Last month, Ann was featured in this Telegraph Article by Lauren Shireff where she offered four key strategies that can help. On the subject of guilt, Ann says “No relationship is completely good or bad - even if you really think it was 90% bad by the end, there will still be happy shared memories and good times to look back on, so there will probably be some regret. To counter it, make a list of all the reasons why you know the breakup is right, and look at it every day if you need to. This will help you stick to your guns and not get carried away with guilt.”

The Way Up After Your Breakup is available now.

Subscribe now

FAB author Lisa Dart was interviewed by poet and author Leslie Tate. Leslie talked to Lisa about her book Fathom, and how she prepared for writing a book about deep trauma. Lisa says, “Preparing for writing about trauma in ‘Fathom’ was a rather unwieldy process. I had read quite a lot of books about trauma and how its effects manifest in the body and in the mind. I had also read quite a lot of fiction, concerned with how writers shape texts, create narrative tension and make meanings. I was interested, too, in inter-textuality.” Read the rest of the interview, along with details of Lisa’s other books, here.

Share

The book was featured on the Royal College of Nursing’s blog, where Victoria Sweetmore says: “The book does not shy away from the troubling realities of institutional life, particularly the often mechanical nature of patient care. Patients became part of a system that functioned like a production line, their needs subordinated to institutional efficiency. The glimpses provided into their experiences raise profound ethical questions that remain relevant today about autonomy, dignity, and the moral responsibility of mental health care providers.”

Jo Sowerby, a nurse and book blogger (find her full review on Instagram @josliteraryadventures), says: “The authors don't sugarcoat any of the stories, which is important especially nowadays where our ideas of mental health care may be more positive....Personally, I think this book should be compulsory reading for student mental health nurses as it can help them understand how far mental health provision has come, but also how some of their older patients could have been treated.”

Asylum Years is available now from all major online retailers.

Here’s what readers are saying about it on Amazon…

“Charlotte Hastings brings Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance into the kitchen but dispels all the gloom through her magical creations and her daughter's charming illustrations. You don't need to be a therapist or a cook to enjoy this book. This is nutrition for the soul.”

“Hastings transports you to a place that reconnects you with those childhood memories, helping you to explore how those shape the adult you are today. Her prompts to reflect back and scroll forward to the present through meal memories are powerful - evoking strong emotions and insights.”

“This book is a must-read for anyone looking to add a little more mindfulness and intention into their daily meals, I think the kitchen witches out there may flock to this one. But whether you're a seasoned chef or a beginner in the kitchen, Kitchen Therapy will inspire you to whip up something delicious while also nourishing your soul. Happy cooking!”

FAB published Fathom by Lisa Dart in 2019. Fathom is an experimental memoir, a story of emotional breakdown, hidden trauma, and hidden memories, brought to the surface and explored through the work of psychoanalysis.

Fathom has been recommended by the US Review of Books. In their review, Mihir Shah says: ‘Dart’s work is a seamless blend of masterful storytelling and a scintillating commentary on understanding the human mind. Her book is a meaningful must-read for all audiences.’

Fathom has also been reviewed in the British Journal of Psychotherapy (00,0 (2024) 1-4). Steven Groarke calls it ‘a memoir that consistently excites pathos in its reach for meaning.’

Fathom is a available now from major online retailers.

*

The Dreamer’s Odyssey published by FAB in 2020 has also enjoyed some new reviews this year. Written by Jacquie Flecknoe-Brown, an experienced Jungian Analyst, The Dreamer’s Odyssey is a guide to the collective unconscious. The book is a ten week guide where the reader is provided with a step-by-step plan to help them interpret and work through their own dreams.

The Review Studio says: ‘The Dreamer’s Odyssey is a fascinating book with real depth and useful exercises, making use of an endless too – your own dream world, to be able to analyse your life and your world. It’s a skill that will last a lifetime and the bonus of having the Jungian teaching explained in detail makes the book even more useful and worthwhile.’

From The Secret Book Review: ‘What sets this book apart is its remarkable ability to demystify dream interpretation. Flecknoe-Brown presents complex concepts in a remarkably clear and digestible manner, making it accessible to readers of all backgrounds. One aspect I particularly valued was the inclusion of journaling questions, which provide a structured approach to understanding the narrative of your dreams.’

Working with dreams and their images helps us to become more conscious of ourselves and of our shadows - it keeps us in touch with a guiding inner wisdom that mysteriously urges us to live the life we were born to live. Dreams can ease our burdens, hlep us problem-solve, improve our memories, and enlighten us. The dream is a natural, and living phenomenon - working to understand our dreams will have an effect on many aspects of our lives.

The Dreamer’s Odyssey is available from major online retailers.

Subscribe now

The book is a response to the extraordinary renaissance of interest in daseinanalysis during the last five years, reflected by the formation of the American Daseinanalystic Institute, which has taken its place among other such institutes around the world. It will be of special interest to graduate and post-graduate clinical psychologists and psychotherapists. The volume will also be an important text for readers familiar with Heidegger but perhaps not aware of his impact on psychiatry, psychoanaylisis and psychotherapy.

The introduction to daseinanalysis includes an exhaustive review of the publications of Medard Boss which are, in effect, the written history of its genesis and development.

Miles Groth is Professor Emeritus in Psychology at Wagner College. He is the author of Medard Boss and the Promise of Therapy and the editor of Martin Heidegger’s Impact on Psychotherapy.

Subscribe now

Subscribe now

New activity book for foster children

Let’s Talk to Barney aims to give foster children a voice. In 2022, Coram Voice published their report entitled ‘Staying Connected,’ which examined the views and experiences of over 7,500 children and young people in care on thier contact with family members, and the impact this has on their wellbeing. It revealed that half of young people in care didn’t feel involved in decisions social workers made about their lives.

The activity book, written in a child friendly manner, is suitable for professionals to use with foster children between the ages of 5 and 10. By focusing on the story of a dog, the book is a tool which should allow children’s voices to be heard in relation to how they feel about maintaining a relationship with different members of their birth family. The material obtained by social workers through using this tool can then be used in contact planning and when reviewing contact plans.

Robert Bradshaw, Operations Director, Aidhour, and Head of Governance, Five Rivers Childcare, says: “Overall, this is a high-quality and appealing resource which has been thoughtfully put together. It would be a useful read for anyone wanting to discuss family contact with a child. The principles underpinning the story, as well as the book itself, will be a useful resource for anyone considering direct work with children in foster homes.”

Caroline Hesslegrave, Sessional Adoption Consultant with Coram IAC, says: “I have no hesitation in recommending Let’s Talk to Barney to social workers tasked with ascertaining the wishes of fostered children about future contact with their birth relatives.”

Let’s Talk To Barney is available now.

Kitchen Therapy

Back in June we published Kitchen Therapy: How to Become a Conscious Cook by Charlotte Hastings. Her aim was to give us a cookery book and a psychotherapeutic adventure in one, explaining the rationale behind the use of food as a therapeutic medium. It’s a fascinating exploration of the psychological, social and spiritual dimensions food holds for us.

The book contains some delicious recipes - grab a copy to try these out - but here’s a recipe Charlotte wrote for Family Friendly Working for Sweet Potato Brownies. Charlotte says she likes to “I like to use similar ingredients in a pudding as for the main course when I can.” A good way to use up extras!

Subscribe now