The Prescription for Joy: How to Transform Yourself from Overwhelmed to Overjoyed

With her five-element "prescription for joy," Ruth Williams, LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), seasoned psychotherapist, gives us immediately accessible tools and techniques to de-stress our over-committed, over-stretched, and overwhelming lives. She shares illustrations from her own fun, but dysfunctional childhood and beyond. As a self-proclaimed joy-seeker and joy-keeper since early childhood, Ruth has successfully carried these skills into her own marriage, motherhood, and career. She's passionate about helping us all learn the secrets to finding and keeping more joy in our lives, thereby increasing the "joy factor," enabling us to push through the challenges of everyday life with reduced stress and less experience of dis-ease.

Author Ruth R. Williams, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, wrote The Prescription of Joy to share with others the basic principles she utilizes in her practice of psychotherapy. Born and raised in Missouri, she found her way to Nashville, Tennessee after graduating from the University of Missouri in Columbia with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Soon after her arrival in Music City USA, she chose to pursue a graduate degree in Church and Community. And, while working at an adolescent group care facility, she discovered the profession of social work. Delighted to find a profession whose members are committed to making the world a better place, she went on to earn the Master of Science in Social Work degree, which opened the door to a diverse array of professional opportunities. Licensed to practice independently in 1990, Williams has served a clientele of all ages. Then, around 1999, feeling the need to reach others who would never knock on the door of a psychotherapist's office, Williams developed a seminar on the topic of wholeness and balance (eventually evolving into "The Joy Prescription"). While serving as a clinical social worker was a priority, being involved in music was also high on her list, whether it was singing with others or writing songs. Music has been an integral part of her life since childhood, as has photography. (The photo of the butterfly on the book's cover is one of hers.) In 2002, she put together her first CD of original music, New People for a New World, in response to the tragic events of 9-11-01. In 2004, she created her Meditation of Joy CD, in response to all of her anxious clients who needed help learning how to relax. The book has now been added to her list of "products" to address what she perceives to be our current "health and happiness crisis." In sharing her Prescription for Joy, Williams offers an alternative remedy for an overstressed population, while the numbers of medicinal prescriptions continue to grow. Williams approaches life with a refreshing sense of optimism, a delightful sense of humor, and deeply felt joy. Her energy and passion for life are tangible and contagious. You can follow her Joy Prescription blog or check out her other products through her website, which is www.ruthwilliams.com.