HOMESTEADING in the CALM EYE of the STORM: A Therapist Navigates His Complex PTSD - Softcover

Walker, Pete

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1974029158 ISBN 13: 9781974029150

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017

Synopsis

Homesteading in the Calm Eye of the Storm is a companion book to my self-help book: COMPLEX PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving. Homesteading is also a memoir of my journey of recovering from C-PTSD. Written in a more playful, easier to read style than my other books, it is much less dense and relatively free of psychological jargon. Several previewers have described it as rich, poignant, funny and full of self-disclosive anecdotes that are sure to help other survivors in their recovery. "Homesteading" has two parts. In Part I, I escape from my dysfunctional family and backpack around the world seeking happiness while I unconsciously flee my suffering. In Part II, I wander into the jungles of psychological theory and technique. I shift my focus from global adventurer to inner world explorer. The many hits and misses of my recovery efforts are detailed in this book. Eventually, I discover what works, and gradually move from struggling to survive to discovering how to thrive. Very gradually I find meaning, belonging and fulfillment. My fear shrinks, my toxic shame melts away, and peace of mind becomes my touchstone. My psyche heals as my self-kindness, self-care, and self-protection continuously grow. Eventually, I break the pattern of being attracted to painful relationships that mirror my experiences with my parents. This in turn frees me to find a number of truly intimate and comforting relationships.

About this title

About the Author

Pete Walker, M.A., MFT, is a licensed Marriage and Family psychotherapist with degrees in Social Work and Counseling Psychology. He has been working as a counselor, lecturer, writer and group leader for forty years, and as a trainer, supervisor and consultant of other therapists for 20 years. He holds certificates in supervision from The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and from The Psychotherapy Institute in Berkeley. Pete Walker is a "general practitioner" who has a private practice in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. He specializes in helping adults who were traumatized in childhood, especially those whose repeated exposure to abuse and/or neglect left them with the symptoms of Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder [Cptsd]. His articles on a multimodal approach to treating Cptsd have been published in a number of professional psychotherapy periodicals. Pete’s first book, The Tao of Fully Feeling: Harvesting Forgiveness Out of Blame, has been acclaimed by many therapists and clients as a powerful, compassionate and pragmatic tool for guiding recovery. Alice Miller, author of The Drama of the Gifted Child, wrote: “Pete Walker wrote a book about his own recovery from emotional numbness. The author passionately explores as thoroughly as possible the role of emotions in human life. The result is not only a moving, honest recount but also an informative guide for people who want to become more aware of their buried feelings. Walker's well explained concept of 'reparenting' will help them go through this fascinating process in a safe, protected way." Pete’s second book, Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving, is the logical extension and evolution of the work presented in his first book. It deeply explores the causes of Cptsd that range from severe neglect to monstrous abuse. Many survivors of traumatizing families grew up in houses that were not homes – in families that were as loveless as orphanages and sometimes as dangerous. Complex PTSD : From Surviving To Thriving is a comprehensive, user-friendly, self-help guide to recovering from the lingering effects of childhood trauma. It is an overview of the tasks of recovering, and an illumination of the silver linings that can come out of effective recovery work. It contains a great many practical tools and techniques for recovering from Cptsd. It is also copiously illustrated with examples of his own and others’ journeys of recovering.

Edition details

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1974029158
• ISBN 13: 9781974029150
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 372