Peace In the Heart and Home
A Down-to-Earth Guide to Creating a Better Life for You and Your Loved Ones
- 2011 INDIES Winner
- Gold, Family & Relationships (Adult Nonfiction)
Charlotte Mikulka, a licensed clinical social worker, joins the fray of doctors and other professionals spinning out self-help books but she rises above the crowd, providing real answers, solutions, and recommendations in the new Peace in the Heart & Home. Her philosophy integrates the mind and body as a balanced solution for a happy and healthy life. “I’m offering you a Course in Mindful Caring, not a course in miracles,” writes Mikulka in the aptly titled first chapter, “What’s it Going to Take.”
The book focuses on mental and spiritual development and goes against the tide by not solely blaming families of origin. The first section covers mental and physical health and ends with a quote that conveys her philosophy: “I believe that we human beings deserve not just to stop limping through life, but to thrive, feel joyful passion about being alive and to use our energy to be creative and nourish each other.” Accomplishing this in a single lifetime is a tall order but Mikulka’s book provides an introductory roadmap.
Among the author’s central healing recommendations are Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Mikulka writes of the uncanny ability we have to find, “just the right partner to provoke and recreate our childhood attachment relationship.” These therapies help the individual overcome childhood trauma that has impeded healthy romantic relationships.
The heart and soul of the book resides in Chapter 9, “Mindfulness, the Higher Self and Being,” and the section entitled “Final Conclusions and Recommendations.” Written more for the consumer than the professional, these sections are clear, concise, and packed with actions for the reader to take. Appendix D, a “List of Questions for Reflection or Journaling,” is a superb addition that takes the reader on a rigorous self-exploration.
Mikulka sums up her goal for the book and its readers in the statement, “We live mindfully enough so that we have the mental space, energy, awareness and inspiration needed to cultivate the creative seeds that are ours alone to bring to fruition. In so doing, we experience the enthusiasm and passion of creation and we may bring joy, hope, inspiration, understanding, peace and energy to others.”
The author tackles a huge subject in a concise way and the reader can only hope that she takes up the challenge of writing in more depth about the subjects she covers in her valuable inaugural book.
Reviewed by
Dindy Yokel
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
