Courageous Gilbert the Groundhog ~ 2016 Mom's Choice Awards Gold Medal, Pinnacle Medal, Readers' Favorite 5 Star Review, and Readers' Favorite International Gold Medal Winner - Regina E. McCarthy

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Résumé :
Gilbert is a groundhog and the main character in this innovative book. He struggles with feeling and expressing his emotions, which causes him to feel incomplete in his heart and anxious in his body. Through a wise, old oak tree, Gilbert learns how to breathe deeply, but that isn't enough. He also has to learn real tools for releasing anger, fear, and sadness so these emotions do not get stuck in the body. He realizes this is the only way to feel complete, authentic, and peaceful. Courageous Gilbert the Groundhog is an essential tool for parents, educators, child and family therapists, and other caregivers of children. It is to be read time and again, and the techniques are to be put into practice, The breathing will help calm the nervous system, oxygenate the brain, and create a safe feeling in the body. Once the body feels safe, the whole brain can fully engage to respond in a healthy manner to situations instead of impulsively react. When we feel threatened, our reptilian brain takes over our central nervous system and we go into fight or flight mode. If really scared we may go into the freeze mode. Discharging this energy is necessary to prevent trauma responses later in life. Body movement like stomping our feet, yelling into a pillow, and marching around help us stay out of the freeze mode, and our brain fully online. If children can learn these skills, they can be used for the rest of their life.

Biographie:
Regina E. McCarthy, LCSW, is a Holistic Psychotherapist with a private practice in Elgin, IL. She received her undergraduate degree from Boston College, Boston, MA, and her master's in social work from Loyola University, Chicago, IL. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the Wellness Institute, Issaquah, WA. She is an Advanced Heart-Centered Hypnotherapist?, an Integral Breathwork therapist, a Trim-Life? provider, and a Reiki Master. She is also a member of the SCBWI and the Independent Book Publishers Association. She lives with her husband and has three adult children and a cat named Bob. Courageous Gilbert the Groundhog is her first book.