Lisa Miller – författare

A groundbreaking exploration of the neuroscience of spirituality and a bold new paradigm for health, healing, and resilience'Lisa Miller is the leading psychologist of her generation' Martin Seligman'We can live chasing goals and rewards, lost in worries and regrets. Or we can awaken to the true fabric of the world, an evolving tapestry that we both behold and help to create, in which every thread matters and no strand stands alone'Whether it's meditation or a walk in nature, reading a sacred text or saying a prayer, there are many ways to tap into a heightened awareness of the world around us and our place in it. Lisa Miller draws on decades of clinical experience and award-winning research to show that humans are universally equipped with this capacity for spirituality, and that our brains become more resilient and robust as a result of it. Bringing scientific rigour to the most intangible aspect of our lives, Miller's counterintuitive findings reveal the measurable positive effects of spirituality: for better decision-making, a healthier brain and an inspired life.Brimming with inspiration and compassion, this landmark book revolutionizes our understanding of spirituality, mental health and how to find meaning and purpose in life.

Many people say they believe in heaven, but very few of them are able to articulate anything specific about their belief, leaving only questions. Is heaven a real place? Is it a city or a garden or both? Can you keep your body there? If so, can you eat, drink, make love? Are you recognizable as yourself in heaven? Do your relationships continue there? Or is heaven something else? A radical idea? A disembodied, unconscious existence? A sense of progression toward perfect understanding, justice, beauty, truth? Jewish, Christian, and Muslim theologians and scholars have dissected these questions - and others like them - for thousands of years, yet in today's world, most people leave them pretty well alone, content to live with a shallow or incomplete sense of what they do believe. Lisa Miller dissects these ancient theologies and their different ideas regarding an afterlife by looking at what the beliefs are, how they have impacted one another, and also how they have reacted to the needs and lifestyles of their followers through the ages.By looking at profiles of real people and history, and analyzing conversations with scholars, "Heaven" forces people to grapple with their beliefs about heaven. It holds up a mirror to allow Americans to gauge how their ideas about heaven measure up to traditional and popular ideas throughout history in an accessible, palatable way.

For many years the regular observation of infants during the first two years of life has been a vital element in the training of child psychotherapists at the Tavistock Clinic. This book presents case studies which are evocative, sensitive, and jargon-free, in order to explore the developing relationships of infants with their mothers and other family members. Drawing on the work of pioneers such as Klein and Winnicott, it shows how the capacity to learn from direct observation can be developed. The book will be of value not only to parents but to all professionals working with young children.

Praise for the first edition:

'The content of the book is excellent.... The strength lies in its detailed application of ideas to practice. The use of the case material to illustrate application is excellent and works well.' - Helen Cosis-Brown, University of Middlesex

This new edition of Counselling Skills for Social Work argues that good counselling skills are at the heart of effective social work practice. Building on the success of the first edition, this core textbook brings a range of therapeutic models, with their theoretical underpinnings and skills, directly into a social work context. By looking at how the underlying theory can be applied to professional practice, chapters identify the key skills which can be employed for the most effective social work intervention.

Key features of the book include:

- a practical skills-based approach;

- a focus on service-user experiences and arange of case-studies drawn from a variety of `real-life' settings;

- a new chapter dedicated to counselling young people;

- chapter content is linked to the most recent NOS and GSCC guidelines structuring training and practice;

- end-of-chapter Reflective Questions and Tips for Practice summarising the key theoretical concepts and their applications.

Written in a lively and engaging style this updated new edition will be an invaluable text for undergraduate students in social work. It will also be useful for qualified practitioners to enhance understanding of communication and the process of change through the medium of counselling skills.

Praise for the first edition:

'The content of the book is excellent.... The strength lies in its detailed application of ideas to practice. The use of the case material to illustrate application is excellent and works well.' - Helen Cosis-Brown, University of Middlesex

This new edition of Counselling Skills for Social Work argues that good counselling skills are at the heart of effective social work practice. Building on the success of the first edition, this core textbook brings a range of therapeutic models, with their theoretical underpinnings and skills, directly into a social work context. By looking at how the underlying theory can be applied to professional practice, chapters identify the key skills which can be employed for the most effective social work intervention.

Key features of the book include:

- a practical skills-based approach;

- a focus on service-user experiences and arange of case-studies drawn from a variety of `real-life' settings;

- a new chapter dedicated to counselling young people;

- chapter content is linked to the most recent NOS and GSCC guidelines structuring training and practice;

- end-of-chapter Reflective Questions and Tips for Practice summarising the key theoretical concepts and their applications.

Written in a lively and engaging style this updated new edition will be an invaluable text for undergraduate students in social work. It will also be useful for qualified practitioners to enhance understanding of communication and the process of change through the medium of counselling skills.

When teachers and students first learn about digital stories, they often focus on the bells and whistles: images, music, sound effects, and so on. To Lisa Miller, a good digital story -- like any good story -- is all about the writing. In Make Me a Story, Lisa shows how to use digital stories to lead students through all phases of the writing process, from planning to revising and editing.Digital storytelling uses computers and software to marry text with art -- photographs, drawings, paintings, and video -- as well as narration and music. Lisa leads teachers step-by-step through the process of writing a digital story in an accessible (even for the computer neophyte), instructional, and entertaining way. Through the projects outlined in the book, students learn how to write good stories, make art and text work together, and use technology in creative ways.Make Me a Story discusses different types of digital stories, shows how to assess digital assignments and motivate reluctant writers, and explains how digital storytelling teaches skills supported by national education and technology standards. Teachers will find specific suggestions for writing exercises and various ways to get students thinking about how best to tell their stories. The accompanying CD includes examples of student stories discussed in the text.

What makes children in their 'terrible twos' behave as they do? How can parents decide when their child is ready for day care, and manage their child's transition to a trusted child minder? Lisa Miller guides parents through their two-year-old's development, from how to deal with a 'bossy boots' to understanding the central importance of toys, and the development of language and nonverbal communicative skills. She describes ways in which parents can help a young child express or resolve difficult feelings or jealousy, come to accept and welcome a new-born sibling, and negotiate friendships.