This Week’s Book = Uncovering Happiness: Overcoming Depression with Mindfulness and Self-Compassion (by Elisha Goldstein)
Luckily, my unhappy dive into evolutionary psychology last time did not deter me from my goal to read some more informational books. I have been actively seeking a book on depression – I hadn’t read a new book about depression in a while and this one showed up near the top of all my searches. I’ll admit, this book somewhat drew me in with its cheerful appearance and inspirational title. I mean, who doesn’t want to uncover happiness? And a jolly blue cover with a bright yellow flower/sun thing? Great!
This book allows readers to gain a greater understanding of depression and what is going on in the brain when depression is occurring. Elisha Goldstein manages to provide very simple definitions of somewhat complex processes, while offering much encouragement to the readers. Right from the introduction, Goldstein endeavours to inspire hope in the readers by providing a multitude of examples and easy to complete strategies. Among other things, Goldstein discusses the creation/breaking of habits, the natural anti-depressant brain, mindfulness, and self-compassion.
In all honesty, I was drawn to this book because of its mention of self-compassion in the title. When I started reading, I quickly discovered that this book discussed two of my favourite concepts: self-compassion and neuroplasticity (put very simply, the brain’s ability to change and form new pathways). I often find myself discussing those concepts with my clients. Like me, other professionals may also appreciate the simplistic description of depression and the concepts and be able to use them in sessions with clients. I found this book to be very easy to read and interesting, though there were some moments when I felt the writing was a bit corny (or perhaps that’s just my dislike for generic mantras creeping in). I think that this book would be a super useful tool for people experiencing depression, as it gives plenty of easy to understand information and some straightforward strategies to try (there is even a section called ‘The Natural Antidepressant Toolkit’). This is a book with a cheerful cover and a realistic message.
Interested in this book? Click here.
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