 Patrick Dougherty is a Licensed Psychologist and has been a practicing psychotherapist in St. Paul, MN for more than 30 years. He has been a student of qigong since 1995. For the past seven years Dougherty has been teaching other psychotherapists how to incorporate qigong into their practices, with continuing education credits approved by the Minnesota Boards of Psychology, Social Work, and Marriage and Family Therapy as of 2004. All this is stated because very few professionals have careers spanning 30 years without demonstrating a good measure of proficiency.
In this book Patrick Dougherty teaches his readers simple yet powerful ways to integrate elements of Taoist philosophy and Chinese medicine into their busy Western lives. He offers easy mind/body techniques, such as focused breathing and imagery, explains how the energetic world in which we dwell affects our emotional and psychological well-being, and provides an insightful "how to" on enhancing one's overall state of health. Likely the most astute aspect of Dougherty's writing is its emphasis on our fundamental interconnectedness, and how following these practices can lead to a more open-hearted engagement with the world around and within us. From the outset, the author takes a very Taoist approach, distilling complex principles into elegantly simplistic lessons easily recognized and related to by nearly anyone and everyone. He uses real examples and client case studies to get his points across, providing practices that are not only easy to follow, but practices that can be put to application today. Will you likely benefit from Dougherty's book? Well, only if you read it. Those who know me well know my emphasis on keeping things simple. This book is subtitled, You Can Do So Much By Doing So Little. Need I say more? |
