You are the Horse and You are the Rider

This is a brilliantly insightful work exploring the links between body and mind, wellness and disease; both intriguing and innovative, Sara Beaumont-Connop’s writing is accompanied by her husband, Michael’s sharp and illuminating sketches. This is an absorbing, thoughtful book providing excellent explanations of functional and dysfunctional behaviour packed full with relevant examples from the authors vast professional background and offers cutting edge thinking. This work is rich with story, graphics and an holistic approach for a happier, healthier life, but it’s greatest gift is that it offers an accessible roadmap for personal transformation. Shoshanna Cogan. M.S Counseling. International Training and Consulting. This book is a veritable global nomad’s guide to the galaxies; all of them; replete with the humour and pragmatism from Down Under. Having worked as a physician for decades with expatriates in overseas settings, there has always been a need for great resource books and here’s one you should read and have! The introduction presents the concept of the disparate horse and rider. Through vignettes and well illustrated rich scientific theory this concept grows through the book, culminating in a cleverly integrated function as a “Centaured being.”This will join my list of recommended readings. In the waiting room or on the coffee table, it will inspire conversation, introspection and action. Dr Mark Davis MD Supervising Physician George Washington Medical Faculty Assoc, Georgetown University, USA.

This volume is truly helpful and brings clarity to a complex mass of ideas, theories and concepts that many, not only people outside our professions, have found little of in terms of helpful, integrated frameworks where understanding is expanded, balanced and structured in a clear way...
I feel that this book is successfully presenting such an integrated framework; I have not come across anything of this 'width' working in the field..Johannes SijbrantEx-President, New Zealand Association of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists 

This book very much reflects my own belief that you cannot separate mental health from physical health. One's own well being very much determines to a large degree one's own resiliency in regards to mental health.The book takes it's title from the wholistic idea that as the "Rider" we take care for making the choices for our physical manifestation of who we are. The "Horse" is the organic mirror image that we present to the world we inhabit. The theory, the author explains "is the idea that when the two parallel developmental paths are joined through a process I call centauring, a third sphere of experience occurs, and this is the controversial or contentious aspect. It's really the application of General Systems Theory, the simple idea that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts; that we have within us an energy designed for our use which manifests in a transcendental manner, quite simply, creativity."This well thought out and well written book starts out with the author telling the story behind the inspiration that led to the book, an ability to understand and synthesise the physical and it's impact on mental health. The book runs in a logical sequence starting with importance of understanding the history of psychological thought with a quick rundown on important theorists and how they have influenced the author, through to the importance of the child and how early experiences impact on the development of our inner child. The book moves through several spectrums discussing issues such as defences and adversity through to the importance of food.The chapter on food is a must if you want to understand the connection between eating, our minds and self, and how this is exploited for commercial interests and the price that we can pay emotionally. The book ends with the last few chapters discussing the concepts of planning a head for the body, or a body for the head and finishing with "The Third Nature", the trinity of your mind and body, your Horse and Rider energies and the Centaur that emanates from these. Throughout, the book constantly refers back to the importance of childhood experiences and how each concept impacts on our experiences.The book uses the analogy of the Horse and Rider as it moves through each concept. Movement from one concept to the next is made simple and seamlessly through the use of story telling and a character named Crystal whose stories help demonstrate the use of concepts within the theory of General Systems. A major strength of the book is the rich use of pictures, drawings, tables and diagrams that help to demonstrate ideas, reflect concepts and put together ideas.If ever a book was written that clearly and strongly demonstrates the need for those in the helping profession to understand the significant overlap of the self, psychology, nutrition and exercise then this is it!The authors use of the General Systems Theory to explain this, is in my opinion, a revelation.Philip ArmstrongFACAPresidentAustralian Counselling AssociationReviewed in The Journal, ACA Winter 2018.