Politics, Bullies and You

We are all born unique, our own energy making up a part of our shared universe; through education, society and the status quo, we soon become normal. We are all part of a system, one that, at times, does not work to our advantage. It’s time to open all our minds, go to sleep and listen to our dreams, learning through the night. Politics, bullies, wars, guns, famine and popups, the world needs none of that, but it does need you.

This is a story about my life, my eight-year journey through a broken system, a citizen to a government who ignored me. I stopped playing and started working, only to find myself abused by my superiors. I developed epilepsy, which led to either a mental breakdown or a spiritual awakening. Life’s like a movie, write your own ending, keep believing and keep pretending, that’s what I’ve always set out to do.

Planet Parent

This book contains a magic wand which gives the parents the power to know all the right answers, all of the time.…I wish, you wish, we all wish!Sadly, this book has no magic wand. However, it does have some very useful strategies and an understanding that perfect parenting (like magic wands, unicorns, Griffiths, and reliable computer technology) is a myth. The best we can all stride for is ‘good enough’ most of the time.Humour is a form of play used by children and adults alike and ‘playing’ is one of the most effective forms of healing. Planet Parent uses humour to help caregivers, parents and grandparents better understand their child and adolescent. This then creates the space to enjoy the beautiful moments of parenthood and to endure the not-so-beautiful moments.The strategies outlined in this book are drawn from my training and experience as a child and adolescent psychotherapist of over 30 years, and in my hilarious adventures with my own children. It explores the outstanding and distressing facts about babies (I never dreamed you would have to teach babies to sleep!) children and adolescents, which I discovered in my journey as a mother.The universal tribulations and pleasures that envelope all parents are discussed to emphasise the truth that parents are not alone (there are many, many of us parents) This book encourages the understanding that parents have great power to nurture our child’s resilience… and that there can be hilarity and fun in the process!

Peace and Happiness for Believers and Nonbelievers

Today humans are too busy working to gather wealth as a way of seeking happiness only to find that peace and joy are eluding them. They are resorting to chemicals for a moment of thrill in their active lifestyle. A highly-charged busy life does not provide any time to pause and gain in-depth knowledge of their life mechanism.    

This book explains the present-day misconceptions of the way society conducts its affairs regarding education, religion, environment and politics. It is written in a simple, readable language, with an astounding collection of facts and techniques usable by anyone interested in attaining health and happiness, and a wonderful new life of inner fulfilment.

It is a must-read book for people with a busy lifestyle, as it is found to be an illuminating and informative outlook on today’s difficult decisions on health and well-being. The readers will find much to intrigue them, compelling them to read until the final page.

Paying with Fish

Living close to the beach promised long, relaxing days, reclining peacefully and contemplating life, not prolonged screeching and jumping along the sand with a live crustacean taking residence in your pants.

Life in France for Viv is not what was expected. Perception based upon memory and recall alone is just not up to scratch. Who knew about the live lions parked in open containers in rural car parks. What about the monkeys tethered to grass verges eyeing you suspiciously? Why do horses have their heads poked through town house kitchen windows? Are they hoping for sustenance for the long night ahead? Just what is this obsession with drains blowing smoke up sewage pipes and making the colour of water especially grey? And just because there is a bus stop, can it be presumed that any type of vehicle has ever stopped there? Residence in rural France might just be a tad more tricky than first anticipated.

Paul Vitz: Psychological Mythbuster

American psychologist, Paul Vitz, was a pioneer critic of the ‘me, me, me’ generation and humanistic psychology which flourished alongside it. He stands out because of the cultural, psychological and spiritual depth of his critique. Mythbusters are rare and Vitz is a mythbuster par excellence, tearing apart several generations of selfism with insight, wisdom and wit. Other critiques came much later. He saw it all at the time.

This book takes the reader on a journey into the life and thought of a rare thinker, a questioner of ideological sacred cows, and one of the most original and gifted psychologists of the past century.

Paul Vitz was a visionary for his time in confronting and mythbusting humanistic psychology amidst ‘a tsunami of humanistic adulation.’ This book gives perceptive insights into Vitz's thought and times. Well worth reading!

– Catherine MacLaurin, Psychologist, Senior Wellbeing Advisor (SWA), Health and Safety Directorate, NSW Department of Education and Training, Australia

The American psychologist, Paul Vitz, has been a remarkably prescient and courageous critic of the humanist psychology movement, headlined by Carl Rogers. In this book, Wanda Skowronska has provided a thorough and convincing account of Vitz’s work. Her book deserves a wide readership.

– Colin Patterson STD, Dean and Permanent Fellow of the former John Paul II Institute, Melbourne, Australia.

In her book, Wanda Skowronska masterfully narrates the philosophical, theological, and historical context of the development of humanistic psychology, especially that of Carl Rogers, through the lens of Paul C. Vitz’s life and publications. This work critiques the influences of contemporary psychology’s humanistic origins of self-fulfilment theories and cultural Marxism and honours the lifelong work of Paul Vitz, who is undoubtedly one of the most significant Catholic psychologists of our times.

– Professor Craig Steven Titus, S.Th.D./Ph.D. Divine Word University, USA.

Pathways to Paradise

All is well when intelligence is used intelligently. Salvation is the ability which we all possess to come to terms with spiritual reality. To fully comprehend life and our obligations to it, we should seek to understand what obligations we owe to God and humanity. We should seek guidance from our immortal soul, which is of God and from God. The mind of mankind has, to an overwhelming degree, become conditioned to acquisition of material wealth. The inescapable fact is, there is no tow bar on a hearse.

Passionate

Do you ever feel confused, depressed or anxious? Do you think that you are going through some sort of crisis? Do you seem at odds with your partner, friends or work colleagues? But you can’t understand why this is happening? If so, Passionate will shed some light, as its author has experienced all these things and more besides, and has survived to tell the tale.

To achieve this, he experienced various therapies which helped to improve his mental health. But above all else, it was his discovery of attachment theory that was responsible for clearing his confusion and helping him to understand why his life had been so intense, so chaotic, and so passionate.

Originally applied to the early parent-child bonding process, attachment theory can also help explain why we have become who we are as adults. The author has applied this aspect of attachment theory to himself  – as he takes us on a roller-coaster tour of his life, with thoughtful self-analysis applied to every stage of the journey.

Passionate is not a quick fix for people unwilling to look within but it does show how positive mental health can be achieved through a better understanding of what exactly is going on in our lives and why. So, strap yourself in for a ride that might change your life!

Parkinson's Hasn't Got Me Yet

Willie McCarney’s early years were studded with a series of traumatic incidents culminating in the death of his mother, when he was still under 10 years old. Everyone has to learn to deal with the ups and downs of life but Willie seemed to be getting more than his fair share of hard knocks. A Japanese proverb advises: “Fall down seven times. Stand up eight”. Like a baby learning to walk, Willie was back on his feet after every knockdown, stronger than before. He studied hard, qualified as a teacher and later as a trainer of teachers. He got married. Three months after the wedding his wife was struck down with an incurable disease. To hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, takes strength. Willie was not going to allow himself to be crushed, not even when Parkinson’s came knocking at his door. This book is the story of his fight back which continues 10 years on. He argues that the more physically active you are, the easier it is to live well with Parkinson’s. He offers hope in the future.

Pandemics

Pandemics inflict significant harm on societies, often exacerbated by human activities that alter the natural environment. As cities expand, encroaching on areas once inhabited by wildlife, the risk of disease transmission increases. Bacteria have existed for 3.5 billion years and viruses for 1.5 billion years, while humans have only been around for 130,000 years. Coronaviruses have a long evolutionary history of over fifty million years, with some recent strains dating back to around 8000 BCE, indicating a prolonged coevolution with bats and birds.Advancements in technology during the 20th century have facilitated rapid global travel, allowing microbes to spread more quickly than ever before. The 1918 influenza pandemic, often referred to as the ‘Spanish’ flu, was particularly devastating, claiming between 50 and 100 million lives, or about five percent of the global population at the time. Major pandemics have historically led to significant social changes: the Justinian Plague contributed to the rise of Christianity, the bubonic plague heralded the end of serfdom, and the aftermath of the ‘Spanish’ flu saw many governments adopting socialized medicine.The concept began in socialist Russia and soon spread to countries like France, New Zealand, and eventually Great Britain. It took the return of battle-hardened soldiers from World War II to push this agenda politically in the UK. Post-war, the growing influence of the United States and the nascent World Health Organisation led to the decline of privileged classes and the establishment of the fundamental right to healthcare for every human being, irrespective of their background.As the world confronts the final stages of another global pandemic, the future remains uncertain. There are questions about whether new vaccines will effectively control the disease, leaving societies worldwide in a state of anticipation and adaptation.

Oscar's Story

Mr. Pariyal shared Oscar’s Pedigree file with a reverence akin to the way we share janampatris (horoscopes). Oscar’s pedigree status was pretty impressive and his grandfather seemed to be the outstanding one for winning dog shows on intelligence, obedience besides his alpha male looks.

Oscar’s father had a rather strange name – “Casper” – and had not followed in his illustrious father’s footsteps. Casper had either not participated in dog shows or failed to make a mark in them. Oscar’s parents and grandparents were based in Bangalore.

The little Labrador had travelled afar to make Mumbai his home.

We consoled ourselves that sometimes genes skip a generation and Oscar would be like his illustrious grandfather. We were not disappointed; he had intelligence in ample measure and the only thing he needed was obedience.

Myths, History, and Art

Sir Basil Markesinis has held tenured senior posts at the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, University of London, Leiden (in the Netherlands) and the Law School of the University of Texas at Austin where he is now Emeritus Professor of Comparative Methodology. He has also held for a number of years part-time Chairs at the Universities of Paris I (Sorbonne), Paris II (Assas), Munich (Germany), Ghent (Belgium), Siena, Genova, and Rome (Italy), the Michigan Law School (at Ann-Arbour) for two years and the Cornell Law School for four years. He has authored or co-authored 56 books, over 150 legal articles, and close to 100 articles on geopolitical issues in journals and newspapers in three continents. His most-recent work is his three-volume illustrated treatise entitled Ancient Greek Poetry from Homer to Roman Times, Jan Sramek, Verlag (2017). His academic work has earned him Fellowships at the Academies of Athens, Belgium, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Rome (Lincei), as well as the Athens Archaeological Society and the American Law Institute. For his work in promoting international relations and the study of various European Cultures, especially through his creation of the Leiden Institute of Anglo-American Law (in 1987); The Oxford Institute of European and Comparative Law (in 1996) of which he was Founder, fund raiser, and first Director; and the Texas Institute of Global Law (in 2000), he was awarded the Insignia of the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy; the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of France; the Insignia of the Grand Cross of Service with Star of the Republic of Germany, as well as the insignia of Commander of the Order of the Légion d' honneur of France. In 1997 on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor, he was appointed Hon. Queen's Counsel; and in 2005, on the advice of the Prime Minister, he was knighted by H. M. Queen Elizabeth II for "exceptional services to international relations."

My Therapy Journal

Are you on a journey of wellbeing and would like to be more organized? Have you ever seen your therapist, doctor or wellbeing provider and forgot completely what was said? Did you forget what the suggested plan was? If so, do not worry, help is at hand. Forgetting what was discussed is a common experience shared by many and is often from stress, anxiety, lack of sleep or reduced memory retention. My Therapy Journal is especially designed for anyone who is on a journey of healing. It is a cleverly designed, practical and mindful tool that can be used to keep a log of therapy sessions, whether they are medical, psychological or holistic. They can also be used in conjunction with other activities such as yoga classes, mindfulness trainings, health retreats and online wellbeing webinars and courses. My Therapy Journal has an easy-to-follow format and can be filled in during your session with your practitioner, or after your session in your own time. It is designed as a memory aid and facilitates wellbeing and mindfulness through areas for reflection, planning, wellbeing activities and gratitude. My Therapy Journal also has a selection of beautiful hand-drawn illustrations for mindful coloring and a Doodle Corner for free-hand drawings.