A Book is Born!

For anyone who has ever labored over a book (and this is about my 30th project) -- you know the joy of seeing it birthed into the world. Today is the debut of a long anticipated collaborative effort with Dr. Henslin: This is Your Brain on Joy. To celebrate the book birthday, I've decided to create a blog for people who love God, want more joy in their lives, and find brain research fascinating.

Dr. Daniel Amen, who wrote the foreword for this book, gave me a brainscan to help with my own research in writing. In posts to come, I'll share those results! (But to inquiring minds: yes, I did have a brain. And yes, I was enormously relieved.) You may have seen Dr. Amen on PBS Specials in recent months speaking on his bestselling books, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life and lately, A Magnificant Mind at Any Age.

Today he graced us with this wonderful review, posted to Amazon.com. Thank you, Dr. Amen.
As my 7 year old niece would say, "You TOTALLY rock." Without further fanfare, here it is:

Dr. Daniel Amen’s Review of This is Your Brain on Joy by Dr. Earl Henslin

Newly Released by Thomas Nelson Publishers January 6, 2008

Who’s Minding Your… Mind?

What does grey matter have to do with peace and joy?

A lot more than most of us realize.

Many of my clients who are very religious are both stunned and relieved when they find out that their behavior or mood issues may be physical rather than spiritual problems. So it is with great joy that I want to recommend a new book by dear friend and longtime colleague, Dr. Earl Henslin. Though the book will encourage people of any faith, it is written from a distinctly compassionate Christian viewpoint and may be especially helpful to the dazed and confused sitting in our church pews!

Be ready to have a few of your long-held assumptions challenged, and discover some “ah-ha” insights that will deepen your understanding and widen your compassion. In this breakthrough book, Dr. Earl Henslin reveals how the study of brain imaging turned his practice of psychotherapy upside down – with remarkably positive results. He shares answers to puzzling questions such as:

Why isn’t my faith in God enough to erase my blue moods?
Why haven’t I been able to conquer my anger? Pray away my fear and worry? Why can’t I find freedom from secret obsessions and addictions?

Using my Amen Brain System Checklist and the 5 Basic Mood Areas in the brain, Dr. Henslin reveals what happens to our minds when any of those areas are out of balance. And the fun part? He applies the latest brain research to our everyday lives in an entertaining, enjoyable and informative way. (You don’t have to be a neurosurgeon to love this book.)

This Is Your Brain on Joy offers a wide variety of practical, researched-based ways to nourish and balance your brain, including

· Up-to-date nutritional information
· Exercise as powerful as anti-depressants
· Corrective thinking techniques
· Supplements and/or medical recommendations
· Music, beauty, nature, aromatherapy
· Uplifting movies and books
· Scriptures and prayers to help soothe and nourish specific areas of the brain
· The healing power of community and charity
…… and more!

Finally, Dr. Henslin, an avid and lifelong student of scripture, includes a mini-study of Paul’s letter to the Philippians where the aging apostle unveils his “secrets” to lasting joy.

Read this book and you’ll know how exactly how to nourish your mind, balance your brain and help others do the same. After all, the capacity for joy is a terrible thing to waste.



“This Is Your Brain on Joy is a thoughtful, practical, life-changing book that will help you take advantage of the latest neuroscience research, combined with biblical insights, to bring more joy and love into your life.”
—Daniel G. Amen, MD
from the Foreword

[Bio]

Dr. Earl Henslin is licensed marriage and family child counselor, faculty member at Rosemead Graduate School of Psychology and Asuza Pacific University, and author of five books and numerous professional articles. He is a member of several professional organizations and helped found Overcomers Outreach to aid churches in establishing support groups. For the past eight years, working closely with the pioneer in brain imaging research, Daniel G. Amen, MD, Dr. Henslin has been integrating brain imaging into the treatment of psychological, physical, and spiritual problems at his counseling center, Henslin & Associates, Group Counseling Practice, in Brea, California.