As a psychologist with a busy integrative psychotherapy practice, I sat with the idea of writing a book for a long time. My approach is integrative and holistic, including the fact that emotions are experienced in the body, and the knowledge that insight alone often is not enough for lasting, transformative healing. I include more traditional, Western psychology and science as well as energy psychology techniques (like EFT, Emotional Freedom Techniques) that lean on science and wisdom from the East, and people’s lives change. It’s gratifying, inspiring work. I was used to hearing “You should write a book!” from clients and some colleagues, but as I began to take this more seriously, I needed to think it through.
A book I would want to write would need to be useful to people, and therefore would need to include an integrative perspective. So as I thought about publishing, this was one consideration – the book would not fit neatly into a more trade psychology mold, or a New Age model, or a strictly Energy Psychology niche. Another consideration was my own impatience; once I had a sense of how to write about the integrative but simplified information about our internal stress traps, and knew from experience that this information, along with a step-by-step guide, really could help free people up, I wanted to get the book out there. A traditional model of publishing would simply take too long, even if I found a more traditional publisher willing to take on this hybrid, multi-disciplinary self-help book.
After much research, I decided on a model that worked for me. I founded an independent self-publishing company, and then connected with Lightning Source, a distributor and print-on-demand company, and Ingram Books. I found and worked directly with the cover and interior designers, and the editor. From completion of the manuscript to availability at online stores, the process took five months instead of two years, including gathering endorsements and getting the cover design just right. Conscious Calm is available through order at bookstores, since it shows up in the Ingram catalog. And the book is available at Amazon world-wide, as well as many additional online booksellers in the U.S. and abroad. Conscious Calm can get in the hands of people who want to get freed up from internal stress traps, and it will stay in print and available for years. I have the choice about when and how to publish the e-versions of the book for even greater distribution globally. For me, this is a model that provided quicker turnaround for publication, and allows for greater freedom and flexibility as the book heads out into the world.
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About Dr. Laura Maciuika
Dr. Laura Maciuika is a clinical psychologist and transformation mentor who has been bridging realities her entire life. Raised by Lithuanian parents, she spoke mainly Lithuanian at home and English outside. Visiting Lithuania as a child, a student, and later as a psychologist and teacher, helped her learn how to move between world views, expanding her own as she supported other psychologists and teachers in broadening theirs. She began graduate school at the same time she started her training in mindfulness and meditation practices, and combined psychology training with studies in energy healing modalities. Her deep interest in transformation led to a dissertation on profound, transformative learning, and to ongoing study of inner healing and transformation practices from around the world.
Dr. Maciuika’s has worked in community mental health, schools, as a clinical supervisor and administrator, as a Lecturer and Adjunct professor, and as a workshop leader and speaker on topics including stress management, trauma and healing, and energy psychology including EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). Dr. Maciuika continues to combine world views and modalities in her mission to provide practical information to people seeking freedom from stress and old internal patterns that no longer serve them. Dr. Maciuika sees individual clients in her Integrative Psychotherapy practice in northern California, and also writes and teaches about inner freedom and transforming your life to the next level of success and happiness.
Visit her website at http://lauramaciuika.com, and follow her blog at http://consciouscalm.com.
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