Support Groups Books

I thank the author for his transparency and humbleness in relaying
his experiences with chronic illness and relationships.
This is a book of hope for that time when people get stuck in the cycle
of pain and frustration because of the presence of illness and it's effects
on the lives of everyone involved!

Thanks for the book! Kari Semik

"Life Interrupted, it's not all about me" is without a doubt the best book I have ever read that depicts the challenges of a persons first reaction to hearing the news they are no longer going to be able to do the things they love doing and have done all their lives....run, jump, walk, swim, ride a bike, drive, see, write, feel, and enjoy life as others do. That is like a slap in the face to anyone, but Chris puts his experience down that path in a manner that everyone can relate, disabled or not.

This book is not just for those who may be afflicted with a debilitating disease, but for anyone who has struggled in a relationship because of the "normal" issues like, stress, loss of a job, kids, lack of communication, anger, and depression. This is not a "How To" type book, but more along the lines of a "How Not To" writes Chris, and he is correct.

When reading this book, I found each page something so insightful that would just jump off the page. I highly recommend everyone read this book. Chris makes it very easy to get to know him before his diagnosis, as well as his journey through the difficult times, and on to the glorious time of today. Once you start reading you will not be able to put this book down. Chris keeps you intrigued and wanting to read on.

Chris Tatevosian does a great job of taking you through the twists and turns that an illness like MS can bring to an individual, a relationship, and all of those around. Hopefully "Life Interrupted" will help those with similar situations begin to understand and appreciate the mental aspects, as well as the physical conditions of this disease. I have already reccommended this book to many people that are experiencing similar situations in hopes that they may avoid some of the pitfalls that Chris has experienced. Thanks Chris for bringing your story to light. Job well done!

This book was written with a better than 20/20 hindsight. The author tells his story without trying to gild any of his own warts and blemishes. He is brutally truthful and effectively draws the reader directly into his life and what was going through his mind at his own expense. The effect is true insight into his life as he dealt with the debilitation of MS physically as well as the emotional strains it brought into all other aspects of his life. He also reveals how he was able to overcome that "poor me" feeling and radically change his outlook on life. This book is for everyone and has special relevance for anyone struggling with a steadily progressive ailment.

I am the spouse of a man living with MS. This book opened my eyes to a lot of feelings my husband deals with but also helped me deal with emotions I have as well. Before reading this book I knew that we have a strong marriage. I now realize how fragile that can be when a chronic illness lives with you day in and day out. The author has opened my eyes to many pitfalls that can be avoided by good communication and paying attention to your partner's perspective.
I am thankful that the author was willing to share his journey in order to help others. Definitely a must read.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

When I was diagnosed with lung cancer, I read countless books searching for valuable information, insight and support. Cancer Talk was far and away the best book that I read. Cancer Talk addresses the cancer experience comprehensively from the perspectives of patients, family members/loved ones, and health care professionals. The voices that are heard in this book are inspiring and life-affirming. I cannot say enough good things about this wonderful book. Reading Cancer Talk will make your cancer experience easier to bear - you will find hope and the wisdom of survivors in its pages.

Recently diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, I felt very isolated as most women's cancer support groups focus on breast cancer. This book let me know that I was not alone- and that what I was feeling was not only normal, but healthy. It reinforced my belief that positive thought and support are crucial elements to being a survivor. Highly recommended!

Having spent almost 4 years in the cancer treatment process with my wife, I highly recommend this book. Its wealth of stories, resources, and insights will be invaluable to anyone who finds themselves trying to understand treatment alternatives and make good decisions for themselves or a loved one. I wish this book had been available to provide guidance and hope to my wife and I. I highly recommend that you buy a copy, use it yourself, or give it to someone who needs it. I have given copies to friends going through the cancer experience, and they have all expressed great appreciation for the knowledge, hope, and inspiration they received from "Cancer Talk".

I happened to be reading "Cancer Talk" just prior to undergoing a biopsy for prostate cancer. The book offered me a special balance of comfort and knowledge from both clinical and personal perspectives. It helped prepare me emotionally for the procedure and the anxiety I felt awaiting the test results. Fortunately the biopsy turned out negative, but reading "Cancer Talk" was a very positive experience. I recommend this book to everyone who needs to understand more about this disease and how it affects patients, survivors, caregivers, friends and family-and I can't think of anyone who would be excluded from this list.

This isn't just a book for people who have been touched by cancer, but, for their loved ones as well.

It will get you informed on every aspect of cancer. Help you deal with the emotions of your diagnosis, helps you cope with the physical and sexual issues. Help you to learn your options in your treatment process, and in the legal work place issues and what your insurance will and will not cover; most of all, how important it is to be in a cancer support group. This is a very important book for those who want to be well informed about this illness.

I've yet to deal with this in my family, knock wood, I was sincerely impressed and informed. Very well done.

This book is absolutely wonderful. Other books on caregiving were too clinical. This book is like having a wonderful conversation with friends who have been through what you are experiencing. The book offers the perspectives of many different caregivers which was very helpful because the nature of the dementia differs for many people. There were helpful tips and suggestions and words of advice from caregivers and this was presented in short easy to digest segments.

I am a caregiver to my 90yr old blind mother who suffers from vascular dementia as well. This book was written by other caregivers with information , questions and answers that can only be appreciated by those who care with someone with this type of illness. The book covers many types of dementia, whether it be Alzheimers, vascular or others. What is really important is that the book encourages the caregiver to take care of themselves if they are to be able to take care of their patient.

This book is one of the best books on caregiving and dementia. It gives real life stories and situations that one can really relate to. The authors have done a great job. Each chapter is about a different issue in the life and path of the person with dementia as well as ones about the caregivers. You will see so much of yourself and the person you caregive for in these pages. I gained further insight into what to do in many situations I have encountered as a caregiver. Good stuff and highly recommended.

I find this book to be a very loving and thoughtful account of the stories of caregivers of loved-ones with Dimentia. It has practical advise on how to cope, where to go for support and even a some comical moments told with the utmost of respect! I would recommend this book to anyone who is a caregiver or knows someone who is. It seems we all know someone with this disease.

This book was nice to have around when I needed to talk to someone about how I felt, but felt guilty complaining when the people I was taking care of were going through such a difficult time. It was a very helpful companion and good to see what others have gone through and tried. I recommend it if you find yourself in the same unfortunate situation as I did.

The book shares stories of women with POF and it helps you feel like you are not the only one in the world who has this condition. I wish this was available when I was diagnosed! It would have saved me months of doubting and crying. I recommend this to anyone who has POF or knows someone who does.

Reading this book will provide a tremendous source of valuable information for women with POF, especially those first struggling to learn about it when they are diagnosed. The emotional support can be felt by reading all the stories written by the brave women who have POF, and by their loved ones who contributed stories as well. Also, this book is wonderful in that it is helping create the awareness that premature ovarian failure exists in the first place.

This book is full of accurate, important information for women with premature ovarian failure. Money well spent!!!

It is wonderful that there is FINALLY a book for women, family members and friends who are facing POF! This book is incredible for the multi-faceted dimensions of POF that it presents, providing a real-life picture of what it is to live with this relatively rare disease. A superb resource!!!

"Faces of POF: Learning and Living with Premature Ovarian Failure" is a touching book about women's struggle with Premature Ovarian Failure and their methods of coping with this life-altering disease. If you, or someone you know, is suffering from POF, this book is a MUST for you to understand the emotional rollercoaster that is POF.

This is the most complete book on the subject of wayward children I have read. I teach an adult Sunday School class and found a wealth of material and application. Also, having had a prodigal son, I found this book a tremendous comfort and tool to sort out the factors that led to my son's rebellion.

Our group of four couples "taught" ourselves the associated class based on the principles in this Christian-based book; three couples for rescue and one for prevention. I am now teaching the class for the third time and, as word spreads, several dozen families have been helped in rescuing their rebellious teens and by learning prevention techniques and guiding principles used in raising their children. We recommend it highly.

Our church used this as the core text for a series of group sessions for hurting parents-- parents of teens in various states of rebellion, destructive lifestyle choices, and apathy. It proved to be quite helpful, well-grounded in Christian principles, and with many good insights and practical steps to take.

13 years ago, we belonged to one of Buddy Scott's support groups and used his book as our manuel. I am firmly convinced that my husband & I would have been divorced now if we didn't have the help from Buddy's book. It is clear and concise with common sense approach to dealing with an out of control teen. It also gives principals to help younger children before they reach that horrible stage in their life. I will forever be grateful for Buddy's help! I am always recommending his book to those who are struggling with difficult teens. It's like receiving something substantial to hold onto along with the Word of God in a emotional emergency.

I thoroughly enjoyed this account of the adventures of a man who can talk intelligently about American History and a motorcycle engine in the same breath. He tells of his two year stint in the U.S. Marine Corps that shocked him into manhood and talks about his experiences with recreational drugs in the "60's". I especially enjoyed his adventures with the "Mountaineers" motorcycle club that he has been a member of for many years. This is a memior of an obviously well read introspective man who can write beautiful poetry in one chapter and tell darn good jokes in the next. It's a good read.

I really enjoyed reading and going on great adventures with Wayne, He's a very good communicater,and he has lead an interesting life. I especially enjoyed the touching moments when his father says good-bye and why wayne decided that hunting wasn't such great fun.

Getting It Sideways is the personal memoir of Wayne Bonkosky and is a faithful account of his travel, his time spent in the Marine Corps Boot Camp, his life in Germany as an immigrant worker, his twenty-five years of dirt-track motorcycle racing, and a great deal more. Written with the same "good clean fun" zest that the adventurous Wayne Bonkosky brought to his life experiences and opportunities, Getting It Sideways is sometimes humorous, often upbeat, and always reflects the challenges and joys inherent in the uplifting surge of questing for one's passion.

Many people do not relize the necessity of support for pastors and ministers. As a pastor's daughter I daily see the stress, pressure and frustration weighing on my father. This book has excellent suggestions for ways to bless those who bless others. There is no way any pastor or religious worker can perform their duty to the community and God without the support of EVERYONE in their congregation. Please read and use!

(Initial review Aug. 25, 1999)
I'm now reading it thru for the 2nd time, the first being two years ago. I have put some of the suggestions into action and have had great success with them. If you have a good pastor (I have the best one in the world) and you want to encourage/assist/take care of him, you simply must read this book. It has so many practical ideas in it, and they are pretty easy to put into action. Now, two years later, knowing my pastor better, some of the ideas are more timely, so the book is fresh even the second time around. But make no mistake, there are many things you can do right away!

I have alot of "how to" books, and this one goes on the top shelf. Recently, my pastor told me "Jamey, you are a pastor's dream". This book will help YOU get the same compliment.

I wish everybody in our congregation would read this book - You know what? I think I will buy it for them!!

2005 - Recently we used this book as a guide to determining benefits, vacation, time off, sick time and things like that for our Pastor.

Practical...doable...easy to use and follow...a must for all people interested in seeing their pastors thrive and grow in their ministries. Especially useful for church boards. Can also be useful for those searching for new pastors.

This is a book written in large print, so in its 90 pages are actually closer to about 45 pages of normal size and spaced text. But what's inside is really worth reading. Ms Bauser designs a program for 24 weeks of groups, and sets up objectives and questions for discussion, as well as establish guidelines for how to lead the groups. What I found most interesting was that the group sessions could be used for many different kinds of groups,not just those with survivors of neurologic brian injury.

Nancy Bauser's "Acceptance Groups for Survivors: A Guide for Facilitators" is a book that lends help to victims who have survived harrowing accidents leading to disabilities. A victim of a devastating accident in which she sustained extensive brain injury, Bauser draws on her own experiences of trauma and recovery to formulate a program that assists victims of extensive injuries and trauma.

Bauser's book opens with a note about the need for victims to find self "acceptance" in order to recover. She says that the key to victims' returning to normalcy is their ability to accept themselves for what they are. She points out that the process of rehabilitation essentially consists of recognition, admittance, and acceptance. This book follows a step-by-step approach to be put to use in a series of twenty-four sessions. Each weekly session is designed to guide facilitators in their attempts to help survivors as they come to terms with their loss by grieving and overcoming it. She mentions that with patience, facilitators can help survivors develop their inner strengths so that they can form and achieve noteworthy goals. Once survivors are able to come to terms with themselves, they try to cope with people around them. Survivors may struggle to be accepted by other people, but this problem can be solved with the assistance of support groups. Bauser suggests that survivors get involved in volunteer work; so that they realize that they too have the potential to make valuable contributions to society. Active participation in charity work can help survivors recognize the value of support groups and make the most of the interactive sessions.

Written in a straightforward manner, this book reaches out to other survivors and lends them a helping hand in bringing their lives back on track. The empathetic treatment of the subject and hands-on approach make this book a valuable guide for survivors and rehabilitation experts alike.

In networking support is a key element of what the administrators do, the same principle applies within the world of routers and to become a CCNP is one of the four exams you have to take.

This book is just over a 1000 pages and the information is written in a labs/hands-on format. There are a number of step by step examples with instructions and the book can either work in a self learn or classroom setting.

Topics like the network models or OSI, DOD, Client/server, and LAN topologies and technologies like ethernet, token ring, FDDI and ATM. Also there is coverage of the troubleshooting tools like show and debug commands, ping, tracert and telnet.

LAN Protocols like IP and IPX, router configurations, frame relay, X.25, Novell, VLANS, STP and STA, 5000 series switches, ISDN and finally routing protocol troubleshooting. I have been able to use some of the routing protocol troubleshooting already in my job.

There is a sample test and review questions in the book as well as projects. The cd included has over 100 questions and practice tests in various testing formats. Overall a good value for what you pay for.

This is a very good book for both studying CCNP Support exam and as a work reference book. The real exam covers a wide range of topics, so does this book. The included CD has a good set of review questions to find any weak areas. The book actually provides more than 'exam cram', it asks you to perform some real-life like tasks. This is also a decent reference book for people working in general network support area, especially if you don't remember all the details of many aspects of Cisco equipment, this could provide an entrance point.