This book is a brief guide to dog training and behaviour.
Thus, this book can be classified within the didactic genre in the form of a guide or practical essay and subclassified among those in the field of Ethology.
This is a single edition self-published by the author himself and sold independently on his website https://hablaconellos.com in digital format. This book has not been translated into English. This book is not available in English.
Publication date: 2019
Country: Spain
Pages: 127
Reading date: March 2022
Rating: 5/5
Rafael Cal Estrela is the author of this brief guide to dog behaviour and training. He works as a dog trainer with an emotional and relational approach to animal behaviour and also acts as an ethical educator on dog training and human-dog coexistence on social media. In addition, he teaches several courses on his website. His vocation began with his own personal experience with his dog ‘Oso’, who had emotional problems.
During part of the time I lived in Zaragoza (2021-2024), my partner decided to take a dog training course, as she has always been passionate about animals, especially dogs. The course included both theory and practical sessions, and when she came home, she would talk to me about all kinds of issues related to dog behaviour and training. I had always been interested in Biology and Psychology, but I had never really looked into dogs specifically. She recommended that I follow Rafael Cal, the author of this book and a professional dog trainer, on social media. After seeing his content, I was curious to read the book he was selling on his website, so I bought it and decided to read it at that time.
«Is there any wild animal on the planet that gets its food in a bowl, ready to eat, without having to make any effort to obtain it? No, there isn’t. These facilities for obtaining food only exist in the case of domestic animals. But if these animals were loose in the wild, no one would put food on a plate for them, which would give them a continuous motivation to obtain it«.
Rafael Cal Estrela
Although the book deals with concepts of ethology or animal behaviour, it is not an academic book in terms of how it is written. Rather, it aims to reach a wide audience with formal language that lends seriousness to the subject matter, but is simple and accessible, using practical examples to better understand certain concepts.
«Anger is meant to AFFECT the dog. Just like with people. I don’t want to scare a loved one when I’m angry with them; I want them to understand my anger and be affected by it. We need to be clear about what we want to achieve when we get angry. We should not get angry with our dog with the intention of scaring them. Fear is a negative emotion that causes insecurity and weakens the bond. No one wants to be with someone they fear, and if they do, we have a problem in the relationship. We have to get angry with our dog with the intention of affecting them, of making them understand that we do not like it and that it causes social discomfort in our bond».
Rafael Cal Estrela
The approach is emotional and based on the human-animal bond. It covers various topics ranging from the bond itself, affection, boundaries, behaviour modification, the needs of dogs when out walking, the development of their senses, to the topic of environmental enrichment. It also includes a section explaining dog training commands.
«Let’s put aside thoughts like, ‘I’m spoiling him too much’ or ‘Don’t give him so much attention.’ Nobody thinks that way about their partner; you try to give your all in a relationship. It’s the same with dogs. Don’t think about whether you’re spoiling him too much or not, just love him, love him a lot. If you want to play a game with him that you both enjoy, do it for as long as you want».
Rafael Cal Estrela
What I found most satisfying about the book is that it is very visual, which makes it easy to read, along with language which is easy to understand even if you have never explored these topics in depth. It is overflowing with respect and affection for these animals, which shows how passionate he is about his work, something which I think also enriches the reading experience.
In conclusion, this guide is highly recommended whether you are simply interested in this topic, have just begun studying dog training, want to better understand your dog, or are thinking about getting one.
Some reflections:
Do you think dogs are man’s best friend?
What have you learnt most recently about caring for them?
Do you think it is possible to meet their needs in an urban environment?
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This book is a general guide to mental health for helping people in crisis.
Thus, this book can be classified within the didactic genre in the form of a guide or practical essay and subclassified among those in the field of Psychology.
This is a single edition (4th reprint) launched jointly by Primera Vocal and Biblioteca Social Hnos. Quero. On the one hand, Primera Vocal defines itself as a simple and humble project that aims to make texts accessible to help see connections between mental health and critiques of capitalism. On the other hand, Biblioteca Social Hnos. Quero was founded in 2003 to respond to the collective need for a space in Granada that promotes political education and self-organisation. It is an autonomous and self-managed project. This book is not translated into English.
Publication date: 2016
Country: Spain
Pages: 74
Reading date: February 2023
Rating: 5/5
Javier Erro is the author of this mental health guide for those around people in crisis. He works as a psychologist and researcher. He is also an activist involved in mental health and critical Psychiatry.
Other books published by him are:
Birds in the head. Mental health activism from Spain and Chile (2021)
Discomfort is something else. On the need to broaden our notion of suffering (2025)
Within the list of other books published by the same author, those for which there is already a post in this blog are highlighted.
Click on it to read it!
During the summer of 2022, I travelled to Asturias with my partner and we stayed in Oviedo. On one of our walks around the city, I came across a bookshop, whose name I cannot remember, which was also a social club with a catalogue of books on political, philosophical, social and critical topics. Looking at the shelves, my eyes fell on this book. It was in the critical Psychiatry section, and I thought it might be useful in my clinical practice with patients and their families, as I was doing my Internship as a Mental Health Nurse in Zaragoza (EIR) at the time.
«One aspect to bear in mind is that professionals do not “cure”. They provide resources, tools and information, and can offer support when it comes to expressing emotions. These strategies can alleviate suffering and even reduce it significantly, but it rarely disappears completely. Understanding these limitations can help us to have more realistic expectations and to get involved in a healthier way, both for ourselves and for the person in crisis«.
Javier Erro
The book is written in simple, direct language. It is perfect for those who are less familiar with mental health issues. It can be read by people with these problems, professionals, and those close to someone suffering from mental illness. I believe the book strikes a perfect balance between being critical of issues such as help, boundaries, medication and the therapeutic relationship, and being conciliatory and peaceful, offering a first human approach to these issues.
«One way to understand the role of psychiatric drugs is to think of them as crutches. They do not take away the pain in our leg, nor do they make a broken bone heal faster. However, they allow us to walk when we have a bad leg, and we cannot ask for more or less than that».
Javier Erro
The topics covered are varied, as are the different questions. Some of them are, for example, suicide, self-harm, psychotic symptoms such as delusions, paranoia and hallucinations, depression, mania… These are in a more clinical category, but it does not forget to address issues related to the helping relationship, hospital admissions, the person’s social environment, communication with them… I think that for such a short book, it is quite concise and to the point, dealing with the important issues.
«If someone close to you says they are having a hallucination, or you think they are having one based on what they say or do, the first thing to do is stay calm. The last thing they need is to see someone reacting with fear, aggression, incomprehension or laughter. Nor should you be patronising. We should try to understand them, talk to them if they want to talk, help them calm down and let them know that we are there for them. They may also want to be alone. In this case, we should respect their wishes as long as there is no risk involved».
Javier Erro
The part I liked the most is the one about the social environment of people with mental health issues. The way it deals with the issue of helping relationships, communication, bonds, stigma… is very human and sensitive. It gives this factor a well-deserved weight and importance that is often overlooked. This contextual aspect of the person is essential and vital in recovery and in dealing with crises and breakdowns.
«In any case, it should be borne in mind that the less information the environment has, the less social support there will be, and the less support there is, the more effort will be required of those who do have such information».
«This is not a protocol. In mental health, there can be no protocols. Situations can be extremely complicated, with multiple factors involved that we often do not even know about at first, and that we will probably never know about. But at the same time, starting from a position of ignorance is much better than acting on predetermined ideas, rumours, advice from dubious websites, or professionals with narrow mindsets. To learn, we must communicate, and this can be a good starting point. So, this is a call to lose our fear. If we communicate with the person and help them get through this difficult time, we are not being authoritarian, but understanding. Most likely, their social network will be diminished by what is happening to them, and as a result, their freedom as a person will be reduced. Without the mutual support of those around them, they will only have professional help, and sometimes this is enough, but more often than not, it is not. Beyond the effectiveness of treatments and interventions, in this short text we will try to find a new, healthier and more reasonable way of relating to each other. If our friend thinks that aliens want to abduct him, or that this life is not worth living, we will have to be the first ones there. Against the aliens and, perhaps, against this life».
Javier Erro
The tone of the writing is humble, approachable and self-critical. A book like this is welcome in this field, as it brings to light real dilemmas and the coherence of someone who only seeks to help and accompany others.
«We all have mental health, and it can be better, worse, or on a roller coaster. For many years, our idea of mental health has been reduced to mental health problems. Only considering it when it causes us problems suggests that in other circumstances it is a factor we should not pay attention to and that mental health is a problematic issue in itself. This leads us to not know how to react when these problems are very complex or seem strange to us, forgetting our ability to support each other and also hiding the reality that psychological suffering is much more common than we think (if not universal). Therefore, the first thing we wanted to make clear is that we should not only react to a person’s problems when they are already in crisis, but that the ideal would be to learn to take care of each other on a daily basis».
Javier Erro
In conclusion, this is a highly recommended guide for family members and others close to someone with mental health issues, as well as for the individuals themselves and for trained or trainee professionals. I have lent this book to residents and students, and they have found it very satisfying to read, both as an introduction and as a comprehensive and concise summary. A book that breaks down the stigma surrounding mental health.
Some reflections:
Do you think that a person’s environment is decisive in their recovery? Why?
Who is your greatest support in difficult times?
What do you need from the person who is with you to listen to you better?
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This book is a contemporary autobiographical comic book in Spanish literature.
Thus, this book can be classified within the narrative genre in the form of comic or graphic novel and subclassified among those of an autobiographical nature.
This is the fourth edition published by Edicions Bellaterra, a Spanish publishing house founded in 1973 that specialises in popular works on social sciences. They state that their aim is to publish books which raise awareness of certain sectors of society and their problems in order to stimulate debate and sensitivity. This book is available in English.
Publication date: 2018
Country: Spain
Pages: 125
Reading date: November 2023
Rating: 4.5/5
The author Fernando Balius (Barcelona, Spain, 1961-) and the artist Mario Pellejer Ruiz (Murcia, Spain, 1980-) collaborated on this book. Fernando is a philosopher, former office worker and, in his own words, a precarious worker. He has published several articles in the digital magazine Ctxt and is a teacher specialising in mental health. Mario studied Fine Arts at the University of Granada and has worked on several artistic projects.
I met Fernando Balius in October 2023 in Valladolid. I attended a series of talks organised by Revolución Delirante, and he was one of the speakers. I was impressed by his philosophical yet approachable way of expressing himself. He identified himself as someone who suffered from mental illness and heard voices. He presented his book Traces of Madness, in which he recounted this experience in an autobiographical manner.
I bought his book after the talk and decided to read it the following month. I thought it would be a good read to reconnect with mental health after a sabbatical summer.
«There is no summit I can climb to flash a defiant smile from on high. This is not a story of individual achievement, it is part of a collective construction of meaning».
Fernando Balius
In his work, Fernando recounts his experience with mental suffering, particularly issues such as internal voices, crises, diagnostic labels, different treatments, and the search for meaning in what was happening to him. This experiential narrative does not follow a linear structure, but rather the author shows us different inner states of episodes, events, doubts, questions, setbacks, relationships, etc. Thus, it is not a story of individual overcoming, but rather a narrative of individual experiences situated in a context linked to others.
«Finally, you have to put all that into words. To heal, so that it doesn’t come out in another way. By naming what I have experienced, what I am experiencing and what I feel, I change the way I relate to my voices. I get closer to everything I carry inside me, the things that men and women in white coats will never be able to talk about. It is no longer necessary to hurt yourself to talk about pain. Comparing yourself to others is no longer a means of trying to find out who you are. If I try to take stock (albeit precariously) of my heritage, I think I have understood that this whole long struggle has been nothing more than an accumulation of disobedience, a slow and meticulous training in the art of saying “no”. In the midst of confusion, each refusal (which by definition is something intimate, a personal decision) transcends me and has an impact on my surroundings. Every time I manage to disobey one of my voices, I become a little stronger. Just a little. Enough. I have lost much of my impatience. Resistance is fertile and must be given time. Resignation, on the other hand, offers the immediacy of what is already dead. Challenging one’s own voluntary servitude and killing the judge within is a lofty and exquisite act. It means regaining the control that has so often been taken away. It even puts you in a position to anticipate the emergence of the most aggressive voices. The barriers of the impossible fall…».
«I do not accept any closed paradigm, any categorical interpretation. Nothing that resembles a diagnosis or a sentence. The human mind is too complex to be confined to an instruction manual. I dedicate myself to searching, clearing the way and advancing slowly. There is no map. Or rather, there is, but it is drawn as you walk, and therefore it will always be unfinished».
Fernando Balius
Some of the moments that appear in the book are the first signs of mental distress, confusion, diagnoses, the worst crises, coping strategies, reflections on medication, support from social ties, picking oneself up and finding a way to be in the world and live with these experiences…
Although these are all real experiences, not everything is narrated realistically. The author uses symbolic passages where he plays with images and empty spaces that convey emotional states rather than referring to external events. Thus, blank spaces that draw the reader in contrast with denser, more chaotic pages. Moments of acceleration (mental breakdown, psychotic crises, intense episodes of voices) create a sense of vertigo, while moments of pause feature more visual silence, sparse dialogue and larger vignettes. In this way, the narrative rhythm is rather oscillating, with moments of dizzying emotional evocation, more essayistic moments and moments of calm and silence.
«I left the doctor’s office with a secret, a sentence, and a wad of prescriptions for psychiatric drugs in my pocket. Something about that scene didn’t quite add up. I felt a sense of unease that went beyond the bad news I had just received. The interview with that middle-aged woman with the weary look had ended too abruptly. A heavy metal door had closed behind me. Click! The die was cast. You go in feeling a mixture of fear and confusion, and you come out a madman with all your papers in order».
«Madness can be something almost indefinable, and yet it refers us to a pain, to a place we do not know, but from which one can enter and leave… Mental illness is something else, a firm belief that in some irremediable way — even though it cannot be objectively specified — I am broken and there is nothing I can do about it. Only wait for the end».
Fernando Balius
Among the aspects I liked most about the book were the author’s honesty and how he vulnerably shares his experiences in a relatable way, as well as how he treats «madness» as something complex, seeking to move away from stereotypes. I also liked the visual language that accompanies the text to convey emotional states. Furthermore, unlike other works, it is not limited to being an introspective and individual narrative, but seeks to frame itself within a collective perspective on mental health, giving it therapeutic and educational value. The use of humour also allows for self-criticism, which softens the narrative at certain points.
«Humour sabotages unhealthy ways of relating to the world».
«Sutures allow wounds that would otherwise remain open to be closed, leaving the body exposed and unable to heal. The stitches pierce the flesh with precision so that it does not open. The needle sews both sides of the wound so that it can heal. Isn’t there something beautiful in that? Detecting those points and showing them allows us to avoid falling into the loop. It is because of them… that we move forward».
Fernando Balius
On the other hand, it should be clarified that its subjective value, apart from giving it strength, also constitutes a limitation. This means that it cannot cover or represent all the variants of experiencing psychological suffering. Nor does it claim to do so, and that is what I like about the book. It does not claim to be a manual or to be instructive. Although this is how I interpret it, I believe that, like other works of the same style, for some readers it may convey a certain romanticisation or inspirational character, something like the idea of “the mad hero” or “elevated suffering”. However, in my opinion, I think that the book does not seek to do this and simply tries to be poetic in some aspects.
«However, having been wounded in the processes of social selection cannot become an excuse for being condescending towards oneself. The legitimacy of the victim excludes the possibility of victimhood. I try to ward off that risk by thinking of myself as a survivor. As I deviate from the dominant narratives, I have no choice but to construct alternative stories».
Fernando Balius
In conclusion, Fernando Balius’s Traces of Madness has educational, social and therapeutic value. It is a fragmented, unpretentious narrative about a way of living and coexisting with mental illness. The accompanying illustrations make reading it a very personal and emotional experience. It is a book that allows us to get closer to the world of someone who suffers in this way and to their coping strategies with humanity and honesty. The language of the book allows the author to convey his experiences and reflections, while exploring himself and giving the work an unfinished feel. The emphasis on social bonds and humour is very important, as is the social criticism of the more biological approach to Psychiatry.
«The truly awful thing is not losing your mind, but having no one around when you try to get it back».
Fernando Balius
Some reflections:
Do you think that reading testimonials from people with mental health issues can help you gain a more realistic perspective, rather than just reading clinical books?
Do you think art can help evoke certain states of mind that words alone cannot reach? Has this ever happened to you?
Are you familiar with the term “situated knowledge”? What do you understand by it? Would you consider this book to be an example of it?
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This book is a description of autobiographical events in an almost essayistic form.
Thus, this book can be classified within the didactic genre under the form of memoirs and subclassified among those in the form of autobiography.
This is a fifth edition released by the publishing house KIER S. A. in 1982, which is an Argentinian publishing house specialising in books on Eastern religions, yoga, esotericism, self-help, etc. founded in 1907. This book is available in English.
Publication date: 1948
Country: Germany
Pages: 111
Reading date: November 2018
Rating: 4.5/5
This book was written by the German professor of Philosophy Eugen Herrigel (Germany, 1884-Germany, 1955). He taught Philosophy at the Tohoku Imperial University in Sendai, Japan between 1924 and 1929. During this period he learned Kyūdō (Japanese archery) from Awa Kenzō. When he returned to Europe, he contributed to the spread of Zen through his writings in the form of articles. One of these articles published in 1936 was at the heart of the later, present book which came out in 1948. He taught at the Erlangen University on his return to Germany and, at the outbreak of World War II, he joined the Nazi Party, which caused him to lose many friendships and, after the war, to be forbidden to return to teaching for three years. This aspect of his political life was not mentioned by his widow, who merely focused on sharing his spiritual side after the end of the war. Among his writings, many notes on Zen were found which were posthumously reviewed and edited by Alan Watts before publication. He died at the age of 71.
I had never heard of this book until I came across it by chance. It was during my first nursing internship at the Autonomous University of Madrid. I was doing my first practical training at the José María Llanos Health Centre in Vallecas. At the entrance to the centre there was a small bookshelf with books donated by people, which they also took with them to read. Given my passion for reading, I can’t pass by a shelf of books without stopping for a moment to take a look. Those who know me are aware of this about me and how quickly, fortunately or not, I lose track of time when I enter a bookshop.
I remember that Zen in the Art of Archery was a book I read avidly, mesmerised by its words. It was at a time when, as a reader, I was beginning my interest in the humanistic branch of psychology as a substitute for my earlier interest in Eastern mystical and spiritual readings.
«The right shot at the right moment does not come because you do not let go of yourself. You do not wait for fulfillment, but brace yourself for failure».
Awa Kenzō
The book is an autobiographical text about the author’s experience in the practice of Kyūdō, also known as Japanese archery, a martial art close to the Zen tradition in Japan. The work reflects on this art and its philosophy, on Zen, the nature of learning and awareness, as well as on success and failure. Thus, although it is an autobiographical text, it is close to the essayistic and philosophical.
It is noteworthy that the author not only tells us in first person his internal and technical experience in this art, but also some of his conversations with his teacher Awa Kenzō and observations as a witness of his teaching with the rest of his disciples.
«The more one concentrates on breathing, the more the external stimuli fade into the background… In due course one even grows immune to larger stimuli, and at the same time detachment from them becomes easier and quicker. Care has only to be taken that the body is relaxed whether standing, sitting or lying, and if one then concentrates on breathing one soon feels oneself shut in by impermeable layers of silence. One only knows and feels that one breathes. And, to detach oneself from this feeling and knowing, no fresh decision is required, for the breathing slows down of its own accord, becomes more and more economical in the use of breath, and finally, slipping by degrees into a blurred monotone, escapes one’s attention altogether».
Eugen Herrigel
Eugen Herrigel’s style is clear and easy to read. Some readers may be exasperated by the learning process narrated in detail by the author, but this is necessary to understand the culmination of his practice. Also, in my opinion, the book is too short to get impatient in that part where he talks about a learning process with its personal failures, difficulties and misunderstandings, as well as its achievements and insights.
About his message, I was not sure how faithful to the Zen tradition the author was maintaining in the text. I had previously read in 2016 a book on Zen called Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki and had noticed some differences. So I decided to do some research and found that a certain Yamada Shōji argued that Herrigel’s concept of Zen was not representative of that philosophy, but was, on the contrary, quite atypical. Although I agree with that argument after reading the book and comparing it with others by Zen masters, I can’t help but point out I found the parts where Herrigel refers to breathing for meditation as well as aspects of detachment to be accurate.
«I learned to lose myself so effortlessly in the breathing that I sometimes had the feeling that I myself was not breathing but—strange as this may sound—being breathed».
Eugen Herrigel
In conclusion, it was a satisfying read. Being able to delve into a person’s learning process is always something that interests me. I would not recommend the book to someone who wants to learn about Zen or the Kyūdō itself. I would encourage those interested in learning about works which have helped spread Eastern philosophy, specifically Buddhism, martial arts and Japanese culture in the West during the 20th century to read it.
I am looking forward to trying this martial art in the future, which I knew was taught in Zaragoza, but I didn’t have time in my agenda to do it. Enough that I had some time to start my Aikido practice during those years in the Aragonese capital. Now that I no longer live there, it remains a dream for the future as I said.
«You only feel it because you haven’t really let go of yourself. It is all so simple. You can learn from an ordinary bamboo leaf what ought to happen. It bends lower and lower under the weight of snow. Suddenly the snow slips to the ground without the leaf having stirred. Stay like that at the point of highest tension until the shot falls from you. So, indeed, it is: when the tension is fulfilled, the shot must fall, it must fall from the archer like snow from a bamboo leaf, before he even thinks it».
Awa Kenzō
Some reflections:
Have you ever felt this state of passive alertness while performing a manual activity?
Which martial art would you most like to practice? Why?
Do you see in general in the Eastern world a greater attention to spirituality in everyday life, in particular in manual or physical activities?
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This book is a chronological collection of letters from the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh to his brother Theo.
Thus, this book can be classified within the didactic genre under the form of memoirs and subclassified among those in the form of letters.
This is a 2020 eighth reprint of the second edition released by Alianza Editorial S.A. in 2012, which is a Spanish publishing house founded in 1966 during the Franco dictatorship in order to promote debate and spread knowledge. This book is published in English too.
Publication date: 1914
Country: Netherlands
Pages: 496
Reading date: December 2021
Rating: 4/5
The author is Vincent Willem van Gogh (Zundert, Netherlands, 1853-Auvers-sur-Oise, France, 1890). He was a Dutch painter and one of the greatest exponents of Post-Impressionism. From an early age he had a keen interest in drawing, although he worked at various jobs before devoting all his energies to his artistic facet at the age of 27. It was only after his death (whether suicide or accident is unclear) that his work was widely acclaimed and his paintings fetched millions at auction. His influence on 20th and 21st century art endures.
I have always heard the name of the painter Vincent van Gogh and admired his most emblematic paintings. However, it was not until 2020 that my interest in him increased enormously. In that year I was able to go to an exhibition in Madrid called Van Gogh Alive and then I watched the film Loving Vincent, which remains among my favourite films forever. I found its soundtrack highly inspiring, especially Lianne La Havas’ version of the song «Starry Starry Night».
My interest in the Dutch painter’s art was already obvious, but I had not yet planned to read his letters. It was then that I met a person who has become more special in my life every day. She is a great lover of Van Gogh’s art and, above all, of the epistolary genre of literature. It was she who urged me to read people’s letters, their biographies and autobiographies in order to gain insight into their works. I have to say that it was a great decision to open myself more to this genre, so I am very grateful for her words.
«I still can find no better definition of the word art than this, “L’art c’est l’homme ajouté à la nature” [art is man added to nature] – nature, reality, truth, but with a significance, a conception, a character, which the artist brings out in it, and to which he gives expression, “qu’il dégage,” which he disentangles, sets free and interprets».
Van Gogh
During his wandering life, Vincent van Gogh, considered one of the greatest painters in history, wrote numerous letters. Most of them were to his brother, with whom he corresponded intensely. Not all the letters were dated, but those which were, were published in chronological order.
In the present book, which brings together the letters to his brother Theo, we learn about the hard and suffering life of the Dutch artist, who created great beauty and genius despite his needs and his illness.
«If we but try to live uprightly, then we shall be all right, even though we shall inevitably experience true sorrow and genuine disappointments, and also probably make real mistakes and do wrong things, but it’s certainly true that it is better to be fervent in spirit, even if one accordingly makes more mistakes, than narrow-minded and overly cautious. It is good to love as much as one can, for therein lies true strength, and he who loves much does much and is capable of much, and that which is done with love is well done».
Van Gogh
In the letters he touches on different subjects. Some are more art-related, sharing his pictorial development, his study of colour, his vision of art and of being an artist, as well as his ideas about the work of other painters he admires. He also tells his brother about his love of reading, especially literary works of French realism and naturalism.
Other letters are mainly concerned with more personal themes and revelations. He speaks of landscapes, nature, farm workers, the stars, the places where he stays and their people…. All with a touching sincerity, impregnated with an existentialism that reflects on his place in the world and the loneliness it generates in him.
«In the springtime a bird in a cage knows very well that there’s something he’d be good for; he feels very clearly that there’s something to be done but he can’t do it; what it is he can’t clearly remember, and he has vague ideas and says to himself, «the others are building their nests and making their little ones and raising the brood«, and he bangs his head against the bars of his cage. And then the cage stays there and the bird is mad with suffering. (…) You know, what makes the prison disappear is every deep, serious attachment. (…) And the prison is sometimes called prejudice, misunderstanding, fatal ignorance of this or that, mistrust, false shame».
Van Gogh
All the beautiful things Vincent talks about in his letters to Theo contrast with his life on the edge of destitution, starving and living on the little money his brother sent him. Some of the letters hint at the painter’s life of poverty, and how this was a factor in his deteriorating health.
«But when my ten francs ran out I tried to bivouac in the open air the last 3 nights, once in an abandoned carriage which was completely white with hoarfrost the next morning, not the best accommodation, once in a pile of faggots; and once, and that was a slight improvement, in a haystack, that had been opened up, where I succeeded in making myself a slightly more comfortable little hideaway, though the drizzle did not exactly add to my enjoyment. Well, and yet it was in these depths of misery that I felt my energy revive and I said to myself, I shall get over it somehow, I shall set to work again with my pencil, which I had cast aside in my deep dejection, and I shall draw again (…)».
«After the crisis I went through when I came here, I can no longer make plans or anything else; I’m definitely better now, but hope, the desire to achieve, is broken and I work from necessity, so as not to suffer so much mentally, to distract myself».
Van Gogh
It is a tragic paradox that Vincent was unable to sell his paintings during his lifetime, but after his death he became a legend and his work a unique pictorial landmark.
It is clear that he would not have been able to paint and realise his passion without the support of his brother Theo. They both loved each other deeply, and the guilt and anguish, as well as Vincent’s deep gratitude and love for him, do not leave the reader of these letters indifferent either.
«I myself realize the necessity to produce even to the extent of being morally crushed and physically drained by it, just because after all I have no other means of ever getting back what we have spent. I cannot help it that my pictures do not sell. The day will come when people will see that they are worth more than the price of the paint and my own living, very meager after all, that is put into them. I have no other desire nor any other interest as to money or finance, than primarily to have no debts. But my dear boy, my debt is so great that when I have paid it, when all the same I hope to succeed in doing, the pains of producing pictures will have taken my whole life from me, and it will seem to me then that I have not lived».
Van Gogh
As I read the letters, I could see how Vincent’s difficulties and health became more and more unstable, and how he revealed even more of his inner world to his brother. In the course of the letters he wrote to him, the painter went from joy and enthusiasm for painting to anguish and psychological suffering. He had to be admitted to psychiatric sanatoriums, which he also discusses in his letters, as well as the medical judgments and his coexistence with other patients.
«And temporarily I wish to remain shut up as much for my own peace of mind as for other people’s. What comforts me a little is that I am beginning to consider madness as a disease like any other and accept the thing as such, whereas during the crises themselves I thought that everything I imagined was real».
«As far as I know the doctor here is inclined to consider what I’ve had as an attack of an epileptic nature».
«Phew – the reaper is finished, I think it will be one that you’ll place in your home – it’s an image of death as the great book of nature speaks to us about it – but what I sought is the ‘almost smiling’. It’s all yellow except for a line of violet hills – a pale, blond yellow. I myself find that funny, that I saw it like that through the iron bars of a cell».
Van Gogh
After reading Dear Theo, I got to know more about the person behind the paintings I already liked so much. It is interesting to delve deeper into the mind and life of Vincent Van Gogh. Thanks to the letters he wrote to his brother Theo, we can learn about his thoughts, his influences, his concerns and above all, his pain and his gaze on eternity. His love for his brother and his love for painting and the vibrant colours of reality is touching. Some of the letters, especially towards the beginning of this collection, were a bit denser for me due to my lack of knowledge of the subject because they speak more of pictorial art than of his inner world as an artist, but it was still a worthwhile read. It has made me more curious about his work and his life circumstances.
It is a recommendable book for all those interested in the history of art, or specifically in the life and person of Vincent.
«In short, I want to reach the point where people say of my work, that man feels deeply and that man feels subtly. Despite my so-called coarseness — you understand — perhaps precisely because of it. It seems pretentious to talk like this now, but that’s why I want to push on. What am I in the eyes of most people? A nonentity or an oddity or a disagreeable person — someone who has and will have no position in society, in short a little lower than the lowest. Very well — assuming that everything is indeed like that, then through my work I’d like to show what there is in the heart of such an oddity, such a nobody. This is my ambition, which is based less on resentment than on love in spite of everything, based more on a feeling of serenity than on passion. Even though I’m often in a mess, inside me there’s still a calm, pure harmony and music. In the poorest little house, in the filthiest corner, I see paintings or drawings. And my mind turns in that direction as if with an irresistible urge».
Van Gogh
Version of «Starry starry night» by Lianne La Havas for the film «Loving Vincent».
Some reflections:
What would you say to Van Gogh if you could have a conversation with him?
Do you identify with any of his work?
What is your favourite painting by the artist and do you think he is the greatest painter in history?
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This self-conclusive book is a tribute to the work of Junji Ito, in commemoration of his 30 years in the profession. It brings together interviews, brief analyses of his works, biographical aspects of the author and his working methods, etc…
This book can therefore be classified within the didactic genre in the form of a memoir and subclassified among those in the form of a tribute.
This is a second edition released by ECC Ediciones in 2021, which is an independent Spanish publisher which has been publishing and distributing comics and mangas in Spanish since 2012. This book is not translated into English.
Publication date: 2017
Country: Japan
Pages: 248
Reading date: February 2022
Rating: 4/5
As it is a commemorative book, a wide range of content related to Junji Ito’s life and work has been integrated in its writing. Therefore, it has not been a tribute book written by a single author but by the joint effort of many people. In the following I will detail what is contained in this tribute to one of the masters of the contemporary horror genre.
It was in 2019 when I was first told about Junji Ito, known as the master of contemporary horror manga. I was introduced to him by one of my best friends during a holiday I spent in Italy in the summer of that year. It caught my attention from the very first moment. The truth is that I hadn’t read any horror literature at that time and I still haven’t delved deeply enough into the genre, but I knew right away that I wanted to read all his works and see all his creations. I found his drawing style extravagant, his vignettes disgusted me as much as they fascinated me.
«I was convinced that I drew fast, but Urasawa told me I was the slowest of all the mangakas (laughs). I thought maybe it was because, in my case, I draw a line with short strokes. Those who handle the pen quickly draw a long line in one go, but I’m incapable of that. I seem to draw as if I were making an engraving with short lines».
Junji Ito
So I started to read several of his manga between 2020 and 2021, which I’ll be reviewing on the blog little by little. Finally, after soaking up his horror genre, I wanted to delve deeper and see if I could find a book which analysed his style and creations.
That’s when I found this book. It is a tribute, a commemoration to the author Junji Ito for the anniversary of his 30 years of profession, which he reached in 2017, the date on which this work is published in Japan. I thank the Spanish publisher ECC Ediciones for bringing it to Spain in an edition translated into Spanish, as it is a complete and interesting tribute to read.
«There were already many extraordinary authors working in the field of vengeful ghosts and the subjugation of evil spirits, so I didn’t really feel like drawing ghosts. I think spectres have the image of being something that «can’t be touched» and I felt I wanted to draw the physical fear of «something anomalous that is definitely there and can be touched». And if my style tends more towards science fiction than psychological horror, I think it’s because I had the image that the psychological was very elevated. Besides, there were also other authors who specialised in the psychological. So, I’m a bit twisted (laughs)».
Junji Ito
Why do I say it is a rather broad, comprehensive tribute? Because of the variety of content shared in the writing of the text. The book has vignettes and art by the author, interviews, testimonies of special collaborators who knew Junji Ito, dialogues between the author and other mangakas and analyses of his horror universe from a literary critical point of view. It also has a description of Junji Ito’s studio and workspace, biographical aspects, the impact of his creations in Japan and internationally, works by the author not included in other publications and detailed comments on the main ones. Of course, the list of his works goes up to 2017, the date of publication of this tribute.
«I think that for a man to engage in unusual behaviour, to do something he wouldn’t normally do, he needs a motive such as the force of love or an attraction that is like a drug. If he were serene, he would certainly not approach something dangerous, and when he does, his story evolves into a horror story. That’s why I draw fascinating people or things that alter the ability of the characters in the book to judge calmly».
Junji Ito
As you can see, it is a great job of writing this book with a very good result in my opinion. I was surprised not to find an English edition for this reason.
After reading it, I can say that there have been aspects of the author that I didn’t know and which have surprised me about his way of being. His stories are very disturbing and his art is highly uncomfortable. However, in interviews he seems like a pretty normal guy. One might expect a different, eccentric, dark personality after seeing or reading his works, but he is not like that, or at least he doesn’t show it. So, being able to go deeper into Junji Ito’s life and reflections as this commemorative book allows has pleased me a lot.
«He is a typical person who is satisfied with his real life. But what he draws is weird. I think he’s a bit, just a bit, crazy. I like people like that. Morohoshi is the same. When you talk about geniuses and strange men, you imagine people who talk and act eccentrically and have a unique appearance, but that’s not the case. Both Ito and Morohoshi are well-mannered, serious and methodical gentlemen. But they are odd. And theirs is a perfect oddity. A perfect weirdness and a sympathetic madness».
«To begin with, horror manga is made up of the «introduction, development, twist and denouement» structure, i.e. the basis of drama, as represented by the works of Kazuo Umezu. In Ito’s works, however, there is an intriguing introduction that draws the reader in, and then the development, twist and denouement are totally unpredictable».
Yôsuke Takahashi y Takashi Nagasaki
On the other hand, enjoying the truly original reflections on fear and horror has made the reading experience of this tribute even more complete. In addition, the analysis of some of his works or characters is highly recommended in order to reread his stories and better understand the horror genre used by the author and the disturbance he seeks in the readers’ minds.
In conclusion, this tribute has helped me to better understand Junji Ito’s work, delving into his life, his way of working and his ideas and comments on his creations. Therefore, I think it is a highly recommended book if you have already read something by the author and would like to understand him better or if you are curious to know more about him.
«For a long time, I have been thinking to myself that my own existence frightens me. I am terrified of the idea of a doppelgänger or of ‘having seen my other self’. I was always terrified when I thought, «What am I? So I felt that there was nothing creepier than a balloon with your own face on it coming to attack you. In the Oshikiri series I also deal with the theme of the «other self», and in the Tomie series, Tomie reproduces herself and «many selves» are born. The Tomies see each other as enemies and, in the end, the idea is that for Tomie «she is her own biggest threat». In Lovesick dead I also deal with the theme of the doppelgänger, a theme which interests me a lot. Lately it doesn’t happen to me any more, but looking in a mirror used to scare me too. Kazuo Umezu drew on this fear in Kagami (The Mirror), and Oscar Wilde, in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, also dealt with the theme of the «other self» in the form of the aging self-portrait instead of the real person. So it seems to me that this is a theme that provokes an ancestral fear of man».
Junji Ito
Some reflections:
What relationship do you find between disgust and horror?
What scares you the most: listening to a horror story, watching it (either on video or drawing) or reading it in a textbook?
What do you think of Junji Ito’s talent, is he as revolutionary as he is described or is he more of a fad?
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This book is an introduction to the art of Zentangle in the form of a didactic guide.
Thus, it can be classified within the didactic genre as a guide or handbook and subclassified among those in the field of Art.
This is a first edition released by the Spanish language division of Penguin Random House, one of the world’s leading international English language publishers founded in 1927. This book has not been translated into English.
Publication date: 2021
Country: Spain
Pages: 296
Reading date: November 2021
Rating: 4/5
María Tovar (Madrid, Spain, 1963-) (right in photo) and Mercedes Pérez Crespo (Madrid, Spain, 1966-) (left in photo) are both authors of this book. On the one hand María attended Business Studies and as an art enthusiast she obtained the title of Zentangle teacher and opened the first Zentangle school in Spain (El último tangle). She has also been trained in Mindfulness and stress reduction techniques. Mercedes, on the other hand, has a degree in Advertising and Public Relations. Once she started collaborating with Maria in El último tangle, she was also trained in Mindfulness and stress reduction techniques and qualified as a Zentangle teacher. Mercedes helped to bring a more therapeutic approach to this practice, motivated in large part by her diagnosis of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
The first time I knew about the Zentangle method was in the 3rd year of my Nursing degree. I don’t remember if it was María, Mercedes, or both, who came to introduce it to the students of the Mental Health Nursing subject. In the seminar they gave us a brief theoretical talk about the Zentangle method, we did a practical part and then we commented on how we had felt during it and with its result. It was a very participative seminar in which I felt a lot of interest. I keep as a fond memory my paper with the drawing I made during the practical part of it.
«»Zentangle» comes from the combination of the words «zen», which means meditation, and «tangle», which in English refers more to a challenge than to a cumbersome mess».
María Tovar and Mercedes Pérez Crespo
Although they are the authors of this book, neither Maria nor Mercedes are the creators of the Zentangle method, but they are the ones who have given it the greatest diffusion in Spain. The creators are Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts, both from the USA. Maria is a watercolourist and calligrapher, while Rick was a Buddhist monk and has dedicated a large part of his life to meditation and yoga. They conceived the Zentangle method in 2003 as the result of a chance event in which they saw great meditative potential. Since then it has been expanding. But what is Zentangle?
Zentangle is defined as a method of relaxation based on the repeated drawing of simple strokes in a specific sequence to create patterns which stand out for their great beauty.
«There is a similar technique, doodling, which is what people tell us they do when talking on the phone or while listening to a lecture. There is a fundamental difference between the two techniques and that is attention. When we doodle, our attention is on the conversation or lecture (or at least it should be). In the Zentangle method, our attention must be on the strokes we are making because, otherwise, we will not form the pattern we want; we will create another one, probably beautiful too, but our mind will still be far away from the paper and we will not have abstracted from our recurrent thoughts».
María Tovar and Mercedes Pérez Crespo
I’ve been following El último tangle on the social networks since that seminar they gave us at the university and that’s how I found out about the publication of this book. Reading it has been very rewarding. I also read it shortly after I started my training in Mental Health as an Internal Nurse Resident (EIR) and this has helped me to be able to intuit its benefit for mental health patients.
It is a very complete book if you want to know what the Zentangle method consists of. Both the artistic and meditative sides of it are explained very well, as well as its basic principles, history, steps, materials and benefits, which are mental, psychological and social, as well as artistic and creative. There is a second part of the book in which different creations, patterns (tangles) of various Zentangle teachers are shown in order to appreciate the great diversity and breadth of this graphic mindfulness method.
«Tangles are patterns that we create step by step; they don’t have to look like anything. It is an abstract art».
«In the Zentangle method we go step by step, concentrating on the line we are making at that very moment. The line we made before is in the past and no longer matters to us; it doesn’t matter if it came out as we expected or not. And the line we are going to make next is in the future, we can’t worry about it yet either».
María Tovar and Mercedes Pérez Crespo
The language of the book, being a didactic guide and a presentation of the art of Zentangle, is simple, without technicalities. It is not only aimed at social and healthcare professionals or education ones who want to apply it in different areas, but at anyone who wants to know what this method is all about.
Having practised it myself in a seminar at university, I have been able to experience this art at first hand. I have seen and read about its therapeutic potential for concentration and attention, as well as its help in dealing with stress and anxiety. Therefore, I have come to the point of wishing to be trained as a Zentangle teacher to learn how to apply it in my work as a Mental Health nurse. I find it very useful for people who are not comfortable doing relaxation techniques based on muscle contraction/relaxation, body awareness, visualisations, breathing and so on. I think it may be of great interest to those with traits of perfectionism, rigidity and obsessiveness.
«Living is much more than fulfilling all the expectations that life puts in front of us in an almost infinite way. Nor should we do everything with the highest level of self-demand we are capable of. That will only turn us into permanently dissatisfied beings who judge ourselves and others for not reaching that chimerical perfection».
María Tovar and Mercedes Pérez Crespo
In conclusion, after reading this guide I have been able to better understand this art and I find it a great help to anyone who is interested in diving into Zentangle. I’m sorry I can’t tell you about my work experience doing this method with patients, because to teach it you have to be a certified teacher, and in the future I will be able to talk more about it on a personal level, but for now that’s what I’ll tell you.
Some reflections:
Do you consider that everyone can make art and be creative?
What is creativity for you?
Does it attract your attention or do you do any artistic discipline which helps you to find peace?
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This book is a compilation of diary-like texts published in weekly newspaper columns in a literary rather than argumentative format. The author himself calls them literary columns or journalistic scenes.
Thus, this book can be classified within the didactic genre under the form of memoirs and subclassified among those in the form of diaries.
This is a first edition published by Chamán Ediciones S.L., which is a Spanish publishing house specialised in poetry, although it also edits other literary genres. It brings out books which introduce known and unknown authors to the public. This book is not translated into English.
Publication date: 2020
Country: Spain
Pages: 136
Reading date: February 2022
Rating: 3.5/5
This book was written by the author José Juan Morcillo Pérez (Albacete, Spain, 1969-) and the illustrator José María Nieto González (Valladolid, Spain, 1971-). José Juan holds a Doctorate Cum Laude in Hispanic Philology from the University of Salamanca. He has taught Language and Literature at several universities. He has collaborated with the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) and participated in Educational Innovation Projects. On the other hand, José María is an illustrator and graphic humorist who holds a degree in Fine Arts also from the University of Salamanca. He has worked in several newspapers.
José Juan is the author of two collections of poetry and several stories which he has not published or which, as he says, «do not want to see the light of day».
It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic will be something we will all remember in our lives. Not only as a health worker am I interested in its meanings and repercussions, but as a lover of literature and reflection, I am deeply drawn to read about this historical phenomenon from various perspectives.
So one of these perspectives is that of the diary. I came across several books in the form of memoirs about the pandemic and/or confinement, but I chose this one without thinking too much about it – I had to start somewhere.
In the first part of his book, José Juan narrates in diary form his home confinement during the first wave of COVID-19 cases in Spain in 2020. For the first few days of the diary, the narration of events is merely descriptive both externally (news, chores at home…) and internally (the author’s inner world). In this part I got a bit bored because I expected the author to reflect more on a social level or on his feelings. I read on, and my expectations were met. Each time the author reflects more and more on the world around him and his daily life, as the days of confinement go by.
«It is very different to make the prison a home than to make the home a prison (…). To make home a prison, on the other hand, is to transform your sphere of freedom, your most intimate homeland, into a concrete cage, to paint the comfort of your living space with discomfort. This is why the mind is reluctant to accept transgression. I suspect that the first days after confinement we will live in our homes in a different way, with a paradoxical sensation between the need to continue living in them and the desire to spend as little time as possible within their walls».
José Juan Morcillo Pérez
These reflections are made in a poetic tone with a familiar and simple language which makes the reading of this diary as a whole a very pleasant experience. It should be pointed out that this work is not an essayistic work, so I do not recommend it for analysing the social, political, economic or cultural effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather, it belongs to one of those books that we can all have access to, telling us about easily understandable feelings with honesty and simplicity, which does not detract from the beauty or weight of the text. All accompanied by José María Nieto’s haunting illustrations, enhancing that beauty.
«Tedium. Thickness of hours. The minutes crush, the days confuse. Almost three weeks in this concrete cage. I have lost the sense of time: I can’t remember if it was this morning or yesterday morning when I read this paragraph or that one; in the afternoon I can’t remember what I had for lunch.
Everything has slowed down. My mind is not so fresh and agile. When I write or read, I seem to be walking through muddy mud, through miasmas of stagnant seconds. I can barely last a couple of hours in concentration; then my body drags me into a well of stillness from which I find it hard to climb out. By video call I appear thick and I misarticulate my words. The TV only wakes me up when I want to watch a film or listen to music. I am quietly cut off from the outside world».
José Juan Morcillo Pérez
In the second part of the book, the author completes the work with what he calls literary columns or journalistic scenes. These are reflections on various issues related to topics previously touched upon in the diary. However, they are written before and after the confinement. They are equally interesting to read because, together with the first part of the diary, they make this book an embrace of simplicity and silence, as well as a rejection of the insubstantial on which we sometimes base our daily lives.
Thus, both parts of the book complement each other and enrich the message.
«Time, said Ovid, is the destroyer of things (edax rerum); with reading we mock it and caress eternity. I look back and remember the first day of confinement, I realise that these forty days have been light and even fleeting thanks to reading and writing».
José Juan Morcillo Pérez
In conclusion, it was a bearable and interesting read, despite lacking the reflections and intimacy I look for in a text of this genre in the early days of the diary. I liked the language and tone used by the author throughout the work, close to poetic and with a polished simplicity. To begin with the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a good book to read before venturing into a more essayistic text.
I will not end this review without sharing with you a part of the work, which I find of great beauty, in which the author speaks to his diary at the end of his confinement and therefore his writing.
«I am emotionally chained to you. That’s how it is. You have been the freedom of my prison and the comfort of my uncertainties during these two months of living together, so it costs me a world to reach this moment when I have to put an end to it. To do so hurts me as deeply as if I were signing your death sentence, which is as if it were my own. How terrible the figure of the creator is when he has to decide the end of his work. Who knows if, after writing your last stroke, some night, in your dreams you will talk to me and you will recreate yourself reminding me that I am weak and outdated like a blade of grass blown at the whim of the wind, that when I die nobody will dream me or resurrect me, while you, on the other hand, will remain vigorous and young every time you are read. And it is true: you, diary, will survive me; the creation, made with my words and with my breath, will reach an eternity that I, vain mortal, will be able to approach slightly in my dreams.
Eternity is yours, I have granted it to you, but in it you also carry a little of me because you have been the me that I thought was only mine and that now makes no sense without you. In you I am me, in me you are you. Whoever reads you must not find me, but both of us: me, the flesh and muscle of you, my quiet voice, my loquacious silence, my soul without a throat, my I».
José Juan Morcillo Pérez
Some reflections:
Have you tried the experience of writing, for what purpose, was it therapeutic?
What do you call home? When you think of a space that makes you feel like you are in a prison, where do you place yourself?
What do you think is insubstantial in our everyday lives?
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This book is the result of a compilation of scientific papers or essays on group therapy in different areas of mental health and complicated situations that can occur in such groups.
Thus, this book can be classified within the didactic genre in the form of a set of essays or scientific papers and subclassified among those in the field of Psychology.
This is a single edition published by Editorial Grupo 5, which is a Spanish publishing house that publishes books for the education and training of professionals working in the field of social and health services. This book has not been translated into English.
Publication date: 2014
Country: Spain
Pages: 450
Reading date: May 2023
Rating: 4.5/5
The compilation of the scientific papers published in this book has been coordinated by Emilio Irazábal Martín, who is a clinical psychologist, social psychologist and psychotherapist. The book brings together 18 essays addressing different issues surrounding therapy groups in Mental Health. All of them belong to different public resources and mental health professions. In addition, this work is part of a series called Intersecciones y Fronteras de la Salud Mental («Intersections and Frontiers of Mental Health»), which was directed by the psychiatrist and psychotherapist Mariano Hernández Monsalve.
The other books published in this series are:
Psicoterapia y rehabilitación de pacientes con psicosis (2011)
Within the list of other books published in this series, those for which there is already a post in this blog are highlighted.
Click on it to read it!
This book was one of the recommended readings during my internship as an Internal Nurse Resident (EIR) in Mental Health in Zaragoza (2021/2023). One of my teaching tutors, a specialist nurse in Mental Health at the Psychiatric Day Hospital of the Miguel Servet University Hospital (HUMS), lent me this book to study in depth the Operative Groups, Pichon-Rivière’s theory and the problems or phenomena likely to occur during group therapy.
In the different chapters of the book, each one of them an independent essay, many professionals from the health and social care field took part, which is why this book also carries such a diversity of approaches.
«In agreement with several authors, we have personally characterised the group as the heir of the ego function, that which occurs in the proto-bond. The group would then be the subject’s support because of its potential capacity to provide continence and decipherment; to be a space for processing, elaboration and symbolisation; because of its possibility of generating conditions to name the unnameable, giving rise to thought and word»
«The group device has the particularity of being a space for re-editing the everyday. At the same time, it offers the possibility of a break with what is called an uncritical familiarity with regard to our being and happening in everyday life»
Ana Pampliega de Quiroga
The prevailing approach running through all the chapters of this book is that of the psychiatrist Pichon-Rivière, creator of the group theory known as the Operative Group. This theory and its vision of the subject, of subjectivity and of the bond is exhaustively introduced in the first part of the book. It is differentiated from classical Psychoanalysis and presented as a key element of Social Psychology or of a Psychoanalysis with group applications.
«Let us descend to the concreteness of a being thrown into the world, a social being, who is linked to the community of the planet and therefore unfinished and different, who tries to organise his life around a project which includes his own death. A being, however, who feels, who perceives that the burning core of his being does not appear anywhere, but is expressing itself through allusions, hints, (…). This is the subject of investigation, which appears where it is not sought and escapes any control. It is the subject of the continuous transformation of reality that we call the operative subject»
Leonardo Montecchi
It is interesting to appreciate the excellent introduction of our historical and socio-cultural context in this first part of the book. This approach is carried out from a more sociological point of view, which is nonetheless necessary, and which serves as a prelude to the following 18 chapters dealing with more concrete, everyday situations in working with groups in Mental Health.
«The arrival of an «open, plural, flexible society, based on information, human needs, and in which institutions would adapt to the motivations of the subjects» (…) was enthusiastically announced. This new social form would be based on the law of enjoyment, with infinite freedom of choice in the different spheres of existence, and in which access to goods would be absolute. Personal fulfilment, being oneself and from oneself, would become the defining value of the new society. At the same time, the idealisation of one’s own desires, the fantasy of unlimited gratification, would necessarily rethink the place of the other, of others, of groups in the needs and project of the subject. According to this account, in this idealised universe, respect for diversity would reign. However, from this narcissistic point of view, the other lost significance as a source of gratification, or, even more seriously, could be an obstacle to it. The paradise of the individual then implied atomisation and social fragmentation (…) A disillusionment, a melancholy suffering, arose for many in their relationship with power, with themselves and with others, which became, and still persists, in a culture of complaint, a perception of the world and of life itself from what was not and will not be»
Ana Pampliega de Quiroga
«The group situation was and is often no longer seen as a support, but as a strange, risky and inauthentic environment (…). This positioning, although in contradiction with others, persists even today. We speak of contradiction because we also find in the group-relationship field the longing for protection, for listening, for feeling safe, for recovering the support that was at the origin of one’s own subjectivity»
«Finally, I would like to point out another feature present today in social life, which permeates the bonds and which questions us as mental health workers. We are referring to a new culture: the culture of immediacy, the culture of everything now, the culture of intolerance to waiting (…). This culture of immediacy, of consumption, of rapid expiration, brings us back to one of the great current ailments. We are talking about the disturbing anxiety that emerges when we must situate ourselves, orient ourselves, in a socio-historical order in global crisis. An order in which ambiguous, uncertain, unpredictable conditions dominate. An order in which it is difficult to anticipate the future, the necessary elaboration of a project. This instantaneousness, imposed and assumed, the intensity and vertiginousness of the search for answers, installs a new experience of temporality and can become a culture of risk and frustration. The illusion of immediate gratification and its failure would potentiate – in a vicious circle – over-demands towards oneself and towards others, different forms of violence in relationships, as well as experiences of loss and threat»
Ana Pampliega de Quiroga
Turning to the chapters that reflect on different problems or difficulties which may arise during group therapy, it is worth mentioning that the situations described are very diverse. There are essays reflecting on the patient’s families and relatives and their participation in the groups and in the community. Others reflect on very delicate and complicated situations to handle such as the suicide of a patient in the group, a situation of physical aggression by a patient towards the mental health team or patients not attending the group.
The setting of the group of patients described in each essay is different, as there is diversity in terms of their ages and diagnoses, as well as in the objectives and topics to be dealt with in the group itself. The Mental Health network facilities where each chapter’s group takes place also vary.
«Family dysfunction puts us on the tracks of the family plot, they are its emergence, and the symptoms are the formal envelopes of the stories they mask»
«It is necessary to create the space (physical and symbolic) of the group. It is necessary to connect with the need, opening a space for it in the imaginary. And there are often needs which are invisible (…). When a need is made invisible or naturalised, although it exists and generates discomfort for people, the discomfort does not act as a driving force for that need to ask for help; because a naturalised discomfort implies there is ignorance or denial about issues that can be worked on and improved by means of a group»
Paloma de Pablos Rodríguez / Elena Aguiló Pastrana and Ayelen Losada Cucco
I could go on mentioning chapters of the book about complicated group situations and problems that can occur in a therapy group, but from here I would like to focus on other chapters which I found very necessary and interesting. They are those dedicated to reflecting on the work of the Mental Health professional.
There are two types of chapters in the book that deal with this subject, but from different perspectives:
Some think about the difficulties that we, as Mental Health workers, can encounter when we are learning to look at these patients, and how our gaze plays an important role in the improvement or rehabilitation of these people. These are reflections pointing to a healthy and necessary self-criticism in order to continue improving as people and as professionals.
«We professionals often insist on believing that users have to follow us, to behave as we need them to. This means blocking our senses so as not to see or listen, with the following consequences: chronicity is maintained, as well as the professional’s position of wisdom and the users, meanwhile, are in their own world, a world that cannot be shared because it does not seem to be listened to either»
«Sometimes there is too much noise and interference («this patient is very serious», «does not respond to treatment», «is at constant risk of suicide», «has too many admissions», «has been isolated for years», «psychotic psychopathology persists», «has a dysfunctional family», «there is a risk of becoming chronic»). How does the team listen? How does it register this information which seems to be closer to the emotional than to knowledge?»
Inmaculada Casillas Tejeda / Elena Aguiló Pastrana and Ayelen Losada Cucco
On the other hand, other chapters deal with the work of the Mental Health professional, analysing the internal conflicts which they present as workers in this field. Such reflections express the feelings and doubts of those who adopt the role of helping others, and give voice to the anguish sometimes involved and why it is therefore so necessary to share them, to unburden them, to look at them and confront them.
«The conflict between the duty of care and respecting the patient’s freedom is contaminated by the emotions aroused in me by the rejection. Each of these reactions in turn produces mixed emotions in me, guilt for the aggressiveness that the obligation entails, or guilt for the abandonment, the lack of care and the surrender of what our professional ethics impose on us. On other occasions I have been able to feel a kind of affective anaesthesia based on neglecting, emotionally dismissing these communications of annoyance and rejection, and on others a state of demoralisation characterised by the elimination of the possibility of feeling that I have something good in me, that I have something good to offer, that my proposal for group treatment is something that can be useful to them»
«I try to discriminate what it is that hurts me in this situation. It is not so much the patient’s rejection as the rejection linked to the obligatory nature of the link, almost experienced as a condemnation. Who is forcing me? The institutional mandate, but what is in this mandate? A good therapist is one who never rejects serious patients, whatever their behaviour, never renounces to cure them, cannot experience hatred towards them, and if he does experience it, he must silence it and make it disappear or endure it»
Antonio Tarí García
This book has helped me a lot. I have been able to learn more about Pichon-Rivière’s vision of groups and subjectivity. It has awakened my interest to read more of this author, to approach his main works, and to continue to deepen my understanding of the operative group.
The problems or difficulties appearing during a therapy group must be taken into account for an adequate resolution, adaptation or response to them. I consider this book presents an interesting variety of such phenomena and it is interesting to read about the experiences of other Mental Health colleagues in dealing with them.
Finally, I would like to highlight that the chapters or reflections I liked the most were those on professional work, because asking ourselves why we do what we do and think what we think is the basis of good practice in Mental Health, as well as giving voice to it and knowing how to share it in order to give expression to our internal conflicts.
In conclusion, a more than recommendable reading for anyone dedicated to this field of knowledge and, in particular, interested in therapy groups.
«They ask by actions, because they have not had access to wish-fulfilment. A deaf-and-dumb and blind man (…) coughs and receives a spoonful of syrup in response»
Diego Vico Cano
Some reflections:
What does subjectivity mean to you?
What do you think bonds are necessary for? What is a bond?
What feelings can a person working in Mental Health have? What conflicts do you think you would face?
What problems or difficulties have you had in the different groups you are part of? Have these events influenced your self-perception? Does your self-perception of yourself influence your health? In what way?
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This book is the result of a compilation of scientific papers or essays on group therapy in different areas of mental health.
Thus, this book can be classified within the didactic genre in the form of a set of essays or scientific papers and subclassified among those in the field of Psychology.
This is a single edition published by Editorial Grupo 5, which is a Spanish publishing house that publishes books for the education and training of professionals working in the field of social and health services. This book has not been translated into English.
Publication date: 2013
Country: Spain
Pages: 252
Reading date: September 2022
Rating: 4.25/5
The compilation of the scientific papers published in this book has been coordinated by Emilio Irazábal Martín, who is a clinical psychologist, social psychologist and psychotherapist. However, the set of authors of the essays compiled here amounts to 24, as the book collects the papers presented at the Jornadas sobre Trabajo Grupal en Salud Mental («Conference on Group Work in Mental Health») held in 2011 in Madrid. All of them belong to different public resources and mental health professions. In addition, this book is part of a series called Intersecciones y Fronteras de la Salud Mental («Intersections and Frontiers of Mental Health»), which was directed by the psychiatrist and psychotherapist Mariano Hernández Monsalve.
The other books published in this series are:
Psicoterapia y rehabilitación de pacientes con psicosis (2011)
Within the list of other books published in this series, those for which there is already a post in this blog are highlighted.
Click on it to read it!
I started my internship as an Internal Nurse Resident (EIR) in Mental Health in Zaragoza in July 2021. From this experience I can say that one of the interventions which I have found most complicated and at the same time enriching has been the group work. One of my teaching tutors, during my time at the Psychiatric Day Hospital of the Miguel Servet University Hospital (HUMS), taught me about the functioning of Operative Groups, which I still have a lot to learn more about. Among his recommended readings, she lent me the book I am discussing in this blog entry.
As I mentioned earlier, this book is a compilation of papers presented at the Jornadas sobre Trabajo Grupal en Salud Mental («Conference on Group Work in Mental Health») held in Madrid in 2011. Many professionals from the social and health care field took part in them, so this book also carries such diversity of approaches.
«The patient and his family bring to the unit their own ambivalence in relation to change and their own contradiction between the conscious desire to change and the unconscious determination to defend and maintain their own pathological way of life, to which the patient is necessarily attached, having constituted for him, until now, the only way, albeit unsatisfactory, of living with his own anxieties, conflicts and deficits»
Antonio Tarí García
While it is true that many of the essays in the book are mainly psychoanalytic or psychodynamic in orientation, this is not uniform but rather heterogeneous. There are Kleinians, Lacanians, supporters of the Psychology of the Self, of Psychodrama, of the Operative group concept… Different psychological, philosophical and sociological approaches are present. All of them with a common objective, which is the group.
It is emphasised that group psychoanalysis is «another psychoanalysis», with a different way of organising itself, which should be further developed and put into clinical practice. The concept of «social psychology» is thus mentioned.
«Hospitalisation in a psychiatric unit for acute patients is usually a second traumatic experience in addition to the one that provoked the crisis. The deprivation of freedom (it is a closed unit) and the psycho-hygienic habits, healthy for us, but for the patient imposed and sometimes very different from those at home, easily transform the unit into a hostile environment in his or her imagination. Not to mention the patient’s fantasies and prejudices about what a psychiatric unit is and the fear of being assigned for life the role of a mentally ill person»
Rafael Arroyo Guillamón and Sara del Palacio Tamarit
On the other hand, the diversity in this set of essays can be seen not only in the theoretical approach, but also in many other aspects related to the group setting: age of the patients in the group, the facility where it takes place, patients’ diagnoses, objectives of the group, multi-family groups, topics treated, dilemmas which may arise…. All this breadth of scenarios and the excellent analysis of the group situation, its setting and its development in each chapter, has helped me to become aware of the complexity of good group therapy.
Reflection is essential, not only in terms of the aforementioned group setting, but also in terms of our own performance as professionals towards patients, towards our colleagues and towards ourselves. This emphasis on a good self-criticism of our interventions is something which has left me with a good taste in my mouth after reading this book.
«Patients who are admitted, largely against their will, forcefully exhibit the only thing they possess and can control, the symptom»
«In such mental disorganisation it is frequent that in their first days they oscillate defensively between fight and flight […] Both forms of communication separate and protect them from the other with the same force with which they fervently request help»
Rafael Arroyo Guillamón and Sara del Palacio Tamarit
I would like to highlight one of the chapters which I liked the most: the one in which they explain the setting up and development of a group made up of Day Hospital patients, in which the therapist uses films as psychotherapeutic tools and recounts her experience with the patients.
«We know that sense of humour is one of the most evolved defence mechanisms we humans have. Films often have comic moments which help us to approach problems with less emotional involvement and to relativise our previous stance. Laughter has a great capacity to change mood. Similarly, crying is a form of emotional catharsis; we cry at the cinema because we can vent our grief without being censured for doing so or accused of being weak or inadequate, because «it’s only a film»»
María Martín Martín-Blas
In conclusion, it has been a very motivating book for me to learn about therapy groups. I have not agreed with some statements or ideas in certain chapters, but it has encouraged me to reflect on and become aware of the complexity of group work in Mental Health, and I hope to continue learning from it.
Some reflections:
What does it mean to you to feel part of a group?
Would you say that absolutely all human beings need group social interaction? What do we get out of it? What do we expose ourselves to in it?
What feelings might a person with mental health problems have when interacting with others? How would you act if you were that person?
What would be your biggest concern if you were admitted to a Psychiatric ward in a hospital?
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