Child-Behavior-Disorders Books

As a parent I am completely lost fighting my son's disorder....none of it makes any sense. This book not only talks about tools to help but even gives you examples of dialogue. On top of that, it has validated all of my feelings as a Mom and I know I'm not alone. It is still hard to understand but I'm learning through this book. Great resource for parents. (the 1st 3 chapters are a bit hard to swallow but it's all worse case scenerio - just giving you more knowledge about the disorder b/c knowledge is power)....as a parent, don't get discouraged or overwhelmed....keep reading

This book is outstanding. I found my 12 year old son crying in his room because he knew that something was happening to him that he didn't understand. Soon, thereafter, he wouldn't go outside at night, he was afraid to go to school, the checking rituals were exhausting him, the popups (explained in the book) were frightening to him......all of this developed shortly after he turned 12 years old. Once it began, it felt like each day, something new and confusing was happening to him. Because I have some understanding of OCD, I was able to recognize the symptoms, but I did not know how to specifically help him. He started seeing a counselor, we had other support, I tried to educate myself, using all available avenues, to try to help my son, and our doctor was involved, as well. Although our doctors and counselors are wonderful, ultimately, I spend the most time with my son, and I knew that I would be doing the "work" with my son to help him deal with OCD. This book taught me how to communicate this issue to my son and it worked WONDERS. Within about four months, my son had control over these issues. It did take several months of hard work, but I saw progress with each week It's been 18 months and he has no symptoms. He's functioning absolutely fine in our family and in the community (school, sports, etc.) I've read several books on this subject and this book is what 'turned the key' for us. I read it and then he and I have read sections of it together that pertained to him. He was relieved to know that he is not the only person that deals with this issue, that what he was going through actually had a name, and as soon as we were able to identify it, he and I were able to begin to talk about how to help him. This is an amazing book and I am so thankful to the other reviewers that recommended this book. Until you actually go through something like this with your child, you can not understand how exhausting OCD can be for the child and how helpless you can feel as a parent. This book explains what OCD is and how to clearly help your child with their specific symptoms.

I bought 3 OCD books from Amazon and so happy with all three of them. They are books that you have to keep going back to make sure you understand and doing what it tells you to do for the sake of your child.
OCD is not fun for children with it and they need our help to get them out of it if all possible.
Shop Amazon they have more good reading on the subject.

Excellent book for parents of a child (no matter the age) who is struggling with OCD. Gives good insight and tips for helping your child along the path to wellness.

This book was recommended by my 9 year old daughter's counselor as a guide for parents and it definitely hits the mark for me. Beginning with 'What is OCD' and moving towards the 'What to do if you suspect OCD', this book is written in a clear, detailed way. I found myself slowly reading, and sometimes re-reading sections of the book prior to moving forward. It's filled with a lot of information. Take your time and soak it in and build on your knowledge.

Eventually you will get to sections of the book that focus on treatment and what parents can do to assist their children in combating OCD. The book alone will not 'fix' OCD, but it helps guide you to recognize it and what you can do; as a parent, to help your child. The book lets you know you are not alone and there is hope for getting your child, family and life back on track and away from OCD's grasp.

I have shared this book with my daughter's grandparents and her teachers. It really has helped us all to gain knowledge as to what is OCD, and how we can not let this bully take away the joyful spirit of those who are dear to us.

We wasted years and tons of money in non-productive therapies, attachment work, medication, and family therapy till we bought and utilized this book. Dr. Federici hits the nail on the head when he describes how to "de-institutionalize" children. It was hard work but safe, structured and successful. We read so many other books about using "attachment therapy"; logic; medication and even knowing when to "give up". This book gave us, who truely felt "Hopeless" a chance to gain control over our two very disturbed Romanian children that all the other "specialists"(including some of the big people in the child development field)had given up on.

Dr. Federici is the only author and professional we have found who truely understands what parents having very disturbed children go through. His book is easy to read, right to the point, and provides hope and a great deal of ideas (hard solutions) to problems. He mixes no words, but gives hope and understanding in a compassionate way. We have contacted him, heard him lecture, and know that he is "on target" , where all these other "experts" miss the entire boat, especially these so-called "attachment therapists. His Second Edition is now out that we will get soon.

This was the most common sense and practical book a person could buy who has felt totally overwhelmed by two very troubled children adopted form eastern Europe. No "sugar-coating" here, as Dr. Federici get right down to the cold, hard facts that helped put our family back together. All the other books played around with "RAD", "ADHD", and other catchy terms but never got to the right way to treat damaged children. We hope there are more books coming from this author.

This book is an indispensable source for those who have adopted children from orphanages. I wish I'd had it when I got home from Russia 7 years ago. My child can't be found in the Dr. Spock books, but he's all over the pages of this one. Thank you for confirming some things we've already discovered and given us a guide for where to go next.

Finally, someone wrote a book about very troubled children without being afraid to actually tell you what to do. We have struggled for years with our two emotionally disturbed Russian-adopted children and have covered every type of therapy with no positive outcome. We even tried all that "holding-attachment therapy" which was a waste of time and money. Medication after medication, play therapy, talk and family therapy all failed, as our kids were smarter than the therapists. Dr. Federici has taken a very direct approach that puts parents back in charge and keeps the family moving forward. No frills or hand holding-just hard work. We contacted him frequently for advise and he was very helpful. We know his "volume two" is due soon and will surely continue this family centered approach.

I'm the mother of an 8-year old daughter diagnosed with OCD. This book opened up new doors for us in treating this disorder. It has been perfect for her, and she actually wants to sit down with me to read it. I believe that giving her obsessions/rituals an actual name and introducing her to a child who struggles with similar issues is a major step in our road to living triumphantly over OCD. I strongly recommend What to Do When your Child has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder to go along with it--I ordered both and, along with my Bible, they have a home right next to my bed and already have worn pages!

We got this book the weekend my kids were going to their grandparents. I read it on the way to their house and it captivated their attention, both of them (ages 3 & 5). They listened to every single word intently and quietly. They loved the story of the boy and riding his bike up and down the worry hill. It is quite long though and my voice got a litte sore reading aloud for so long. At the end of the book, my son asked, "mommy who's book is that?" and I said "It's yours". He asked if he could write in it. The pages are black and white pictures like a coloring book. I told him he could color the pictures but not to color over the words so that I would be able to keep reading it to them. Unfortunately at Nana & Papa's house there was an accident involving water and the book so only half the book made it back. The cover was torn off and everything. I was so mad! I will probably re-order the book just because he enjoyed it so much.

We were told by a Doctor, who hadn't even met my son, that he thought my son may have OCD. He was referred to the Child Mental Health offices in our local town and there was a 14 month waiting list! I decided to see what I could do as a Parent and I bought this book. I left it on the table and my son picked it up and read it - his initial reaction was "do you think I have OCD", I replied by telling him that I was interested in the subject as I didn't want to label his condition. Since reading the book he has come along leaps and bounds and his teachers said there has been a remarkable improvement in his confidence and his anxiety has gone!

The book was OK but not great.

It was overly simplistic and not too meaninful for a teenager or parent. It really only skimmed one aspect of OCD, compulsion, and did not address at all the cause of the compulsion, obsessions.

May be more meaningful to younger children...

As a clinician specializing in the treatment of OCD, I highly recommend this book as a resource to clinicians and families with a child with OCD. I've used in in my practice and found it to be a wonderful resource. Clinicians can buy several copies and loan them out to their clients or recommend that their clients get this book.

Larina Kase, PsyD, http://www.TheSuccessfulTherapist.com

Dr. Curtis has written an excellent book that can be a great resource for parents and processionals in supporting their efforts with children. Written in a clear, concise, and straightforward manner this book provides resources for working with children who are frustrated and parents who can be frustrate with the child or the world around them that is designed to support them. I have purchased copies for parents I work with and utilize it in a parent support group for children with processing challenges. I also have recommended it to professionals I work with as it fills a void left by too many other books that do not accomplish what Dr. Curtis has.

At what point do you seek professional help when a child is acting, by his parent's standards, weird? "Understanding Your Child's Puzzling Behavior: A Guide for Parents of Children with Behavioral, Social, and Learning Challenges" is a parent's guide to understanding a child's strange behavior and whether they should intervene or it is simply another kind of normal. Suggesting that parents never go for short term solutions, how to look at why the child acts the way they act, and when is the line to seek psychiatric assistance? "Understanding Your Child's Puzzling Behavior: A Guide for Parents of Child with Behavioral, Social, and Learning Challenges" is essential for any concerned parent who doesn't get their child's behavior and for community library parenting collections.

Trying to find your way through the myriad of advice about how to parent your child can be overwhelming on the best of days. The actual child can get lost in all of the ideas/philosophies/beliefs. That truth is amplified if your child has any sort of behavior that seems to be outside of the "norm". Dr. Curtis guides parents in an honest, nonjudgmental way toward the avenues which can best help them and ultimately, most importantly, help the child get the support he/she needs. His assurance that positive progress can be made is a gift. That these are not "problem" children who have something wrong with them... a message those of us with atypical children are confronted with all too often, but that they are children who merit more support, understanding and sensitivity. Dr. Curtis knows that children with puzzling behavior operate within a family, and that the parents, who love these kids more than anything and are trying to help them to the best of their ability, need guidance and support too. His holistic approach is truly a relief to those of us who deal daily with the beauty, challenge, heartbreak and joy of raising these unique little beings.

There are numerous "how to parent" books available, with each having their unique twist to the age old problem of raising children. None however, have placed the responsibility upon parents who ultimately know their child better than anyone! This book is a practicle guide for the parents to identify the problems and how to address them. Their teacher? The parents of troubled children know their child better than anyone could hope to. This book is their practical guide to putting their knowledge to work.

This book is an amazing resource for any parent who is struggling to make sense of their child's complex and unusual behavior. Dr. Curtis' step-by-step approach is empowering! Understanding Your Child's Puzzling Behavior gives clarity where so often there is vagueness. The information in this book is easily understood. The worksheets and parent resources are invaluable. Everyone should have a copy of this book!

Practical Strategies that Work
Jed Baker knows autism spectrum disorder and his strategies really work. It is an easy fast read which is important to anyone in the autism field. I read everything autism and for higher functioning kids this is one of the best out there.

Fab book used with a child in my classroom and had excellant results. It is a short and sweet book that gets right to the point. Not a lot of Goobley Gook professor lingo. Jed Baker is not afraid to tell you things that did not work for him and shares with you things that actually work.
Michele

I found this book to be incredibly helpful because it gives specific information about how to manage my kids behavior. I have 3 kids ranging in age from 5-11 and I think that the specific examples of situations and how they were dealt with to be very informative. I have already implemented some of what I read with very good results. I've read many parenting books and have usually found them to be written in a complicated way. This book uses every day language with practical advice on how to have a more harmonious relationship with my kids. I highly recommend this book.

Finally a book that is easy to read, easy to understand, easy to follow through with. A must have for all persons dealing with any kind of meltdowns. I will even recommend this for children without disabilities.

Jed Baker gives us a true insight to what is happening befor,during, and after a meltdown. Real ways to figure out why they happen, what to do during and after, and how to stop them. I will be sharing this book with the school, friends and family. It is a must read for any one who works with children of all kinds. I have already begun using his strategies and have seen what they can do for a child.

Parenting doesn't come with an instruction book, but thanks to Dr. Baker we can use No More Meltdowns. It's a practical, hands-on guide that helps you to understand WHY certain behaviors happen. I've struggled through so many of the scenarios he describes and I especially appreciate his Quick Reference Guides. This book has helped me (and my children) in so many ways that I've started giving it as a baby shower gift!!

I bought this book along with "Up and Down the Worry Hill" and it was very useful, especially as I knew very little about OCD. I would recommend it, especially the part about OCD and School.

As a parent of a child with OCD, it is possible to become 'compulsive' about trying to educate yourself about the illness to help your child. This book is a comprehensive guide that helps to ask and answer your questions. There are many books out there on the subject but this book is the BEST one.

If your child has OCD, make sure you invest in this book. I purchased several books and this one is hands-down the best no matter what your child's obsessions/compulsions or what stage you are at from first recognizing the disorder to going through the therapy.

As other reviewers have noted, it is easy to read and understand. It is also very complete and includes obsessions/compulsions not covered in other books I have read. It answers questions like "normal vs. OCD: What's the difference" - an important thing for parents to be able to recognize when their child is being themselves and when the OCD monster is affecting them. It also tells you what to expect in the first evaluation, how to navigate CBT (cognitive behavior therapy), and info on medications.
Another very helpful aspect is the school section (I even took the book with me to the teacher conference). It outlines what you should and should not share with the school/teacher and how to approach the whole subject without having your child labeled. It has "Red Flags for OCD in School"- a great thing to share with the teacher. And how to form a partnership with the school to best benefit your child.

All in all, a great and helpful book.

Every parent with a child that has OCD MUST read this book!! The sooner the better! After realizing my son had OCD I jumped on the internet only to feel sad and hopeless for my son's future. Thank goodness for Dr. Wagner's book! I read it cover to cover and put everything she suggested into play immediately!! Her book also gave me hope and made me realize I was a huge part of my son's recovery. Loaded with support, information and facts, this book became my "OCD Bible" and made a huge impact on getting the OCD in control. We had a wonderful therpist but this book is what really helped my son and our family know what to do and how to take control. My son also read her book for children entitled "Up and Down the Worry Hill" and I highly recommend that for your child as well. I now run a support group for parents of children with OCD and this book is #1 on my list. There IS hope and "What to Do When Your Child Has OCD" is crucial in your journey! Thank you Dr. Wagner! You are wonderful!!

This book is very easy to read. It is very comprehensive. It is very informative. It is objective. It is my constant companion lately. My son's therapist admitted that I know much more about OCD than she does and is now reading the book.

Barbara Probst offers an enlightened and cogent rearrangement of perspective in her excellent new book When the Labels Don't Fit. In this compassionate guide, she asks parents to change their focus from their child's behavior to his or her temperament, regarding difficult reactions not as defiance or inscrutability, but as rich and valuable elements of personality. It's a subtle difference, but this book is all about subtle shifts that make huge impacts.

Using a comprehensive questionnaire early in the book as guide, Probst urges parents not only to examine a child's reactions, preferences and attitudes, but also to reflect keenly their own. Parents' answers help to reframe the initial question from "Why is my child doing this?" to "Who is my child?" She provides numerous examples and strategies aimed at mitigating the many bewildering incidents that parents often face. By turning the spotlight onto parents' personal tendencies and preferences, Probst encourages them to think a little deeper about their child and themselves, and guides them to embrace the uniqueness of their challenging child.

As parents we know they are unusual in their intensity and rigidity but we also sense our children do not necessarily have a disorder. We see them as eccentric, sensitive, thinkers who feel deeply. Pediatricians and mental health professionals often find they fit the criteria for Aspergers, ADHD, Anxiety or other diagnoses. But DO they really have these? Barbara Probst gives us answers for how to approach and support our challenging and often very gifted youngsters who need us to understand them, not change them. She shows us practical strategies for learning about ways in which we can work with their temperaments - especially when they are different from our own. This book is a very important contribution to the field and the children will some day thank her for writing it.

I was very excited to read Barbara Probst's book and to see the focus on our children's characteristics, rather than a slew of diagnostic conditions--the "alphabet" kids. After reading endless parenting books which set out discipline techniques which only work for a short time, this book instead helps parents look at their children as people and try to understand their specific needs and temperments. I often catch myself engaging in a dispute with my challenging son, and using Barbara's techniques I am able to take a step back and realize that he has a strong need that is interfering with what I view as a simple request. Once I change my mindset, I can often avoid a huge blowup and have him ultimately cooperative, even if it takes a few extra minutes or a little extra effort. This book can bring big changes and improvements in the lives of families with challenging children.

I started reading Barbara's book the other night and I stayed up WAY too late reading and reading and reading. What a relief to find an approach to undestanding and appreciating my very difficult little boy. Barbara's approach to temperament and to understanding the core character traits of a difficult child is really refreshing and so OPTOMISTIC. I am already recommending this book to everyone I know who is struggling with their children, and let's be honest, who isn't!!!!

With insightful explanations and easy-to-apply tips, this book is a valuable tool for parents. Probst provides strategies that can't help but improve the quality of life for both child and parent. When the Labels Don't Fit is a book that can -- and should -- be shared with family, teachers and others who are important in a child's life.
Amy Price
Executive Director
SENG

This is an excellent book - it is more focussed on a lay-person's introduction to neurofeedback treatments for ADHD, great for parents. It is not really technical enough for a practitioner or someone wanting to learn more about the clinical application of neurofeedback.

A large section at the back of the book is dedicated to an index of worldwide practitioners who can treat ADHD with this drug-free approach

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (11/06)

If you've ever dealt with an ADD/HD child you know the frustration of a child fidgeting, disrupting others and needing constant supervision. If you are that frustrated, just imagine the frustration of the child. The authors have offered us a clear and concise look at ADD/HD. They have offered us an option that does not include medication.

Matthew's parents and teachers are at their wits end. They sincerely want to help Matthew but don't know how. "This book is about helping kids like Matthew: ADD/ADHD children who possess the potential to succeed, but who chronically function below their abilities because they cannot regulate themselves. `ADD: The 20-Hour Solution' describes and examines a revolutionary hi-tech methodology called EEG biofeedback (also called neurofeedback) that has unequivocally demonstrated its efficacy in helping chronically inattentive, distractible, impulsive, and hyperactive children regulate themselves."

"The pluses of EEG biofeedback training in treating ADD/ADHD children are extensive. This quick and painless treatment:

- Provides a viable alternative to psychotropic medication
- Trains children to self-regulate naturally and safely
- Trains children to adjust automatically to changing demands and conditions
- Emancipates children from continually professional supervision
- Creates a synergistic effect that can help other treatments work more effectively
- Permits parents to become involved directly in the treatment process"

Steinberg and Othmer discuss ADD/ADHD in terms that a layman can understand. Parents and teachers will be wondering why this book wasn't written years ago. The authors propose that ADD should stand for Arousal Disregulation Disorder. They made an excellent case for their opinion. In detail they discuss Matthew, a child that has ADD/ADHD. I found myself sympathizing with Matthew; he cannot control his fidgets and distractions. He soon becomes labeled as trouble and that label follows him from year to year. "Matthew had trouble staying in his seat and keeping his hands to himself. Note that he was `verbally exuberant when others wanted him to be quiet, and ... withdrawn and often clueless when people demanded answers...' Matthew was simply lost in an eternal maze of jumbled, intense feelings, sporadic mood shifts, changes in energy level and focus, and incomplete thoughts. These are hallmark signs of disregulation."

This book is well written and documented. As I stated previously it is written in terms that laymen can understand. I highly recommend this book to teachers, parents, grandparents and all who deal with children with ADD/ADHD. I believe "ADD: The 20-Hour Solution" is the answer for many children.

I think that the person that wrote the last review does not know nothing about neurofeedback. Neurofeedback is a self-regulation work. In other words, it does the same thing that a psychoterapic aproach does, but faster.Only this!!!

I found this book, ADD The 20-Hour Solution, a clear and concise guide to understanding how the brain works and how EEG biofeedback can improve its behavior by self regulation. This book is written in a way that parents can understand not only what ADD is but how to approach it. Parents can learn from this book the questions they should ask and most importantly to take action themselves. I was amazed to find that ADD can be treated in your own home. As a mother and teacher, I wholly support self help solutions without drugs which are so often overlooked today. The case studies examined in this book give hope to any parent. I would do anything as a parent to help my child. If using a computer to train your brain works than that is what I would want for my child. This book is a must read for any parent that wants a solution to their frustration with an ADD child or for a parent that just wants more information about ADD. There is also a great Neurofeedback Practitioner Listing in the back of the book.

As a neurofeedback clinician, I have given this book to parents when they are considering brain-training as an option for their child. I have to say that I'm not wild about the title, as it suggests that in less than a day, the ADD will be gone, instead of it being 40 sessions at a half-hour each. The book is a simple, quick read and does a good job of explaining ADD/ADHD and sympathizing with parents who are trying their best to cope with a child who exhibits some of the symptoms inherent in the disorder. It doesn't go into any detail on the development or mechanisms behind neurofeedback, however, and is kind of showy and overly-excitable (too many exclamation marks) about how great training is. Don't get me wrong - I know it's great and I know it works, but there's just something about the book that seems to be over-selling the technique in a hokey way - like their on the home shopping network or something. I find myself more often referring clients to read "A Symphony in the Brain" or one of Daniel Amen's books instead, or else forewarning them that this book is a bit over-the-top excited about neurofeedback.

This book delivers- well written + clear + suitable for those not in the mental health/medical fields yet does not oversimplify/dumb down. If you are wondering whether medicine may be needed for your child or client, or if you are concerned with the state of psychiatry + medicine today, this book is a must read.

As a child psychiatrist who works with children, adults and families in much the same way as Dr. Kalikow, and as one who is all too familiar with the "thorny" kinds of issues which can block parents and or their cihldren from benefitting from the therapeutic process and to then go on and experience real healing, I am very grateful to him for this book.

"Your Child in the Balance" is a highly readable and easily digested source of information for parents who are faced with the daunting task of obtaining the best help for their children who struggle with emotional and behavioral problems. In an age where so many practioners in child psychiatry seem to have become almost single mindedly focused on the use of pharmacologic agents to treat, if not "cure", our children, using medicines which often do offer both the potential for relief for so many problems as well as risks, and with a media which often fails to provide an appropriate perspective on the complex issues involved in such forms of treatment, it has become increasingly difficult for parents to know who to turn to and who to trust when a child is troubled and in need of "professional help". Knowing when medicine is appropriate and when not, as well as what other therapeutic modalities a parent can expect from child psychiatrists and other "mental health" providers, are examples of the information one can expect to find in this book. He handles these and a host of other related issues in a clear, thoughtful and sensitive, yet straightfoward, manner.

Dr. Kalikow does an admirable job of presenting timely and relevant issues, filling some of what I consider to be a psychoeducational void with much needed light.

Richard A. Flamberg, M.D.
South Salem, New York

Your Child in the Balance by Kevin Kalikow, a pediatric psychiatrist addresses the dilemma that parents face when deciding whether ir not to use medicine to treat their child's psychiatric disorder. Dr. Kalikow opens by searching for the answers to two questions. Where do we draw the line between function and dysfunction in defining pediatric mental illness? When and how do we decide to treat these illnesses with medications?

The book defines the most common disorders and describes the medications used to treat them. The text is well peppered with detailed case histories. Dr. Kalikow's voice, in this book as in his clinical practice, is clear, coherant and engaging. Most parents will find one or more vignettes which resonate with similarities to their child's behavior and struggles. We see children whose disorders are mild and others whose symptoms are extremely distressing to them and impact significantly and negatively on their families and classmates. In these latter cases, we are shown the impact of pharmacologic treatment.

Many of my pediatric patients have benefitted from Dr. Kalikow's psychiatric care which is remarkable for depth of understanding and respectful perserverance with even the most challenging patients. This book will serve as a guide to other families searching for the right paths for the treatment of their children.

Harriet J. Blumencranz, MD, Goldens Bridge, NY

Dealing with a child's illness in any form is always difficult and emotionally draining, but when it comes to less tangible psychological disorders, the acknowledgment of the condition and the subsequent choice of treatment for our children are among the most difficult of all medical issues a parent must deal with.

The shift from Freudian therapy to pharmacological treatment of children is new to many of us, and I was admittedly a skeptic and needed a lot of information and understanding. Dr. Kalikow's book was by far the best treatment of any such parenting issue I've ever read.

His style of writing - while suffused with an extraordinary amount of well-organized information - is engaging and gentle, and in my case, managed to address almost all of the questions I had on the subject.

By presenting scores of individual case vignettes, along with the arguments both for and against various types of treatments, their effects, potential side-effects, time scales, and long-term considerations, Dr. Kalikow's book provided me with a substantial tool with which to deal with problems "in my own back yard."

There's a lot of hand-holding in his narratives, and in some cases Dr. Kalikow's easy-going manner may seem like he's addressing an audience of adolescents. But when it comes to handling our children, perhaps we can all benefit from being treated in this way, with a touch on the shoulder and the reassurance that the understanding of these disorders in chldren is still new to everyone, and their treatments are even newer.

Bravo and thanks to Dr. Kalikow for providing a very useful and engaging body of information.

A thoughtful and helpful book for a complex subject. Dr. Kalikow addresses the decision making process of the parents, the child and the health care professional when choosing how to address the needs of their child. It is written clearly, with humor, compassion and tenderness. I believe parents will be able to make a more educated decision after reading this book.

"Stepping Out of the Bubble : Reflections On the Pilgrimage of Counseling Therapy by James P. Krehbiel is an amazing and outstanding book that provides help and direction to the many people that are suffering from problems described in this book.

I was amazed at how many of the problems and challenges, that the author writes about, are problems and challenges I have seen many people suffer with.

The counseling theory and practice information in this book provides a direction for people that have a problem and are willing to go to counseling and risk moving forward in their journey toward finding personal growth and development, and eventually stepping out of the bubble.

Many people have problems and challenges that they never seek help for and they and their loved ones continue to suffer. This book goes a long way in bringing the thought of counseling to people and helping people to better understand the counseling process.

To author James P. Krehbiel thank you for writing your great book. I am convinced your book will help many people and because of your book many more people will step out of the bubble. I recommend this book very highly and also feel it would be a great college text.

After reading Stepping Out of the Bubble a year ago, I went back and read it again for a second time. I was able to pick up even more information this time around that helped me understand and overcome some of my own internal conflicts. This is a book you can read at any point in your life and always find information that pertains to that particular moment. Krehbiel has a way of explaining things that others may consider unexplainable. Whether you are a student, a teacher, or just a guy like me, this book can and will change your life.

For me, "Stepping Out Of The Bubble" was reminiscent of the renowned books of author, M. Scott Peck, in the style of presenting profound insights into sensible, easy-to-understand language and clear ideas an average person can relate to. Practicing Licensed Professional Counselor and Nationally Certified Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist and author of "Stepping Out Of The Bubble", James Krehbiel proficiently shares a portion of his expertise, condensing great weight into accessible and workable solutions for a more fulfilling life's plan.

The "bubble" represents our security and comfort zone, but it is also the inner place where we store the pain of our past experiences and the unpleasant reality of that not being made conscious which keeps us bound in unhealthy and self-defeating patterns. Staying within this bubble limits our emotional responsiveness as we numb ourselves to the coexistence even as unresolved issues unconsciously filter forth. To step outside of the bubble is to courageously examine the contents in all honesty and to face life's reality outside of the bubble. Once outside the bubble, one can move forward to experience life in more emotional depth, fullness and passion. "Being a fully functioning individual is about being true to whom you are and letting things be the way they are," explains author, James Krehbiel.

With brilliant and compassionate understanding, Mr. Krehbiel briefly details methods used and pertinent case examples within his therapy practice. "Self-regulation is a goal of therapy. I educate people in the fact that all the answers are ultimately within." "Stepping Out Of The Bubble" strives to do the same, by giving information on how we become trapped in the bubble and how beneficial the making of conscious choices to leave, can be.

Some of the many topics included within this book are: being assertive, characteristics of an "authentic" person, the integration of each of our different personality parts, the difference between true guilt and false guilt, setting boundaries, addictions and addictions to "manic" relationships, awareness (staying in the moment or mindfulness), grounding, honoring one's inner voice, panic attacks, OCD and mood disorders. The section regarding kids and parenting was exceptional, in my opinion, and I found many points about discipline that made much sense. Also appreciated was the section relating to religion (dogma) versus faith (spiritual) as well as what needed to be said about pop culture.

I enjoyed reading "Stepping Out Of The Bubble" and would recommend it to anyone. It is enriching and inspirational.

James P. Krehbiel's Stepping Out of the Bubble was a fascinating read. I found myself underlining various passages. His explanation of how we get stuck in the bubble (comfort zone), and how we find our way out is powerful. It provided me with hope as I move through my own personal journey. I found myself experiencing an emotional reaction to many of the case examples and concepts he explored. He definitely hit some "hot buttons" in my life. But Mr. Krehbiel also provided specific guidelines and tools for stepping out of the bubble. At one point he says, "Courage can be defined by those who live outside the bubble as opposed to those who live in it. I like to compare stepping out of the bubble to wading into the water."

His chapter which includes ideas on multidimensional thinking is appropriate in today's political climate. He indicates that true dialogue takes into consideration the appreciation for differences in opinions. He makes some profound statements about pop culture's affect on the lives of today's children. He also gives parents tools and resources for assisting their children in bettering their behavior. The book ends with a resounding "yes" to life with a hopeful, powerful way of perceiving and reframing life's problems. This was an excellent book!

Stepping Out Of The Bubble by James P. Krehbiel, Is an outstanding book on Counseling Therapy. Krehbiel, is able to put life patterns and fears into perspective so that the lay person can fully understand the mystery that most think is behind counseling. His approach to show that so much of what we seek answers for is within ourselves and with the right counsellor we can become free and step out of the Bubble or Bubbles that a lot of us are in.

This book should be a gift to every teen and their parents, no home should be without it.