Alex Howard – författare

A clear, readable, radical challenge to the foundations of therapy. The author's ultimate target is not counselling, but the abuse of professionalisation and our current deity - consumerism. The range, passion and depth of the discussion will attract the general reader and a wide diversity of carers and clients. The questions raised should make it mandatory reading for practitioners and their supervisors. Which schools of counselling will rise to the challenge? Which will fail, and fall?

This fascinating and thought-provoking book provides much-needed philosophical background for counsellors, therapists and healthcare workers looking for broader, deeper foundations in the struggle to help and make sense of others. While examining the best among twentieth-century philosophy it shows the wealth of inspiration of earlier centuries, and demonstrates with remarkable clarity the way in which the ideas of, and the relations between, these philosophers can inspire, inform and underpin much of counselling and psychotherapy.The author ties the philosophies with practice in a pragmatic and exercise-based way, making it an excellent source for training courses. Each chapter is headed with 'key points' and their application to counselling and psychotherapy, and ends with practical questions, exercises and a detailed bibliography, including extensive listing of relevant websites.

This fascinating and thought-provoking book provides much-needed philosophical background for counsellors, therapists and healthcare workers looking for broader, deeper foundations in the struggle to help and make sense of others. While examining the best among twentieth-century philosophy it shows the wealth of inspiration of earlier centuries, and demonstrates with remarkable clarity the way in which the ideas of, and the relations between, these philosophers can inspire, inform and underpin much of counselling and psychotherapy.The author ties the philosophies with practice in a pragmatic and exercise-based way, making it an excellent source for training courses. Each chapter is headed with 'key points' and their application to counselling and psychotherapy, and ends with practical questions, exercises and a detailed bibliography, including extensive listing of relevant websites.

Questions relating to personal identity are of central importance within counselling, which is often seen as an essentially (and perhaps excessively) 'me-focussed' activity. People often come to counsellors to find, reclaim, come to terms with, or control (aspects of) 'themselves.' They want to see how they have been shaped, helped or damaged by their circumstances. Yet there has been surprisingly little systematic examination of the conceptions of 'self' that are, could be, or should be available to counsellors.This accessible book meets this need and more deeply than most other texts into the foundations and underlying presuppositions of the subject. Alex Howard takes a fresh look at counselling and psychotherapy and advocates greater philosophical and sociological awareness for trainees.

'A beautifully written cat's-eye view of some 120 years of history. Prepare to be enchanted.'SIMON BRETT, author of the Mrs Pargeter seriesEarly morning, 1902. At 7/7 Marchmont Crescent, Eilidh the charlady tips coal into a fire grate and sets it alight. Overhearing, Grimalkin the cat ambles over to curl up against the welcome heat and lick his favourite human'shand. But this is to be his last day on earth ... before he becomes the Ghost Cat.Follow Grimalkin as he witnesses the changes of the next 120 years, prowling unseen among the inhabitants of an Edinburgh tenement, while unearthing some startling revelations about the mystery of existence, the unstoppable march of time and the true meaning of feline companionship.This unique tale provides a feel-good read full of charm for any fan of history, humour and fur-ridden fun. Perfect for fans of Matt Haig's How to Stop Time and V. E. Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.'The Ghost Cat is an Edinburgh delight: "mizzle-ridden" days were made for books like this!'LUCY RIBCHESTER, author of The Hourglass Factory'A beautiful story' Tiktok's @beansthegingercat'Enchanting, entertaining and engaging ... I found this beautiful little cats paws wrapped around my heartstrings throughout the entirety of the book.'Goodreads reviewer, five stars'A beautiful love letter to the majestic cat.'NetGalley reviewer

'A beautifully written cat's-eye view of some 120 years of history. Prepare to be enchanted.'SIMON BRETT, author of the Mrs Pargeter seriesEarly morning, 1902. At 7/7 Marchmont Crescent, Eilidh the charlady tips coal into a fire grate and sets it alight. Overhearing, Grimalkin the cat ambles over to curl up against the welcome heat and lick his favourite human'shand. But this is to be his last day on earth ... before he becomes the Ghost Cat.Follow Grimalkin as he witnesses the changes of the next 120 years, prowling unseen among the inhabitants of an Edinburgh tenement, while unearthing some startling revelations about the mystery of existence, the unstoppable march of time and the true meaning of feline companionship.This unique tale provides a feel-good read full of charm for any fan of history, humour and fur-ridden fun. Perfect for fans of Matt Haig's How to Stop Time and V. E. Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.'The Ghost Cat is an Edinburgh delight: "mizzle-ridden" days were made for books like this!'LUCY RIBCHESTER, author of The Hourglass Factory'A beautiful story' Tiktok's @beansthegingercat'Enchanting, entertaining and engaging ... I found this beautiful little cats paws wrapped around my heartstrings throughout the entirety of the book.'Goodreads reviewer, five stars

From the bestselling author of The Ghost Cat comes an epic new adventure for cat lovers 'Uplifting, charming, funny... Written with such a light and witty touch, it is not only a unique read, it is life-affirming.' - Sue LawrenceArchie is a canny street cat who has no faith in humans. A cat can only trust himself, after all.But when he takes shelter from the cold near an airfield, he finds himself aboard a flight that will set him on an epic sea voyage - one that will take him farther than he's ever been and challenge everything he thinks he knows about 'home'. Determined to return to the shores of Blighty, Archie must rely on the generosity - and vessels - of humans on his way. With his unique polydactyl paws, each with an extra toe, Archie discovers he is not only a useful companion aboard fishing boats and luxury yachts, but also something of a lucky talisman.From the sun-drenched harbours of the Mediterranean to the bustling decks of ocean racers and narrowboats of Edinburgh's Union Canal, Archie becomes a legend among sailors as he tries to make his way back home. But is home a place, or a person?Embark on this odyssey with Archie the stray and get swept away on this heroic, feel-good tale of unlikely friendship on the high seas.

Library Cat, the resident cat of the University of Edinburgh's Main Library, is not like other cats. He is a thinking cat. You can tell by the canny glint in his eye, his disdainful whiskers and his unrelenting interest in books and piles of paper.This is the Library Cat's story. Join him as he adventures away from his favourite turquoise library chair and his preferred food (bacon rind) to go out into the big, bad world. Meet his cousins, Biblio Chat and Saaf Landan Tom; swoon during his brief encounter with the elusive Puddle Cat and hold your breath amidst his run-in with the terrifying Black Dog.Part whimsy, part cat-borne philosophical novella, this is a tale about Library Cat's search for meaning in a confounding world. But it's about us Humans, too. Because with his black and white head bobbing a foot off the ground, Library Cat has seen Humans from a very different angle . . .And he thinks we have it all wrong.From the author of the bestselling The Ghost Cat (Waterstones Scottish Book of the Month August 2024). Library Cat was winner of The People's Book Prize 2017 (Beryl Bainbridge Award for Best First Time Author).

From the bestselling author of The Ghost Cat comes an epic new adventure for cat lovers 'Uplifting, charming, funny... Written with such a light and witty touch, it is not only a unique read, it is life-affirming.' - Sue LawrenceArchie is a canny street cat who has no faith in humans. A cat can only trust himself, after all.But when he takes shelter from the cold near an airfield, he finds himself aboard a flight that will set him on an epic sea voyage - one that will take him farther than he's ever been and challenge everything he thinks he knows about 'home'. Determined to return to the shores of Blighty, Archie must rely on the generosity - and vessels - of humans on his way. With his unique polydactyl paws, each with an extra toe, Archie discovers he is not only a useful companion aboard fishing boats and luxury yachts, but also something of a lucky talisman.From the sun-drenched harbours of the Mediterranean to the bustling decks of ocean racers and narrowboats of Edinburgh's Union Canal, Archie becomes a legend among sailors as he tries to make his way back home. But is home a place, or a person?Embark on this odyssey with Archie the stray and get swept away on this heroic, feel-good tale of unlikely friendship on the high seas.

Get to the root cause of your chronic fatigue diagnosis and discover a clinically proven 12-step plan to healing, recovery and transformation.Living with fatigue can feel hopeless and confusing, with traditional medical approaches focusing on managing symptoms rather than understanding and addressing underlying causes. But healing is possible when you learn to decode your fatigue and apply the right interventions, in the right sequence, at the right time. After suffering from chronic fatigue for seven years, renowned health expert Alex Howard founded one of the world's leading clinics specializing in fatigue, and has dedicated over 20 years to understanding this condition. This book will guide you through a clinically proven methodology to help you to: · Understand the underlying factors that cause fatigue · Discover the key steps to increasing your energy sustainably · Map out your personalized plan for recovery This revolutionary 12-step approach will not only help you to decode your fatigue, but also start to create your own path to healing and transformation.

This powerful self-help book will change the way you see your past and transform the way you live now.Do you struggle to find happiness in yourself or in your relationships? Do you have issues with your physical or mental health such as fatigue, anxiety, sleep problems, addictions or depression? Do you feel emotionally numb, or are you unable to truly feel your emotions? You are not alone. And maybe you need to stop blaming yourself.We are all affected by our early experiences – both good and bad. But for many of us, the patterns of our younger years have damaged us as adults, leaving us unable to truly feel or form lasting positive relationships with ourselves and others.As children, we're dependent on those around us to meet our emotional needs for us – the need for boundaries, safety and love. When these key needs go unanswered, the template for good mental health in adulthood is not properly formed. As adults, we can learn to meet these needs for ourselves, and to break free from a life of unnecessary suffering. Doing so doesn't just heal the impact of our past, it also helps us unlock our true potential in life.Childhood trauma will continue to trap us throughout our lives if we don't seek to confront it. Drawing on his own healing from childhood trauma and his clinical work with thousands of patients, Alex Howard sets a clear path to understanding your own unique blueprint from childhood and then provides a clinically proven reset plan for healing.It's Not Your Fault will help you to understand your trauma and heal its impact, build better boundaries and connect to your emotions to create healthy and fulfilling relationships.

Whether exploring Larkin’s fondness for deictics (‘pointing’ words, like here/there), his fascination with death, or his interest in the sexual opportunities of an itinerant lifestyle, this monograph provides fresh critical approaches bound to appeal to established Larkin scholars and newcomers alike.