MSI Press Blog

Excerpt: Lessons from Children Rule of the Road: Forge your armor out of resiliency Mile Markers : War Zone, Trauma, PTSD, Suicide, Dutch Levees, Bounce Back, Magical Thinking, Easy Temperament, Vulnerability, Consumer Nation, George Foreman, Mentoring, Open Communities, Persistence, Tree of Resiliency, Self-Evaluation, Exploitive Culture In the days and months after that game-changing ride home from Bob , I began to ponder how I might go about amending my own life to better reflect the principles first emphasized in my youth and latter reinvigorated by the example of this modest soul. As someone who had firsthand experience with poverty and minimal assets, I was surprised at how quickly I had bought into the desire to demonstrate to outsiders that here was a man who exceeded his humble beginnings. Now that I was equipped with a new self-awareness, would this knowledge translate into real and lasting change? Temptation to buy and consume in an attempt to feed the appeti...

  Excerpt from Recovering from Domestic Violence, Abuse, and Stalking by Joanna Romer -  My Experience: Lauretta Avina              “I’m a huge believer in counseling, and I never used to be.”   When Lauretta Avina heard that her sister had been murdered by her boyfriend, she couldn’t believe it at first. “I felt disbelief,” she said. “I managed to walk next door to my neighbor’s house. I told him, ‘My sister’s dead!’” Lauretta said her sister, Franca Bars, who was 38 at the time of her death in 2006, had been going with her boyfriend David on and off for seven years. “I only met him once,” Lauretta told me. “He had an angry look. That was two months before the murder.” Despite the angry look, Lauretta said she would never have imagined David capable of murder. “My sister’s exact words were ‘He would never hurt me,’” Lauretta said. “A friend said later he was abusing her. I kick myself in the butt—why didn’t I q...

  Recently, I wrote an Amazon review of My Yellow Balloon , a very touchingly written and extremely insightful book for children who have experienced loss, written by Tiffany Papageorge, illustrated by Erwin Madrid, and published by Minoan Moon. It is an impressive book on all levels; the writing, the illustrations, and the quality of publication. Something that belongs in the room and hands of every child who has ever lost anyone or anything of importance to him/her. Noah's New Puppy , a book by Richard Rice and Geri Henderson, illustrated by Vincent Rice, that we published a couple of years ago, fulfills a similar purpose but for a different need. Tenderly written, including with guidance for parents on its use, and gorgeously illustrated, this book focuses on PTSD and indeed belongs in the hands of all children whose parents experience PTSD as well as with those who work with them. (Note: MSI Press, editor@msipress.com, will provide a complimentary copy to reviewers and special ...

  Today's Publisher's Pride is  Mental Health Mayday,  by Gregg Bagdade, which reached #199 on Amazon's bestseller list for psychology education and training and #285 for safety and first aid. Reviewer: "saved my life" Book description: From their swearing-in all to the way until retirement, even the most hardened firefighters can be affected by mental health concerns. A fascinating look behind the scenes of the career of a firefighter, this book explores the why and explains the how to better prepare these individuals for a healthy and productive career and life, based on the author's personal experience as a counselor, who also has 27 years as a firefighter and paramedic. Firefighters can learn how to acknowledge their mental health issues, such as PTSD, addiction, or anger issues while developing strategies to address these concerns with techniques and solutions throughout their career. This powerful book is part memoir and part call to action. Through the ...

  Today's Publisher's Pride is  Mental Health Mayday,  by Gregg Bagdade, which reached #199 on Amazon's bestseller list for psychology education and training and #285 for safety and first first aid. Reviewer:  "saved my life" Book description: From their swearing-in all to the way until retirement, even the most hardened firefighters can be affected by mental health concerns. A fascinating look behind the scenes of the career of a firefighter, this book explores the why and explains the how to better prepare these individuals for a healthy and productive career and life, based on the author's personal experience as a counselor, who also has 27 years as a firefighter and paramedic. Firefighters can learn how to acknowledge their mental health issues, such as PTSD, addiction, or anger issues while developing strategies to address these concerns with techniques and solutions throughout their career. This powerful book is part memoir and part call to action. Throu...