Bøger af Rik Isensee

Reclaiming Your Life is a guide to healing from early abuse, homophobia, addictions, and other self-defeating behavior. Part I looks at how growing up gay in a homophobic culture is similar in many ways to growing up in a dysfunctional or abusive family, because of the secrecy, self-blame, and shame that often accompany the realization that we're somehow different, but without much support for understanding what it means to feel attracted to the same sex. In addition, experiences of early physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can sometimes lead to the development of a "false self," the internalization of negative messages, or the development of self-destructive behavior. Part II shows how gay men can recover from early abuse, internalized homophobia, and self-defeating behavior, such as alcohol and drug abuse, sexual compulsion, body image, and problems with food or debt. It offers chapters on how to counter internalized homophobic and other negative messages, expand the moment between impulse and action, and work through the feelings that are likely to arise when we stop using self-defeating behaviors to push our emotions away. ""No matter what kind of family you grew up in, you will find yourself in this book. All of our families are dysfunctional to some degree, and as gay men, we have to overcome our own homophobia and resulting shame. Rik Isensee writes in a style that is so readable and relevant, every gay/bi man can take something with him."" -Jeffrey Chernin, Ph.D. ""Members of a dysfunctional family interact abusively, and when the family is homophobic a gay member will likely be doubly abused. In the first half of this guide, Isensee capably outlines all aspects of growing up gay in a dysfunctional family. He includes homophobia, sexual abuse, stress, self- blame, shame, and self-destructive behavior. In the second half, he relates the ways a gay child can overcome the many hindrances to gaining self-respect through grieving, nurturing, and supporting. He ends with suggestions on how to react to homophobia and create a life without the guilt that a heterosexual society induces. Although the topic may seem a bit clinical, Isensee's book is easy to read and even gay adolescents will want to consult it."" -H. Robert Malinowsky, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago, Library Journal ""Rik Isensee strikes a long-forgotten chord with his self-help book, Reclaiming Your Life, which gives strong psychological advice to gay men who have been through just about every situation imaginable. There are scenarios presented that will ring true for some readers, and Isensee offers his unique and insightful advice on each of them, giving the reader options to overcome overbearing feelings and/or situations that would cause others to commit drastic actions. This is an excellent book in the field of self-help, and once finished, provides an uplifting light at the end of the tunnel."" -Illinois HIV Prevention, Region 6 Booklist

Read this book if you'd like to improve your relationship and communicate better with your boyfriend, lover, or even your next date! You'll learn how to resolve conflicts instead of escalating or retaliating, enhancing the sense of intimacy and love that brought you together in the first place. "LOVE BETWEEN MEN is a treasure...Isensee condenses years of clinical expertise of working with gay couples and translates this into a volume that is chock-full of enormously helpful and practical ways for men to look at, understand, and improve their relationships. It is bound to become a classic." --Michael Shernoff, ACSW "...a valid guide to establishing closer, more enduring partnerships...fills a gap in the resources available to couples." --K. Orton Williams, San Francisco Sentinel "...there is meat on these bones; material that any person in a relationship, or considering/fearing one, can learn from.... Isensee's insights are solid and his chapter on abusive relationships is the sort of material rarely discussed within the gay community. And his summation chapters, which include the awful thought of 'What If It Doesn't Work Out?, ' are astute." --Dale Reynolds, Lambda Book Report "This is a practical, down-to-earth manual for men who live in intimate relationships and want to improve them.... This book does more than help couples solve complicated interpersonal problems--it helps them to avoid them." --Harvey L. Gochros, D.S.W., professor, School of Social Work, University of Hawaii "lsensee explores gay male relationships by examining the difficulty of maintaining successful male-male bondings in a hostile, homophobic society. He discusses problems unique to homosexual relationships.... A helpful book." --Library Journal "A welcome addition to practical gay literature." --Booklist

Shift Your Mood provides an easy and active form of mindfulness to calm reactivity. Rik includes stories from real people's lives that show how you can soothe anxiety and stress, overcome obsessions, and tame your inner critic. As you release emotional tension, you will naturally shift to the source of your own love and inner wisdom. "Rik Isensee has done a masterful job of integrating scientifically-based yet cutting edge material from psychology, brain science, and spirituality into a comprehensive collection of practical tools you can use every day to feel better, happier, and more loving. Rik's sincerity and warm-heartedness make each page glow. This book is a gem." --Rick Hanson, Ph.D. Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom. Author of Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness "Shift Your Mood invites readers straight into the goodness of their own hearts. I particularly enjoyed Rik's playful invitations to experiment with a variety of embodied and mindful exercises. This book will help you navigate the inner pitfalls of your body-mind, as you reclaim the organic vitality of your own life." Manuela Mischke Reeds, MA, MFT. Co-director, Hakomi Institute of California. Author of Eight Keys to Practicing Mindfulness: Practical Strategies for Emotional Health and Well-being "This is an engaging book that contains lots of good advice about becoming happier. Informed by research findings from the new field of positive psychology as well as venerable strategies from mindfulness meditation, Shift Your Mood presents a balanced and plausible formula for moving beyond where one is." --Christopher Peterson, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan. Author of A Primer in Positive Psychology "Using the guided assistance from your book, I quickly realized why I was so triggered, then felt calm and astoundingly clear. It was a triumph!" --Alecia Vultaggio, San Diego

We’re Not Alone is a young adult novel that follows Mike and Susie through their adventures coming out in a suburban high school. Susie, a firebrand from the get-go, gets thrown out as President of the Girls’ Athletic Association when she comes out as a lesbian. Mike, still unsure about his orientation, develops a crush on Scott, his best friend, who’s in love with Melody. When Scott gets jumped by some anti-gay bullies, Mike is finally forced to take a stand.

Growing up gay in a homophobic culture can resemble growing up in a dysfunctional family. Reclaiming Your Life offers a soothing approach to healing from homophobic abuse, addictions, and self-defeating behavior.

Read Love Between Men if you’d like to improve your relationship and communicate better with your boyfriend, lover, or even your next date! You’ll learn how to resolve conflicts instead of escalating or retaliating, enhancing the sense of intimacy and love that brought you together in the first place.