Depression's Seven Steps to Self-Understanding: A Guide to Comprehending and Navigating Your Inner Journey

In his book, Joseph D. Leone, Ph.D. offers an innovative view of depression and its treatment that can: (1) alleviate the painful effects of depression, and (2) enable those suffering from depression to attain an understanding that diminishes depression's power over them, and (3) achieve greater peace of mind and inner balance. Depression is understood to be: (1) a sensitivity and responsiveness to our own soul/spirit/inner self, (2) a path to a deeper understanding and acceptance of ourselves, (3) a way to a clear recognition of our own life purpose, and (4) a vehicle to personal spiritual wholeness. Depression is not adequately understood and is consequently misinterpreted in our society. This book provides a cultural, historical, psychological, philosophical, and spiritual overview. Through our deepened understanding of what depression actually is and what it means, we can become able to see and experience depression not just as a curse--but as a gift. This recognition of depression as a gift of self-understanding may be accomplished through "A Technique to Access the Experience of Depression's Seven Steps to Self-Understanding." This exercise (which is also available in a separate audio CD) gives instruction through which we consciously and objectively observe and experience our own depressive process, thereby allowing us to learn about our depression as well as ourselves. By understanding the essentail role of depression within the psychological and spiritual developmental process, we can recognize and actually learn to use depression as a creative and eye-opening force for our benefit and for the good of humanity. As "A Guide to Comprehending and Navigating Your Inner Journey," this book helps us to experience and move through the "inner journey" of depression. The author's intention is to transform depression into an experience of self-understanding, caring, and fulfilling relationship with others. Accordingly, this book is designed to lead readers to their own personal understanding of depression. Its presentation is quite understandable to the general reader, while also providing insight to those seeking a deeper comprehension of depression. The knowledge and tools offered in this book are geared for direct application and use for the benefit of the reader. Dr. Leone writes, "I acknowledge all of you who possess the sensitivity, the pain, the disillusionment, and the profound promise and gift of depression. You are the ones who have the potential to see through to your own soul, your own inner being, and to bring this deep understanding back out to give to the rest of the world."

Joseph D. Leone possesses a Ph.D. in Mythological Studies with Emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, and an M.A. in Transpersonal Psychology from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, as well as a B.S. in Financial Management from Boston College. He has lectured on depth psychological and Jungian themes, taught classes, and led groups for people with depression over the last ten years and continues in this work. He has published three other books: Forty Days and Forty Nights in the Wilderness: Comprehending Myth in Today's World (Doctoral Dissertation), The Rebirth of the Christian Apophatic Spirit: Embracing the Dark Night of the Soul (Master's Thesis), and To Dance Upon a Rainbow (a book of poetry). Dr. Leone's teaching and work focus on the understanding of depression, the alleviating of its effects in our lives, and its potential purpose as a path to self-understanding and spiritual wholeness, both for us as individuals and for the society and world in which we live.