MSI Press Blog

Thinking in Circles  In the background, a mix CD played on repeat throughout my five hours of labor at the hospital. My husband and I had burned this CD together and had included a track of soothing ocean sounds between every other song. Three hours into this repeated ocean soundtrack, I wanted the CD to be thrown out the window or at least turned off. I was desperate to be rid of those manufactured waves, but I could not speak out loud to ask my husband or doula for help. Never before had I felt such an odd separation between my mind and body. My thoughts continued in their ranting (I wish they would turn off that CD!), and yet I could not get the words out of my mouth. All of my bodily functions, including speech, were overtaken completely by the involuntary contractions of my uterus—and my uterus was doing its job whether or not the sounds of the ocean were soothing my mind. When I could let the music be background instead of foreground, my irritation would recede. I...

MSI Press authors are undertaking a special project to help readers weather the pandemic (quarantine). Writing in their various areas of specialty, the authors address issues of psychological well being, health, parenting, spirituality, and number of other related areas of stress and concern associated with the pandemic. To see the list of books in progress, check out our home page HERE . As more books are offered by our authors, they will be added to the list. For example, in the pipeline, but not yet shown on the home page, are three books whose cover designs are still in progress: 10 Quick Homework Tips (McKinley Alder & Trombly) How to Stay Calm in Chaos. (Gentile) Old and On Hold . (Cooper) So, check back weekly to see where these books stand. And note, that they can be pre-ordered at 25% discount, using the code FF25. Since the books are already easy on the pocket, this is a pretty good deal. Take two -- or three!* *Printing and shipping times dur...

Proudly announcing the release of The Pandemic and Hope , the first book in our pandemic series -- a set of books dedicated to helping people make it safely (mentally and physically) through the pandemic. These books are written by experts in their fields, who are also authors by their own right of other MSI Press books, and  information about new books to be released in this series can be found on the MSI Press home page . Dr. Ortman has authored three hig hly respected, beloved, and extremely well reviewed MSI Press books related to various forms of addiction--all relevant to these times: Anger Anonymous Anxiety Anonymous Depression Anonymous   Find more posts about and by Dr. Ortman HERE . Find more posts about the pandemic (quarantine) HERE . And take the precautions needed to STAY WELL!

Excerpt from Courageous Parenting : Rules, Routine and Structure In a household characterized by a lack of rules, binding routine, or clear assignation of responsibilities, stopping deterioration in the parent-child relationship is very difficult. Parents and children alike find nothing to hold on to. How do you start creating order and structure when you are used to everything being vague and fluid? Many parents who followed our program were surprised to discover that order is a process that expands and spreads the moment you create a clear core that allows it to grow. It is like the formation of crystals in a liquid solution; sometimes, it suffices to introduce an initial crystallizing element for the liquid matter to start arranging itself, attaching, and forming a structure. Sometimes, the initial spark that sets the whole process in motion is the parents drawing a red line concerning one unacceptable behavior. The parents decide and announce the unacceptable behavior they ...

   Tony Overbay and Joshua Shea, authors of the popular He's a Porn Addict...Now What? , teamed up, for the 200th podcast of the Virtual Couch, with Joshua, as host, interviewing Tony. It is a great interview!! Check out the Virtual Couch podcast HERE ! Or listen to audio only HERE . And take a look at their great book! Details HERE . From review by Mental Health @ Hom e: The authors aren’t here to judge partner or addict; their goal is to help both find healing, and as such, I believe it makes an important contribution to the field. From review by Goodreads : With He’s a Porn Addict…Now What? An Expert and a Former Addict Answer Your Questions, you’ll get pertinent answers from both sides of the equation. Tony Overbay is a licensed marriage and family therapist who has worked with thousands of couples dealing with pornography addiction. Also host of the popular The Virtual Couch podcast, Tony tackles your questions from the expert side of things. Joshua Sh...

What does being Jewish mean to you? This is the question that Jewish in Seattle Magazine asked of Rev. Steven Greenebaum, an interfaith minister and MSI Press author, on April 9. Read his response in the magazine . (Steven was able to hype -- just a little -- his newest book: One Family Indivisible , a finalist in the American Book Fest's Best Books Awards in the category of religion.) Listen to Steven's podcast as he is interviewed by Anne Laforge. You can find it on the MSI Podcasts page . Read more blog posts by and about Steven and his book HERE .

Happy Mother's Day! It is always important and gratifying to find a reason for joy in the midst of troubled times! And, if you have some reading time, here are some books written especially for mothers: 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mama s by Julie Gentile Mama, do you find yourself too busy to take good care of yourself? Whatever your situation, you deserve spectacular health and wellness. With Julie M. Gentile as your personal wellness mentor, this book coaches you along your own authentic self-care path. Using 108 writing prompts and self-care practices, including yoga poses, meditations, and breathing exercises, Julie shows you practical ways to live well that only a mama modern would understand. Become the self-care goddess you truly want to be—you’re worth it! How to Be a Good Mother When You're Sick: A Guide to Motherhood with Chronic Illness by Dr. Emily Graves Soon after receiving her Bachelor’s Degree, Emily Graves was diagnosed w...