Ten Real Tools For Real Life

About the Book

Ten Real Tools For Real Life is a practical, personal growth workbook for teens and adults. Readers learn and practice ten basic skills of self-awareness, managing feelings and stress, improving communication, and creating healthier relationships with others. The workbook can be used by individuals or families, as well as in the classroom, in support groups, in counseling sessions, in treatment centers, or in detention facilities. Anyone who has an interest in personal growth can benefit from this workbook and these tools.

The information and activities in Ten Real Tools For Real Life are clear and straightforward. They've been used effectively in all of the above settings, and have been refined continually over the past decade. Those who complete the workbook will have a solid foundation of personal growth knowledge and skills that most people never attain. With that foundation, they are better equipped to face whatever challenges lie ahead for them.

The the tools include: "I" statements, the check-in process, defenses, what's under anger, supportive feedback, the rage bomb, communication styles, healthy boundary setting, the drama triangle, and healthy outlets for anger and stress. Done in order, the tools build on each other, and the reader is able to see the connection between all the tools and how they work together.

Many books and workbooks are available on anger management and communication skills. What makes this workbook different is that it offers a practical combination of tools in a logical order, including clear examples to follow and ample opportunity for practicing the new skills and tools. Also, this particular combination of tools is brief enough to be learned in a fairly short period of time, but comprehensive enough to apply to a wide variety of situations that teens and adults may face.

About the Author

Susan Hansen, M.S., has worked in counseling, intervention, and education in the Phoenix area since 1986. She was an intervention specialist in the Peoria Unified School District for six years, previously worked with adolescents at West Valley Camelback Hospital, and taught high school English, drama, and creative writing in the public schools. She has facilitated support groups in various settings for many years, and provides training for group facilitators. She is currently in private practice, working with adolescents, adults, and families, and she teaches a graduate course in school counseling at Ottawa University in Phoenix.