Are you a bit anxious or a bit low, not doing as well as you think you should or can? Are you struggling with confidence or emotional triggers at work, in a relationship or with parenting? Do you feel triggered and ‘lose’ yourself? Do you find yourself behaving in ways that you are not proud of but can’t stop yourself in the moment? Does your life feel a bit dull, directionless? Do you wonder what else might be possible for you? Have you tried antidepressants only to realise that they don’t actually deal with the causes but only help with the symptoms?
If, like many, you prefer to live without medication, someone might have suggested you talk to a therapist. But the idea of talking to a stranger about your problems can be off-putting and uncomfortable, even scary. Psychotherapy is still a mystery to many, and understandably, many people wonder what it can offer them. Therapists can be vague about what they do, and often cannot explain it. And in any case, is talking always helpful? What happens when you open a big can of worms and make yourself vulnerable in front of a stranger, but then have to carry on with your day-to-day life? When you don't know what therapy is, how do you even begin to choose an approach that is the right one for you?
If you are sceptical and prefers not to talk to a stranger about your problems, this short book might be for you. Thanks to the development of Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB), the brainchild of Dr Dan Siegel, therapy is no longer a mystery and everyone can understand it. Over two decades of clinical practice, I have been able to develop my work within the framework of IPNB in a way that makes it clear and accessible to everyone. Over the years many clients have urged me to put into writing what I do in therapy. They believe that others can benefit from this knowledge and can grow, heal and develop, even without ever seeing a therapist. I have always been passionate about sharing knowledge, and taking the mystery out of therapy, so putting this book together made sense, and has been a pleasure.
Therapy is much more than just about individual happiness. How we are determines our values, how we treat one another, how we parent and guide young humans, our politics and ultimately how we run our world. When you grow and develop to your potential you benefit much more than just yourself. This is the fifth booklet in the ‘Fully Human Psychotherapy Tools for Life Series’. It is short and accessible and it for everyone because good mental health and development are everyone’s business.
Therapy Without A Therapist removes the mystery out of mental health and psychotherapy and places real, effective, and permanent tools in everyone’s hands.
Therapy Without a Therapist now has a new companion journal/workbook called, Let’s Integrate… It is intended to help people put into practice the framework offered in Therapy Without A Therapist, and to stay on track with their integrative work. It is available on Amazon worldwide in paperback and hardback.
Avigail has been a psychotherapist in private practice since 1999. She started her practice in Canberra Australia, and after eleven busy years, she moved to the Scottish Highlands where she has been living and working since 2010.
Avigail’s practice is based in Cawdor. She is Snr Accredited with the BACP and is a psychotherapist, supervisor, trainer, consultant, and writer. Avigail is passionate about sharing her knowledge with everyone. Since the development of Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) by Dr Dan Siegel, she believes that too many psychotherapists work in an outdated way, and that there is no reason for psychotherapy to continue to be a mystery to people. She has written *Therapy Without A Therapist* specifically to share her way of working with everyone. Avigail offers free to all podcasts on this and other topics in her field. The podcasts are available here: https://avigail.substack.com/podcast
Avigail has a vision for a research centre, combined with a larger practice and training centre. She hopes to secure funding to realise this vision.
Her work website is at www.fullyhuman.co.uk and all her publications are available on Amazon worldwide. Avigail publishes essays on her Substack page: ‘Avigail Abarbanel's Fully Human Essays’ and other writings and articles on Academia.edu
Avigail was born in Israel in 1964. In 1991 she migrated to Australia, and ten years later she renounced her Israeli citizenship in protest. Avigail is an anti-Zionist activist for Palestinian human rights and against Zionist-Israeli settler-colonialism.
Some of her writings on Palestine-Israel can be found on Mondoweiss and the Electronic Intifada, more recently she has been publishing on her Substack page ‘Avigail Abarbanel’s Fully Human Essays’, and on Medium.