Written by the Director of the world-renowned Touch Research Institutes, this book examines the practical applications of important massage therapy research findings. Each chapter of this comprehensive resource provides a clear and authoritative review of what is reliably known about the effects of touch for a variety of clinical conditions such as depression, pain management, movement problems, and functioning of the immune system. Coverage also includes the benefits of massage to specific populations such as pregnant women, neonates, infants, and adolescents. This book is suitable for massage therapists (including Shiatsu practitioners), aromatherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, physical therapists, and nurses. Provides a thorough yet concise review of recent research related to the importance of touch. Offers practical guidance to healthcare professionals whose work involves physical contact with patients.

Dorinda Vollmer has lived a life full of music, art, and poetry, which have sustained her in the happiest and the darkest of times. Her abiding passion has always been to live a life of purpose. With determination and courage, Dorinda often chose the more difficult path in life in favour of being true to herself. She answered the call to ministry in the United Church and chose to raise her son alone. The most difficult part of Dorinda’s journey was through her work as a minister, witnessing the struggle to survive faced by the people of the Roseau River Indian Reserve in Manitoba. Without Reserve offers a special perspective on the legacy of destructive historical and on-going government policies regarding First Nations people in Canada. It also unveils a lesson Dorinda learned along her journey: When the sky darkens, people search for light. In Without Reserve, the first part of Dorinda’s memoirs, those who find themselves at a crossroads will see that anything is possible. Her stories reflect a faith in the goodness of humanity and the ability of individuals to rise above personal suffering. Each person Dorinda has met throughout her life has deeply touched her heart and remains imbedded in her soul. In sharing her memoirs, Dorinda hopes the stories will touch people and empower them to empathize with those who struggle.

This book reflects life- each and every one of us in our journeys as all of us inevitably end in the same place. It is our journeys, individually and those we share time and space with, along with the many souls on four legs, that define the happiness inside. It is also imperative that we find ways to help the world we live in- for those many starfish that ended on the beach, and for each of those starfish that we can throw back in the water,- well, one more life we have saved. Inevitably, it is the lives we save that actually save us- aren’t they? The fill our souls with energy..with that special feeling that we mean something that we actually are all connected but to live life with purpose- well that is ultimately the most fulfilling of all important feelings. To each of you I hope you fill those moments in the simplist of ways- giving back, and pays forward to become the power and energy that will save us all..

"Expressing painful emotions is hard--yet it can actually improve our mental and physical health. Distinguished psychologist James W. Pennebaker has spent decades studying what happens when people take just a few minutes to write about deeply felt personal experiences or problems. This lucid, compassionate book has introduced tens of thousands of readers to an easy to use self help technique that has been proven to heal old emotional wounds, promote a sense of well being, decrease stress, improve relationships, and boost the immune system. Updated with findings from hundreds of new studies, the significantly revised second edition now contains practical exercises to help readers try out expressive writing. It features extensive new information on specific health benefits, as well as when the approach may not be helpful"--