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Book Reviews EMOTIONAL HEALING FOR THE INNER CHILD This is a very thorough journey through life and as it is link to the ferry journey, each occurrence of the ferry's movement provides a link to our lives and how we handle what occurs. Not only personal experiences are used in illustration, but Cummings takes us through all the Psychological thinkers who offer us insight and who are particularly relevant to the B.I.G. training for our Diploma. Freud, Jung, Fromm, Maslow and Adler, their theories and teachings are linked to the journey very effectively and for the student, this book will be invaluable, but also it will be very fascinating to those who are familiar with their teachings and can see how well they have been used in illustrating this narrative. One concept that is often a puzzle to those who are not particularly experienced in psychological theories is The Shadow, which is dealt with clearly and at every stage in the book, not only is the journey interesting and often challenging, but it puts the reader on the spot to identify with their own issues and to see themselves realistically enough to do something positive about them. This isn't a book that preaches, but one which walks alongside the reader, sharing dialogue and experiences interactively and demanding involvement and commitment - no escape into deferring these until later. Anyone who reads this book will find that they cannot sit on the sidelines. The journey is a joint experience with the author, who shares her wisdom and understanding, but also expects that the outcome will be the responsibility of the reader to have gained insight and benefit in their personal journey towards individuation (Jung). Although it is not a graphology book, its wisdom is invaluable and would be an asset to anyone who works with people in an advisory capacity, not to mention those who would find it a healing process for their 'inner child'. The Graphologist Spring 2009 Emotional Healing for the Inner Child by Anne Cummings and published by The Book Guild has been reviewed by Helen Bird. This is a well researched and intelligent read. Each chapter is informative and thought provoking and I particularly enjoyed the chapter on 'Walking Your Talk. This book could simply be a useful introduction to ETC [Emotional Therapeutic Counselling] and the inner child model for a layperson; some of the therapeutic tools we use are included as exercises to try, or the book could be seen as a warm and encouraging guide for new and inexperienced therapists, as the case studies all adhere to ETC model and make the connections to childhood very clearly. Anne has achieved the difficult balance of academic and anecdotal, and has written a book which specifically addresses the way ETC therapists work. I would recommend that this book is added to both the ETC library and the diploma course book list. The Foundation for Emotional Therapeutic Counselling Newsletter April 2015 |