‘Empowerment in Health and Wellness’ is a new book which aims to bring together new perspectives on the mind-body connection in relation to stress and anxiety reduction, building motivation and inspiring people to respond to the needs of their current reality.
Written in collaboration between members of the volunteer and coaching team at The Fountain Centre - a Surrey-based charity working with the NHS - and a range of other health and wellness professionals, its key message states that empowerment allows people to navigate uncertainty and supports them to engage fully in their lives with resilience and self-compassion.
One of the book’s contributing authors, Andrew Parsons [pictured left], is an expert in supporting people and organisations to adapt and thrive in the face of challenges, change and disruption. He is a volunteer coach at the Fountain Centre who works with cancer patients and their families at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust. Elsewhere, Parsons also runs Reciprocal Minds Ltd, a company which offers counselling, coaching and other wellness approaches, and won an award for being the Best Corporate Wellness Coaching Company of 2020.
According to Parsons, who was speaking to The Leaders Council ahead of the book's launch of February 4, ‘Empowerment in Health and Wellness’ will act as “a beacon of resilience and self-compassion to many in times of uncertainty.”
Parsons said: “The wisdom and perspectives in ‘Empowerment in Health and Wellness’ are innovative and drawn from a huge depth of experience, much coming directly from coaching service members of the Fountain Centre, a UK charity working with the National Health Service which supports cancer patients, their carers and families.
“Navigating change and uncertainty is one of humanity’s biggest challenges. However, after reading the book, I believe that readers will find empowerment to be the key to confronting uncertainty more resourcefully and to thriving in its wake.”
The book aims to offer various approaches from a range of professionals working with the mind-body connection to help reduce stress and anxiety, build motivation and enable individuals to understand and respond to their needs. It highlights three central pillars of empowerment: Awareness, Information and Learning, which provide the reader with the framework to deepen their professional knowledge, skills and confidence, which will help maintain a cool head and support others in times of uncertainty and crisis.
Jackie Arnold, ICF accredited coach, CSA dip coach supervisor and another of the book’s contributors, added: “We live in very uncertain and complex times which generate fear and anxiety. If you are also suffering from an illness, these feelings are compounded. However, developing a sense of empowerment enables us to find our sense of meaning, live more mindfully and with self-determination.
“With these working hand-in-hand, life becomes more manageable. In this book, we offer multiple perspectives on these topics, and prepare readers for this life-enhancing empowerment.”
The full list of contributing authors includes Andrew Parsons and Jackie Arnold, alongside Gavin Andrews, Victoria Hamilton, Enrico Illuminati, Sue Jackson, Aga Kehinde, Ann Lewis, Silvia Mirandola, Fiona Stimson, Chris Ullman and Amanda White.
‘Empowerment in Health and Wellness’ will be launched on February 4, 2021, coinciding with World Cancer Day and Time to Talk Day.
As part of the official launch, the book’s authors will be hosting an online webinar via Zoom to discuss the three pillars of empowerment, how life coaching supports those affected by cancer, and how support can be offered in the post-Covid and VUCA [volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous] world to ensure health and well-being for all.
More information for those wishing to attend the webinar can be found here.
Copies of the book can currently be pre-ordered from Amazon.
