Excelling Psychology

I, Jyotika Varmani, tutor students of Psychology at all levels. I reside in Mumbai and tutor students online. You can contact me personally on my e-mail id jyotikapsychology@gmail.com or call/message me on 9892507784 for enquiries. --- In this new series of posts, I discuss the necessity of routine health care, dispel some common myths about the nature of mental health and suggest a few measures, easily incorporated into everyday life for this end. In this first post of the series, I discuss why a preventive approach towards mental health care is an absolute must. --- The nature of depression and its treatment have become topics of popular concern since depression is today taken to be one of the leading causes of death. A lot of suggestions have emerged from mental health experts on how depression, in its initial phases, can be tackled by measures such as sharing problems with friends, adopting problem-solving strategies, taking professional consultation and counseling, etc., all of...

Dr. Windy Dryden's phenomenal work in the area of self-help , which corresponds with his emphasis on taking self-responsibility has led to his immense popularity among readers of all ages and from all walks of life. This brilliance of his is reinstated with his book, 'Coping with Manipulation' which delves deep into the concept of 'Emotional Responsibility' in his typical style of presenting ideas for intervention is a manner that are insightful and yet replete with direct and heuristic practical suggestions for the common reader.  A Book for Anyone seeking to Take Charge of their Life A development of emotional responsibility is more compelling in today's age than ever before for we are living in a world in which people are constantly seeking to fulfill the emotional void generated in themselves due to their complete absorption in worldly affairs by projecting their incapacitation in taking self-responsibility onto others. To prevent ourselves fro...

I remember having to refer to sections of the sixth edition of this book in my second year of Masters in Counseling Psychology, for the intervention-related modules. I loved it so much, that I ended up reading all of it. The book is titled: Interviewing and Change Strategies for Helpers: Fundamental Skills and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions  and has been authored by : Shelly Cormier, Paula S. Nurius, and Cynthia J. Osborn This is the cover of the present edition - the eight edition of the book This book is very comprehensive - it moves from a discussion of the counselor's foundation in preparing for skills and strategies; to skills that can be used in various stages of counseling, from the listening stage to the addressal of specific client issues to follow-up; and finally to skills that can be imparted to the client for lifelong self-management. The book is lengthy, and rightly so, given the range of issues it deals with. It is lengthy, yet very simple in...

I read an article titled ' Seven Steps Beyond Fear ' by Michael Neill in ' Heart and Soul ' magazine issue 20 recently. The article can be: Read online/downloaded in the aforementioned issue here ; OR Purchased for offline reading here . I have read several articles and books on fear, anxiety, avoidance, and the like. No other piece has left such an indelible impression on my mind. The author presents - in such simple language - heartfelt guidelines that will surely change any reader's perspective on fear. The way that author Neill has brought down the giant called fear into focus with a conversational narrative is what makes the article appealing. And what makes this article worth treasuring is the solid content of advise that the author gives the reader, which makes not only for good reading, but motivates the reader to start making a change immediately. Seldom do we find ten-minute reads that actually present so much more than entire books do. Th...

I read Dr. Albert Ellis' book recently - How to Stubbornly Refuse to Make Yourself Miserable About Anything--Yes, Anything!   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Here's the review I've written for it on Goodreads : " Being familiar with REBT principles, this book was an easy read for me. Nonetheless, I think this book is written with due consideration for those encountering Ellis' principles for the first time, since it is written in simple language with elaborate illustrations. Ellis, as always, has taken a very assertive approach in presenting his ideas. This is the best part of all his books, that he actually works from the methods he prescribes. He has written this book in the style of an informal discussion that a teacher would have with a group of students, which makes it very appealing. This book chiefly explains why, ...