A Manual for Being Human

Book excerpt: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Clear, accessible wise advice for modern minds.' Matt Haig 'Dr Soph is the therapist and best friend that the world deserves. The world of therapy and professional help is still so inaccessible to so many people and this book is a crucial and life changing one that should be placed in everyone’s mental health toolkit!' Scarlett Curtis 'A Manual for Being Human is the motherlode, enlightening on why you might feel and behave how you do.' The Times ‘A truly wonderful, warm and wise one-stop shop for any inquisitive human. Packed full of prompts, practical tips and pep talks that will guide you through any situation.’ Emma Gannon ‘There is a damn good reason why people are struggling. We are not raised to understand ourselves. In fact, we are raised misunderstanding ourselves and fearing the very thing that makes us, us.’ Dr Soph Do you want to believe in yourself and your ability to be content with who you are? If the answer is yes, then A Manual for Being Human is the book you need to read. Do you want to understand how your childhood affects who you are today? How it affects your relationship with yourself and others? How school, bullying, gender expectations and even the social media you consume each day affects your emotional wellbeing? Do you want to know what your emotions actually are, where they come from and how to manage them when they threaten to overwhelm you? In this practical and insightful guide, Dr Soph will help you to understand why we all feel anxious, stressed, insecure and down from time to time. Her three-step methodology, developed through years of experience supporting people to make genuine change in their lives, will help you to identify problems arising from past experiences and current life events, look at the patterns, bad habits and negative cycles that may be keeping you stuck, and then draws on established, proven therapeutic techniques such as mindfulness, journaling, self-compassion, grounding and breathing and relaxation techniques to provide a toolkit of go--to techniques to use any time. Reassuring, knowledgeable and kind, Dr Soph offers support to those feeling lost at sea in today’s troubling times and gives you the tools you need to help get the most out of life. 'Finally! A book which takes psychological wellbeing across the lifespan out of the therapy room and into the mainstream. Dr Soph’s warm, reassuring and frank style will have you understanding yourself, your actions and your relationships without a hefty therapy price tag.' Dr Karen Gurney, author Mind the Gap