Customer Reviews

The Gift of Wounding: Finding Hope and Heart in Challenging Circumstances

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Buy this book! Why? Because it contains wisdom that touches your life, told in a gentle penetrating way that moves you to action. I have known Andre Auw for 7 years as a client and now as a friend. He has shared his wisdom and energy to bring me through several crisis as: the death of my spouse of 37 years, the death of my mother, the ensuing lawsuits brought about by a powerful political step-brother, two difficult significant other relationships, and others. All through this, his patient and loving presence showed me the way to call forth our inherent resources to face these situations. What surprises me is that he is able to put all of this into a book through well chosen stories and pithy concluding remarks to each. Highly recommended.

The Gift of Wounding - Finding Hope and Heart in Challenging Circumstances by Andre Auw, Ph.D.; published by Aslan Publishing; 204 pp., $13.95 trade paper.

Each of Auw1s 20 chapters is an inspirational essay on a stage of overcoming inner travail or external obstacles to maintain or restore one1s sense that life is meaningful and holds desirable possibilities. The chapters generally follow the path of first feeling a sense of being wounded through reaching a higher stage of personal growth by overcoming the wounding. Auw frequently goes beyond inspiration to give the reader a perspective on adverse circumstances and occasionally offers practical advice for dealing with these. The chapters incorporate instructive episodes and lessons from Auw1s own life and examples, teachings, and counsel from esteemed individuals from various fields and different times. Among these varied individuals are Carl Rogers (Auw1s mentor), Dr. Kubler-Ross, Tom Robbins, St. Teresa, Norman Cousins, and Pope John. Most of the chapters close with a quote or short passage of wisdom by one such individual or from a well-known spiritual text. In offering solace and hope, Auw1s counsel also contains a realistic vein that distinguishes it from much contemporary inspirational, New Age-ish, writing. For instance, Auw recognizes that not all wounds can be neutralized or erased, but that they are frequently dealt with by personal growth. While Auw does follow the successive stages of the process of being wounded and healing, he does not present a methodical, pragmatic self-help program, but rather offers essays that are variously inspirational, meditative, instructive, and practical.

review by Henry Berry Book Reviewer Editor/Publisher, The Small Press Book Review

Andre Auw has the rare understanding of what makes excellent therapy. As clinicians we too often rely on the tricks of cognitive behaviior approaches, too scared to really engage with our clients.

Bravo Andre, please write more!

Andre Auw speaks directly to the soul's struggle and it's capacity to triumph. He invites us to turn difficult life situations into challenge: seeking and finding greater resouce within ourselves. And through his stories, he offers us models, those who have found ways to turn suffering into compassion and service to others. The pages of Andre Auw's book are alive with his elder wisdom and presence bringing us home again into our heart.

Using verbal pictures, stories, recollections, Andre Auw creates each chapter as a theme path that gently engages us right up to its final quote. And it is that quote that acts as a final memorable note of wisdom in the chapter. The book is indeed a gift in itself. It inspires, it cajoles, and it touches and expands hearts and visions. I wish we had this book, years ago, when we were going through the beginning turmoils and disasters of the AIDS epidemic. While it is especially a blessing in times of darkness, I strongly recommend this book as a path to well being for anyone at anytime.

Andre Auw was my professor in graduate school (Psychology of Human Relations). I have never forgotten his gentle wisdom. he has left a life long impression on me. Now his latest work, Gift of Wounding, reafirms the notion that Peak experiences need not always be positive. He is a gifted writer, an empathetic and intuitive practitioner. I will certainly require my Humanistic Psychology Classes to read this work.

Andre Auw is a gifted writer and counselor. I found the thematic chapters a mosaic of simple but profound practical wisdom with gentle nudges towards personal healing. The book is easy to read with a great aftertaste. As a counselor of many years, I found the book not only inspiring but delightful - a great gift.