Complementary-Therapy Books

As a licensed massage therapist, this book has given me an entirely new set of skills in my professional practice. I recommend it to anyone who not only wants to heal, but also wants to learn about themselves and how they interact with the world.

Dr. Stone published these books back in the '50s, but his insights are still ahead of their time. His profound eclectic understanding of the human energy fields and their application in healing are holistic, indepth and dynamic.

Reading The Complete Collected Works is a lifelong labor of love. After almost 25 years I am still reading and researching the principles that Dr. Stone intertwines in these volumnes.

The illustrations and charts would be worth the price of the book by themselves. Each one can be studied like a tarot card. They will evoke from you nonconscious responses which will then translate into your healing work.

If you are looking for a light read; forget it. The Complete Works are not for bedtime reading. Have your highlighter and note cards handy.

Enjoy

This book is, indeed, the second edition of the book originally entitled `The Four Pillars of Healing'. If you read that book, then you have read this one: the only differences (besides the lurid cover) seem to be a couple of new appendices and a change to an existing one, and an extensive questionnaire to discover one's mediators, antecedents, triggers, and effects (terms explained in the book). But, since the first edition came out in 1997 and this one in 1998, the references are still quite current.

Basically, Dr. Galland is making the point that modern medicine has lost its way, and is now doing much damage in some cases, and little good in many others. Of course, this is a point rather stridently made by many authors advancing alternatives to the offerings of the medical establishment, such as meditation, acupuncture, herbal therapies, dietary supplements, and so on. Dr. Galland is sympathetic to many of these alternatives, but what is different about his approach is that he wishes to bring them into the fold, as it were, rather than break from the flock. He was trained as a physician in the usual way, a way he now feels is wrong, that modern medicine is expending much effort to solve the wrong problems.

Healing sick people by observing them, interacting with them, and restoring their balance is the foundation of medical art, but somewhere in the 19th century that approach got displaced when microorganisms began to be associated with disease. It was a short step to claim that these microorganisms "caused" the disease - one germ, one disease. Before long a new type of doctor began to dominate medical care, the "specialist". Specialists were trained to think of a disease as an entity with characteristics that were independent of the person it happened to be afflicting. They specifically rejected the view that individual differences mattered, except in a very superficial way. They were emotionally and intellectually ill-equipped to deal with the messiness of real people whose internal ecologies and external circumstances actually determined whether they got sick, and how it showed up. Many people are infected with the TB bacillus, but only a few get TB. And so for so many other diseases.

Dr. Galland believes that one's diet, exercise, habits, emotional life, physical environment, as well as one's intrinsic makeup and history (even one's developmental history in the womb!) should all be factored into any diagnosis, to interpret symptoms and suggest treatment. This he calls "patient-centered" diagnosis, to distinguish is from current practice, which might be called "disease-centered" diagnosis. He believes that many problems that are today attacked with a variety of over-the-counter and prescription drugs, or, more radically, with surgery, are really the result of imbalances in a person's life. Some of these, such as diet, are rather easily correctable, and simple changes in eating habits, perhaps with a course of diet supplements, can reverse the course of what had been tenacious maladies. Other problems, such as stress or loneliness, can impair immune function, but may sometimes be difficult to correct, intertwined as they are with a person's entire way of life. This book has many case studies that bring home the reality of all these issues, and form an entertaining narrative backbone to the discussion.

In general, the author favors the restoration of balance over bringing in the big medical guns. But sometimes the guns are necessary. It may happen, for example, that a person has allergies or nagging illness that result from an undetected (because unchecked-for) parasite, acquired years earlier. In this case, the doctor might prescribe a course of antibiotics to kill the parasite, along with dietary supplements such as live lactobacillus to restore the intestinal flora the antibiotic will also decimate.

This book gives good guidance in eating, in particular, and suggests methods to avoid the health hazards and toxins endemic to modern life. And for issues he does not discuss in detail he often refers to a book that does, so a reader can learn more if he or she is interested. Dr. Galland has no answers, really, to the social and emotional barrenness that afflicts many of us. (How could he?) But he observes that our health is as much a effect of our emotional well-being as it is of anything physical that happens to us.

What made this book so impressive to me was the references that backed up virtually everything the author said. And these were multiple references in the scientific literature to controlled studies. So the meta-message of this book is that you do not have to check your critical faculties at the door when you go in for an holistic approach to health.

This book is the exactly the same as his previous book "The Four Pillars of Healing", just in paperback and with a new cover. You save a few bucks by getting this paperback edition.

Being pregnant would have to be the most important time in a women's life and in this modern world in which we live, we are constantly surrounded by chemicals and toxic fumes on a daily basis. Therefore it is vital that impending mothers have access to a book a natural therapies such as this. Cheryl Beale's "Pregnancy: A Natural Guide" is straight forward, comprehensive and user friendly. For both the person who knows nothing about natural therapies through to the person who knows a lot - this is imperative reading for anyone who is expecting or is planning to have a baby in the future.

Being pregnant would have to be the most important time in a women's life and this modern world in which we live we are constantly surrounded by chemicals and toxic fumes on a daily basis. Therefore it is vital that impending mother's have access to a book a natural therapies such as this. Cheryl Beale's "Pregnancy: A Natural Guide" is straight forward, comprehensive and user friendly. For both the person who knows nothing about natural therapies through to the person who knows a lot - this is imperative reading for anyone who is expecting or is planning to have a baby in the future.

This book is an absolute "must have" for anyone interested in natural medicines. It is comprehensive and the studies have been presented in a fair, unbiased way. I believe anyone who reads this book and carefully reviews each study will one day have the opportunity to save lives with this information. I am Native American, we have used this medicine forever, it works.

The pricky pear cactus may become a herbal superstar if Ran Kniskinsky, a professional health researcher, has anything to say about it: his Prickly Pear Cactus Medicine: Treatments For Diabetes, Cholesterol, And The Immune System points out this plant has long been a stable in diets and has been used as a remedy for many common ailments for a long time. Chapters document its use in the treatment of diabetes, its importance in treating obesity, and its applications as an immune system enhancer. Prickly Pear Cactus Medicine is a unique and invaluable contribution to alternative medicine reference collections.

This newly published book by Dion Fortune will be of interest not only to those working in healing, but to anyone pursuing inner development and spiritual service. Her emphasis on healing based on the Higher Self being in conscious contact with the personality has broad relevance. Her discussion of disease is balanced and careful, distinguishing the various levels of being at which disorder may arise. Information on the chakras and the qabalistic tree should be helpful to all spiritual seekers. The introduction by Gareth Knight places the book in historical context, and gives the fascinating story of its genesis. This is a book not to be missed.

I immediately pounced on this book since Dion Fortune is, without a doubt, a leading authority on energy work and spiritual subjects. I found this book to expound on many of her previous titles, with an especially interesting and in-depth explanation of how the chakras align with the Spheres on the Tree of Life. There is also a vivid and effective meditation on the Healing Temple of Asclepios that makes it just that much more of a gem. Such interesting subjects are covered as esoteric anatomy; the four-fold elemental constitution of Man; the manifestation of dis-ease through astral, mental, spiritual and physical levels of being; and especially informative is the logical and intuitive approach used to explain many things which personal experience has shown to be true, and which other books on this subject have expressed no knowledge or experience of. It is a necessary book for all those interested in the healing arts, energy work, or the Western Mystery Tradition. The Introduction by Gareth Knight makes it just that much more indispensible! It challenges all who read it to think and become more AWARE...of both themselves and the universe.

I took this book from a neglected stack in an Acupuncturist's office, and was struck by the repugnant cover (imagine the worse possible detail job on a van from the 70s - it was an earlier edition than the one you see on Amazon). But the information is solid. Good understandings of time, healing, choice and destiny are woven throughout the material. Simple exercises are presented with direct and encouraging language that does a good job addressing the problem of doubt.

Not at all pertinent to this book, yet Interesting to note: this Amy Wallace is the author of The Sorcerer's Apprentice, a memoir of her years as a follower of Carlos Casteneda.

This book contains simple, straight forward information about how to understand and utilize your psychic abilities. It is helpful for beginners and practioners alike, as it covers a great deal territory on just about any subject you can think of in the psychic arena. Most important of all, it teaches the ethics and responsibilities of being psychic, far too many books leave out this important information, which can lead to all kinds of complications for the unwary. So if you are a seeker, looking for information on being psychic and what it means to be psychic, as well as how to get started on this path, this is your book. I am a practicing psychic and this is one of the books I recommend to my clients.

My order was completed without any problems. All went well. Very good service. Thank you.

It's a fact that body and mind are not separate entities and an eventuality that massage therapists will encounter their clients' emotional expression in some sessions. This book shares Elliot Greene?s and Barbara Goodrich-Dunn's expertise, drawn from over thirty years experience each in dealing with body/mind phenomena and teaching why it comes about, what can happen, how it manifests in different forms, and other information about feelings and emotions that can arise during body work. The Psychology of the Body, written for massage therapists and anyone who works with the body, is a clear and concise book about a large and complex subject -- the human organism. Because of its acuity, I think it is also a good book on the subject of Somatic Psychology in general.

"Our entire mind is reflected in the body. Not only our conscious thoughts, but also our unconscious anxieties, insecurities, desires and other feelings, beliefs, thoughts and values are reflected in our bodies?. The activity in the unconscious ranges from material that we either cannot or do not need to be aware of, to material of which we do not want to be aware." (Page 101).

This is the central issue. Mental repression and resistance can hold uncomfortable or unwanted thoughts and feelings at bay from conscious awareness. However, feelings are an integral part of being human and will find bodily expression even when we use our minds to control bodily impulses and functions or feelings we think are negative (page 98). If held in resistance, feelings can exhibit in different ways outside our awareness and this shows in our bodies. Understanding how our psychological state is expressed in the body and how working with the body affects our psychological state as well as how our work is affected by the interaction between the mind and body is imperative for massage therapists.

This book also addresses the problem of the massage therapist who does not know what to do or feels uneasy when a client has an emotional release. The massage venue is a logical place to experience and move through emotional expression because the somatic practitioner is releasing tension and working into the soft tissue, which sometimes also leads naturally to release and processing of held emotion. However, the therapist?s discomfort may reflect societies? perplexity with emotional expression, concluding, "it's bad, it's wrong, it's too much, it will lead to insanity, etc." This discomfort might cause the massage therapist to have an inappropriate reaction or "invalidating response" (page 114) to the client, which can reinforce the client's blocking of his or her feelings. For example, if the massage therapist is uncomfortable or impatient with emotional expression, then that is what they impress on clients. They either discourage the client from a richer relationship with self or they loose the client to a more empathetic body worker.

The other problem regarding dealing with emotional release is the massage therapist who responds by doing too much. The book explains how the massage therapist can make a balanced response that avoids either too much or too little caution.

A major point of this book is the boundary between psychotherapy and massage therapy and explaining how the massage therapist can remain on the correct side of this boundary. For example, one distinction the authors identify is the difference between processing and handling psychological material (page 69). The massage therapist needs to learn to handle emotional expression appropriately when it occurs as a secondary and spontaneous result of the massage. This allows clients to have their emotion without being placated, frowned upon or rejected. A critical issue is that the massage therapist neither induces the emotional reaction nor processes the psychological material. The authors keep to this subject with good ordering and progression of material, practical exercises, and exacting description.

Material ranges from information about the philosophy surrounding body/mind issues, the psychological implications of touch and physical sensation, psychological terms and mental health conditions that are defined without jargon or technical wording, the dynamic underlying therapist/client relationship, and the interrelationship between chronic psychological and physical patterns. In addressing psychological issues, they carefully explain the power differential between therapist and client and point out pitfalls, such as the therapist?s psychological inflation from the dramatic work and the client's regard; in other words the attractiveness of the "healer archetype." As the authors weave in and out of this material they never loose sight of exampling what is inside and outside of the massage therapist?s scope of practice.

Of special importance to massage therapists is the description of the difference between armoring and tension. Tension can dissolve with bodywork but armoring is embedded within the body, particularly the nervous system and corresponding dynamic psychological defenses -- an important distinction. The authors? discussion of the different types of tissue and examples of working with different patterns are detailed and particularly clear. Goodrich-Dunn and Greene approach the subject of the psychological connection with the body?s tissue by defining and discussing the concepts of grounding, bounding and charge.

The practical exercises throughout the book give space for the reader to ask themselves some questions and personalize the workbook to their practice. Exercises include a list of emotions and how you and your family members relate to them, an in depth list of boundary issues and questions about personal beliefs. It is also helpful that there are extensive resources for various subjects such as situations that may require referral, understanding mental health conditions and disorders, and explanations of the various mental health care professions.

The authors' style is no-nonsense and to the point, yet compassionate, particularly when discussing the paradox of therapeutic change and the characteristics of personality types. They never loose sight of the humanity involved in our profession and the responsibility with which we are entrusted.

"The most important tool for distinguishing between projection and true perception is self knowledge." (Page 42).

As a retiree on a teacher's pension, I am always alert to ways to maintain my health, and this is one of the best so far.

Dr. Fromm has distilled 20 years' experience in an amazingly simple, hands-on healing and maintenance technique that I am now using on myself and others with great success. With this book as a guide, several friends and I regularly transmit qi to one another. We've experienced immediate pain relief, for example, and we are all energized in the process, whether giving or receiving.

Fromm focuses on women's issues--menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth, and includes invaluable advice for assisting the old and the dying. He includes fascinating and inspiring case histories. Somehow he manages to convey all this in a tone so warm, humorous, and conversational that it's like having him at your elbow. The illustrations and instructions make the whole endeavor crystal clear.

I wish I had had this book years ago, and I hope I can be instrumental in turning others on to it.

Let me say first that the tone of the book is irresistible. It is written for an intelligent audience (actually, I have the feeling Dr.Fromm wrote with intelligent women in mind) and the style is insightful and humorous. He presents a large amount of useful information in a very engaging way. The book covers all aspects of life--sex, reproduction, birth, development, and aging--and concludes with a moving meditation on death.The case histories presented together with the information (for example, dealing with emotional trauma, pre-natal child care, caretaking the elderly, etc.)are themselves fascinating, and kept me turning the pages to learn more. I might also add that the book is very well-produced, and the numerous illustrations give the anatomically-illiterate reader like myself a sure understanding of what-where-how to do the exercises to promote health in oneself and in others. I believe that the curious and intelligent reader will enjoy and benefit from this book, and so I urge people to read it.

This beautifully illustrated book is a fantastic introduction to the history of Qi Gong, understanding different types of Qi Gong, benefits of Qi Gong, and how it fits into Traditional Chinese Medicine. It serves as great background, but this thin volume provides only minimal information on how to practice Qi Gong. If you're interested in more in-depth, practical information, I can recommend: Qigong Empowerment (Liang & Wu) which has a wealth of Qigong exercises including for specific conditions, and The Way of Qigong (Cohen), which provides quite a bit of background as well as a number of exercises. Qigong is awesome -- give it a try!

Master Tzu Kuo Shih has put together a very good book for anyone who is new to qi gong. The book does not demonstrate any physical techniques, rather it lays the foundation for why qi gong works the way it does. This book is a must for any one who is interested in the origins of qigong in regards to traditional chinese medicine. Book is more TCM based than martial art based.

As a complete beginner to Qigong, I find this an invaluable guide for my daily practice. Michael writes a comprehensive, but not overly lengthy history and analysis of Qigong, then explains with excellent photos and text how to perform each exercise.

Highly recommended for anyone beginning the practice of this effective form of healing.

I love this book. When I had neck problems, I went to physical therapy which helped me some. Then I started doing these qigong exercises daily and they helped me so much more than physical therapy and were much more fun. I made them a part of my day and enjoy the easy workout. I can always tell when I do them which muscles are tight, where I might be stiff and sore that day.Doing them makes every day start off a little nicer. Michael's pictures and explanations make sense, you have to give each one time to sink in but they give all the information you need to do them correctly, unlike other qigong books. The more difficult moves have multiple pictures so you really get the idea. I find that if I do all of the exercises in the order he presents them, it is a thorough stretch for each muscle group and by the time I am done, I feel energetic and ready for my day. It doesn't matter how fit or unfit you are, you can do these and benefit from them. As a result of doing these daily for over five years now, I almost never have a sore neck and recently have added Tai Chi to my regimen too, thanks to this book as my start into Chinese Martial Arts. I am so happy I found it, the best one I have seen yet! Five stars for sure. My 80 year old mother uses my book so much I am getting her a copy so I can get mine back, and am giving each of my siblings a copy so they can feel great too.