Kathy O\'connell

Firewalk: Embracing Different Abilities Kathy O\'connell

Publisher Marketing: Firewalk: Embracing Different Abilities presents a new perspective and action plan for anyone who lives with adversity. Author Kathy O'Connell draws from her own experiences of living with cerebral palsy and working with others as a counselor in this powerful-and empowering-book about living life to the fullest with a disability. Readers are offered an approach to moving through feelings of fear and victimization, which lead to embracing and appreciating their different abilities. As a result, people experience greater love, happiness, and fulfillment. Kathy uses the metaphor of a firewalk to represent the fear we feel when faced with difficulty, circumstances that could further hurt us, and the doubt within about our own ability to be successful. The author's epiphany during an actual firewalk served as a catalyst for developing this powerful and unique approach she now teaches to clients, audiences, and workshop participants. Firewalk: Embracing Different Abilities shows how to: View your difference as a valuable gift, teacher, and opportunity for growth Move beyond hardship and "why me" victimization Face fear, anger, and frustration head-on so you can access your authentic self Stop letting others' attitudes and perceptions define, limit, and hurt you Get in touch with your sexuality and power to attract Find your purpose and go after it with new abilities, strength, and focus Firewalk: Embracing Different Abilities offers invaluable tools for parents and teachers of children with disabilities, as well as new ideas for therapists and other healthcare workers who work with clients andpatients who have different abilities. When we learn to see our disability or difference as a gift, we can use it as a transformative tool. Instead of struggling against what is difficult, or trying to "manage" or "fix" our difference, we can embrace the very thing we resist-and allow it to strengthen us. Drawing from her own experiences of living with a disability and working with others as a therapist, Kathy offers readers an approach to moving through feelings of fear and victimization to a place where they can embrace and appreciate their different abilities, and experience greater love, happiness, and fulfillment as a result."