If someone were to challenge an author to write an informative self-help book that didn’t bore the reader with mumbo-jumbo, gets right to the point, and has short but practical journaling opportunities to gather personal insight from, Lisa Ferentz would say, “Hold my beer. I got this.”
In Finding Your Ruby Slippers: Transformative Life Lessons from the Therapist’s Couch, the author, Lisa Ferentz, has 30-years’ clinical experience that she shares in a humble 199 pages.
There are five sections, each broken down into chapters ranging between 2–5 pages each:
- Overcoming Obstacles
- Relationships
- Being in the Present
- Growth and Change
- Self-Compassion
Each chapter is broken down into the basics of the issue at hand and Lisa does a wonderful job of picking the topic apart without being boring or overwhelming the reader. And there’s no clinical mumbo-jumbo.
The end of each chapter has 2–3 pages of self-work that you know you should do, but let’s be honest, most people don’t. And in the words of Yoda, “And that is why you fail.”
Lisa strongly encourages the journaling because:
“It allows for a deepening of answers and insight. And I always encourage returning to chapters and journal entries at later points where new meaning can be found as the reader continues to access inner wisdom. Those new insights become wonderful indicators of personal growth!”
I’ve been reading the book for a month now because I find I need to take my time to take it all in and then practice what I’ve read. That led me to wonder how long Lisa thought it should take to get through the material.
“The book is designed to be read in any way that allows for a genuine processing of the content, so that means take your time and let the material really resonate and jumpstart your own thinking and insights.
Chapters don’t have to be read in any particular order. In fact, I encourage the reader to start with the Table of Contents and choose a topic that speaks to them on any given day.”
So far, I’ve gotten through about half the book, skipping the parts that don’t relate to me. It’s nice to add another book to my short list of self-help books that actually, you know… helps.
Finding Your Ruby Slippers: Transformative Life Lessons from the Therapist’s Couch by Lisa Ferentz is available wherever books are sold (or loaned, check your library!) and retails for $16.99.
Disclaimer: GeekMom was given a review sample. No book is a substitute for therapy. If you feel you need the assistance of a certified therapist, seek one out and use books as supplemental material.
