversy, and
much more. Includes an up-to-date consumer guide to medications. An
invaluable self-assessment device, carefully guiding readers to figure
out when and how they can help themselves, when they need to seek
professional treatment, and what to expect along the way. The American
Library Association Booklist calls this an excellent self-help guide.
[which] could help anyone beat the blues quickly and effectively.
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interest
You'll See It When You Believe It
Wayne Dyer
From Publishers Weekly
Following his bestselling Your Erroneous Zones , et seq., this
encouraging, helpful volume augurs an increase in Dyer's audience.
Citing the wisdom of ancient and modern philosophers, the author adds
incidents from his experiences to illustrate the benefits of spiritual
guidance and possibilities of transformation. Serendipity, or what Dyer
believes are miracles, have given him riches that he declares are
available to all. He counsels that one must first see the human as a
soul with a body--not the reverse--to realize supposedly impossible
dreams. Dyer describes the blessings he and others have gained from
getting rid of anger, fears and the desire for revenge: impedimenta to
the good life. The advice, while generalized, is not simplistic and
will, on the evidence he adduces, likely convert many doubters to Dyer's
faith in a universe ruled by a divine providence. Literary Guild
alternate.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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interest
The Relaxation Response
Herbert Benson
When Dr. Herbert Benson introduced this simple,
effective, mind/body approach to relieving stress
twenty-five years ago, his book became an instant
national bestseller. Since that time, millions of people
have learned the secret--without high-priced lectures or
prescription medicines. The Relaxation Response
has become the classic reference recommended by most
health care professionals and authorities to treat the
harmful effects of stress.
Discovered by Dr. Benson
and his colleagues in the laboratories of Harvard
Medical School and its teaching hospitals, this
revitalizing, therapeutic approach is now routinely
recommended to treat patients suffering from heart
conditions, high blood pressure, chronic pain, insomnia,
and many other physical ailments. It requires only
minutes to learn, and just ten to twenty minutes of
practice twice a day.
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Taking Charge of ADHD
Russell Barkley
Mary McDonald Richard, Student
Disability Services, University of Iowa
Taking Charge of ADHD is an outstanding resource for parents of
children with the syndrome currently known as Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder. In this book, Dr. Barkley and his colleagues
have integrated their great compassion for families with the scientific
authority for which they are known. Dr. Barkley guides parents in
examining their foundational beliefs about parenthood, the nature of
ADHD, and the principles and priorities that guide their actions. When
he issues challenges, they are accompanied by advice and tools. For
example, when emphasizing the importance of scientifically-validated
information, he provides an abundance of clearly presented research
findings and their applications in children's lives. Long-recognized as
an outstanding parent educator from the podium, in his book, Dr. Barkley
encourages, exhorts, and inspires parents to meet the challenges of
raising children with ADHD.
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Books of interest |
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