A foremost marriage and family therapist, Mrs Adanna Okpalanma-Chika, has emphasised the need for therapy, noting that it was a sure way out of any form of pain and trauma.
Mrs Okpalanma-Chika made the assertion in an interview on the sidelines of the launch of her book titled: Broken and Unspoken; A Story of Strength and Healing.
She noted that the book which is made up of 200 pages and seven chapters, was a must read for all, including children.
According to her, therapy is not as bad as what some people think it is, adding that people go through lots of challenges, trauma and pains, therefore the need to seek for professional therapy to heal.
“Broken and Unspoken: A story of Strength and Healing, is actually about a client and her journey from brokenness to healing. I also use it to emphasise the need for therapy”.
“I have tried to take the reader into a therapy session so they will understand that therapy is not as bad as people think, rather, something that everyone needs.
“I chose the story of Mabel (real names withheld), because her experience is so relatable. It is a story that affected me a lot even as a therapist and i needed to tell her story, but as a therapist, because I was indeed affected by her story and hence the need to put it in a book.
“Normally as a therapist, we don’t have that privilege of talking about our clients outside. Most of the challenges are within the walls of therapy sessions, but this is an opportunity for people to understand what happens in a therapy session and how one can embark on a journey of healing and it is achievable if only we do so with a professional therapist.
“I stress ‘professional’, a part of why I wrote the book, which I believe, is a ‘must read’ for everyone,” she said.
Mrs Okpalanma-Chika who is also a relationship and family coach noted that people currently go through various degrees of challenges, pains and trauma in the society everyday, adding that there is the need to address them as soon as they present.
“We need to start breaking these trauma that have prevailed from generation to generation, to help our marriages, our children, our homes and the society at large. That is what inspired me to write this book,” she stated.
Speaking further, the therapist noted that one’s story remained one’s strength and not weakness, just like therapy was strength and not weakness.
“Brokenness is strength, it is not weakness. Imagine sitting down in an environment where you are not judged and able to open up and talk about it, not just for yourself, but for your children, family and generations to come,” she stated.
She added, “owning your story and talking about it is strength not weakness and more especially for our leaders, because some of the behaviours we see them exhibit, we realize that some of them have also gone through a lot of trauma and this reflects on their leadership style.
According to her, there is an urgent need therefore, for everyone to normalise therapy, just like it is obtained when there is the need to visit hospitals to see the medical practitioners during health challenges.
She however lamented the dearth of professional therapists currently, adding that this had further increased the challenges in tackling cases of trauma and related issues in the country.
“The major challenge in checking issues of trauma and pains in the country is the lack of good therapists in the country as a whole. This is because it is not everyone that claims to be a therapist is a professional or good.
“How do we know one that is good, just like we visit a hospital and want to undergo a surgery? We will first find out the success rate, their style of therapy and if it resonates with you, then you go ahead .
“Let me emphasise that as much as a therapist can help, they can also destroy. We therefore need as many professional therapists in the country as possible and this is where our government and institutions of higher learning come in.
“There should be that opening to encourage as many of our young ones, to study psychology to the highest level of their academic pursuit, followed by persistent training for the production of more professional therapists for the benefit of the country,” she stated.
On her part, the book reviewer, Mrs Sylvia Nzekwu, management consultant, with strong competence in legal administration in her role as the founder/Principal Consultant, Shan Consulting Ltd, described the book as captivating, noting that it was a riveting account of a courageous woman’s journey through unimaginable trauma associated with abuse.
She noted that the story of the main character in the book, Mabel, (not real name), is beautifully and expertly presented by her trusted and equally brave therapist, Adanna Okpalanma-Chika.
Nzekwu noted that the therapist deployed a narrative writing style to bring to life, the roles and experiences of the various
characters.
The reviewer further stated that the book was an experiential journey with every part of it triggering deep reflection and enlightenment.
“This book serves as a clarion call action; see something, say something, do something.
“The cover / title: ‘Broken and Unspoken’ is profound in its simplicity, the cover design; the picture of a broken earthenware pot with an olive branch sprouting through the cracks is symbolic of cleansing, healing, a new life and hope that God’s purposes will come to pass.
“It is a reference to Genesis 8:11 when the dove returned to Noah with a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak signifying that water had receded from the Earth ,” she noted.
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