From finding a therapist to how to know when you're done, this book will demystify the process and make therapy accessible to all.
Every day, people engage in psychotherapy, striving to improve their lives, fight depression, deal with the aftermath of relationships gone wrong. Some of them are old hands with a long string of therapy experiences in their history. Many others are new at being therapy clients, still finding their way, wondering what to talk about, imagining what their therapist is thinking, not sure how the process really works. And even more people don't have the foggiest idea how to even get started looking for a therapist. They don't know the difference between a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and a social worker. The whole process is mysterious, shielded in secrecy and impenetrable to them.
My name is Jeff Guardalabene, and I write the Doc Blog, a site that deals with some of these questions specifically, and the "behind the scenes" world of psychology in general. I've long thought that it would be nice to have some kind of guidebook for therapy clients, one that explores all the questions clients have. In my blog, I've addressed some of these questions: How do I choose a therapist? What do I do during my first appointment? but there's so much more to explore.
I looked all over for a book to recommend to clients but I never found one, so I've decided that the only logical thing to do is write one myself! My style is conversational and down-to-earth, irreverent and hopefully even funny once in a while. I am passionate about what good therapy can do, and I'd love to create a work that opens therapy up for more people while helping those already seeing a therapist. I'll expand on some of my blog posts, and add much more content that will help people in every step of the therapy process, from finding a therapist to knowing when therapy is done.
Along with the creation of this helpful and unique e-book, this project will expand my website. I use the Blogger platform now, and would love to create a professional, up-to-date space that will be more appealing to web surfers. The better it looks, the more professional the feel, the more people will come and learn about therapy and the art of being a fully-engaged therapy client. I've enlisted the services of Sarah Giffrow, a super-talented Portland area designer, to design both the book and the website. Along with paying a good designer a living wage, your contributions support the expense of publishing of the book across various platforms, and for promotional costs.
I'd really like to do this right, and get this information into the hands of as many people as possible. Your contributions help make this happen. Thank you.
FAQ
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Blog posts, by their nature, are brief. This is great when you're surfing the web, skipping from Facebook to my blog to Reddit or wherever it is you go. I promise, I haven't been keeping track. Anyway, an 800-word blog post is great for a quick glance at an issue. A book will let me expand the information and take themes from a brief overview to a detailed, helpful, step-by-step guide for therapy clients, both veteran and brand-new.
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Good question, imaginary question-asker! I've included a couple of links to my blog. You can also take a look at some essays I've written at docessays.tumblr.com. I'm confident that I can write a well-structured, readable guide. Support my project and find out for yourself!
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Along with therapy and writing, another passion of mine is public speaking. I've taught at two excellent private universities, and given a variety of mental health trainings for both clinical professionals and the public. For a $350 pledge of support, I'll be happy to give a talk to your professional colleagues, community group, or anyone else you'd like. Let's keep it in the greater Portland area, though, unless you feel like flying me somewhere. We could certainly have a conversation about THAT.
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Wait, that's not a question! I'll address it anyway, though. There are a number of reasons for the price tag, but here are the two most important.
1. The internet is a giant place, and if you don't stand out, you get passed by. The cover design and overall look of the book is a really important thing. I not only want to write this book, I want it to get read. A generic cover that I did myself using clip art and comic sans would get skipped by all discerning readers. A professionally-designed product is a necessity. Same goes for the website. I want people to flock to the site and learn lots of good stuff. Blogspot is cool to start out with, but it's time to move past that to a beautiful, functional site.
2. It is critically important to me that if I'm going to hire someone to help me, I'm going to pay them a professional rate. I have freelanced in the past, and been undervalued, and seen less-scrupulous folks undercut me and deliver a crappy product. Sarah is really good at what she does, and I want to reward her as such with a living wage for her talent and time.
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Funding period
Mar 30, 2012 -
Apr 29, 2012
(30 days)
- First created · 3 backed
- Jeff Guardalabene 378 friends
Pledge $10 or more
53 backers
Your $10 contribution gets you a copy of the e-book, delivered upon completion!
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $25 or more
20 backers
Contribute $25 to this project, and your question will be featured in an "Ask The Doc" blog post on the Doc Blog, along with a copy of the e-book.
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $50 or more
2 backers
For a $50 contribution, I'll write a guest post for your blog! You pick the topic, as long as it's somewhere remotely in my wheelhouse (psychology, therapy, happiness, well-being, mindfulness, etc.) and I'll write a 500-word post for you. You'll also receive a copy of the book, and get to ask an "Ask the Doc" question on the Doc Blog!
Estimated delivery: Sep 2012Pledge $100 or more
12 backers
Contribute $100 and your name will be included in the acknowledgments of the book, you'll get to ask an Ask The Doc question on the blog, and you'll get a copy of the book.
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $350 or more
1 backer Limited (3 of 4 left)
For a $350 contribution, you'll receive all of the above, plus I'll give a 90-minute talk for your Portland-area group - psychology-related topics only, please!
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012
