Just Like Francis ... Reflections, memories & journeys inspired by one special man

Be inspired by Francis!

In May 2020 we lost a wonderful colleague, Francis Walsh. He was a psychiatric nurse who had played a huge part in pushing the HSE towards the recovery approach and had been instrumental in the establishment of REGARI Recovery College, Galway Recovery College, Galway Community Café and many other initiatives around the country. He was passionate about the recovery approach and co-production and was deeply compassionate and respectful to everyone he met. He supported so many people in their recovery from mental health difficulties.

We had been so inspired by Francis and were so devastated at his early death, that we put together a book of his impact on our lives, whether we were people with lived experience, family members or staff with whom Francis had worked.

We are publishing it on our website to give as many people as possible the chance to be inspired in their own recovery, or in supporting someone else in theirs, by the story of one very special recovery champion.

Download now

Gaynor, Keith, 2014, Opinion: Anxiety and depression are key in keeping the long-term unemployed out of work, The Journal, Dublin

Available at: http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/long-term-unemployment-anxiety-depression-1462545-May2014/

Gabor Mate - On Addiction

Thich Nhat Hanh

Brené Brown - The Power of Vulnerability

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/publications/Mentalhealth/Mental_Health_-_A_Vision_for_Change.pdf

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/mentalhealth/National_Counselling_Service/

http://www.mhcirl.ie (Mental Health Commission)

http://www.mentalhealthireland.ie

http://www.mentalhealthreform.ie

http://www.recoverycollegewest.ie

http://www.irishhealth.com

http://www.aware.ie

http://www.grow.ie

http://www.shine.ie

http://www.pieta.ie

http://www.employability.ie

http://www.volunteer.ie

http://www.genio.ie

http://www.madinamerica.com

Feel the fear and do it anyway – Susan Jeffers

Dynamic and inspirational, the book is filled with concrete techniques to turn passivity into assertiveness. Dr. Susan Jeffers, teaches you how to stop negative thinking patterns and re-educate your mind to think more positively. You will learn: the vital 10-Step Positive Thinking Process; how to risk a little every day; how to turn every decision into a "No-Lose" situation, and much more.

The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle

The message is simple: living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. And while this message may not seem stunningly original or fresh, Tolle's clear writing, supportive voice and enthusiasm make this an excellent manual for anyone who's ever wondered what exactly "living in the now" means. Foremost, Tolle is a world-class teacher, able to explain complicated concepts in concrete language. More importantly, within a chapter of reading this book, readers are already holding the world in a different container--more conscious of how thoughts and emotions get in the way of their ability to live in genuine peace and happiness.

Chicken Soup for the soul – Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen

Two of America's inspirational speakers share the very best of their collected stories and favourite tales that have touched the hearts of people everywhere. The book brings you wit and wisdom, hope and empowerment to help you through life's dark moments.

Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert

An irresistible, candid, and eloquent account of the writers her pursuit of worldly pleasure, spiritual devotion, and what she really wanted out of life. At thirty, she went through an early-onslaught midlife crisis. She had everything an educated, ambitious American woman was supposed to want—a husband, a house, a successful career. But instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she was consumed with panic, grief, and confusion. She went through a divorce, a crushing depression, another failed love, and the eradication of everything she ever thought she was supposed to be. To recover from all this, Gilbert took a radical step. In order to give herself the time and space to find out who she really was and what she really wanted, she got rid of her belongings, quit her job, and undertook a yearlong journey around the world—all alone. Eat, Pray, Love is the absorbing chronicle of that year.

Awareness – Anthony de Mello

The heart of Anthony de Mello's spiritual message is awareness. De Mello's words of hope come together in Awareness in a grand synthesis. In short chapters for reading in quiet moments, he cajoles and challenges: We must leave this go-go-go world of illusion and become aware. And this only happens, he insists, by becoming alive to the needs and potential of others.
Here, then, is a masterful book of the spirit, challenging us to wake up in every aspect of our lives.

Backwards in High Heels: The Impossible Art of Being Female – Tania Kindersley & Sarah Vine

Keep it on your shelf for any of those moments you just need to reach your best friend and you don't have the heart to ring her up in the middle of the night.

Language of Letting go – Melody Beattie

These daily meditations offer growth and renewal, and remind us that the best thing we can do is take responsibility for our own self-care. Melody Beattie integrates her own life experiences and fundamental recovery reflections in this unique daily meditation book written especially for those of us who struggle with the issue of co-dependency. Problems are made to be solved, Melody reminds us, and the best thing we can do is take responsibility for our own pain and self-care. Melody provides us with a thought to guide us through the day and she encourages us to remember that each day is an opportunity for growth and renewal.

Who Moved my cheese – Spencer Johnson

"Cheese" is a metaphor for what you want to have in life—whether it is a good job, a loving relationship, money, a possession, health, or spiritual peace of mind.

The Miracle of Mindfulness (Thich Nhat Hanh)

Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most beloved Buddhist teachers in the West. In this book, he explains how to acquire the skills of mindfulness, showing us that once we have these skills, we can slow our lives down and begin to live in the moment.

The Spirituality of Imperfection (Ernest Kurtz)

This beautiful book by Ernest Kurtz is an exploration of “storytelling” and “parables” from all traditions. Kurtz illustrates to us that by telling “our stories” to each other we learn not only more about our common humanity but also about the beautiful imperfections that bind us all together.

Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Paulo Freire)

Essential reading for anyone who may be interested in learning more about the ethos of Peer Education, Freire critically analyses our traditional education system and provides us with a new model of learning based on “the value of “lived experience”, dialogue, awareness of one’s “true” reality, and empowerment.

The Art of Happiness (Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler)

The Eastern traditions of the Dalai Lama brought into our Western world by Dr. Howard Cutler. This is not a book about Buddhism, it a book about happiness, contentment and practical ways of achieving those states in our everyday lives.

First Steps in Counselling (Ursula O’Farrell)

Even if you are not particularly interested in becoming a counsellor, First Steps in Counselling presents the skills necessary to support another in a simple and engaging way. These skills are the backbone helpful conversations and interventions and can teach us not only how to support others, but educate ourselves in identifying what we need from others.

Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am? (John Powell)

First published in 1969, this short book still resonates all these years later. Powell provides insights on self-awareness, personal growth, interpersonal communication and the roles we play while engaging with others. Deep insights in a very quick read.

Falling Upwards (Richard Rohr)

A book about the power of failing, falling and starting again. “We grow spiritually more by doing it wrong than by doing it right” says Richard Rohr. Our heartbreaks and disappointments today are what build to the joys of the future. Not the easiest read on this list, but worth persevering with.

Heal Your Body (Louise Hay)

Emotional Alchemy (Tara Bennet – Coleman)

Until today (Iyanla Vanzant) guidance for each day of the year

Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations

While obviously most famous for her talk show, Oprah Winfrey has in recent years moved into the realm of personal growth, personal development and self-awareness. Each episode has a special guest and thanks to Oprah’s fame, these guests read like a who’s who in this area. Byron Katie, Eckhart Tolle, Brene Brown, Dr. Maya Angelou and many others have all been guests on previous episodes.

Unlocking Us With Brene Brown

Building on the foundations built by her Ted talks and bestselling books, Brene Brown has moved into the podcast sphere. Utilising her humour and her ability to tackle heavy subjects with the understanding her work has given her, Brene and her guests give insight in a manner that is easy to access, insightful but also enjoyable.

Another Name For Everything, Richard Rohr

Widely respected as an author of bestselling books, Richard Rohr stepped into the podcast world last year. Initially established as an accompaniment to one of his books, Another Name for Everything, has since grown into a broader discussion on life and the forces at work around us and within us. A great podcast, but it is heavy going at times. Don’t feel bad if you find yourself lost at times!! This one requires a little more attention and pausing and returning to the podcast when you have time to devote to it may be a good idea.

1. Barker P and Buchanan-Barker P 2005 The Tidal Model: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals, Brunner-Routledge, London and New York
2. Bates, Tony 2011, Coming Through Depression, Gill and MacMillan, Dublin
3. Beck, Aaron T. 1989, Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders, Penguin, London
4. Bracken, Patrick and Thomas, Philip 2006 Post psychiatry: Mental Health in a Postmodern World, Oxford University Press, Oxford
5. Brampton, Sally, 2008, Shoot the Damn Dog, Bloomsbury Publishing, London
6. Breggin, Peter, 1993, Toxic Psychiatry, Harper Collins, London
7. Burke Harris, Dr Nadine 2018, The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity, Bluebird
8. Byrne Lynch, Anne; Saunders, John; Seager, Pat; Thompson Coyle, Kahlil 2008, Talking about talking therapies: psychotherapy and psychosis, Shine (formerly Schizophrenia Ireland) Dublin
9. Chamberlin, Judi, 1978, 2012, On Our Own: Patient-Controlled Alternatives to the Mental Health System, National Empowerment Centre, Lawrence, MA
10. Davies, James, 2014, Cracked – Why Psychiatry is Doing More Harm Than Good, Icon Books, London
11. Dweck Dr Carol S., 2006, Mindset, Random House Inc., New York
12. Lois Einborn, 2006, Forgiveness and Child Abuse, Robert D. Reed Publishers, Bandon, OR 97411
13. Frances, Allen, 2013, Saving Normal: An Insider's Revolt against Out-of-Control Psychiatric Diagnosis, DSM-5, Big Pharma, and the Medicalization of Ordinary Life, Harper Collins, New York
14. Frances, Allen, and First, Michael B, 2000, Am I Okay?: A Layman's Guide to the Psychiatrist's Bible, Touchstone, New York
15. Gijbels, Harry, Sapouna, Lydia and Sidley, Gary: 2019, Inside Out, Outside In: Transforming Mental Health Practices, PCCS Books, Monmouth
16. Grof, Christina and Stanislav, 1997. The Stormy Search for the Self, Jeremy P Tarcher
17. Hari, Johann 2018, Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression and the Unexpected Solutions, Bloomsbury
18. Johnstone, Lucy, A Straight-Talking Introduction to Psychiatric Diagnosis, 2014, PCCS Books, Monmouth
19. Johnstone, Lucy and Dallos, Rudi (editors), 2014, Formulation in Psychology and Psychotherapy, 2014, Routledge, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA
20. Karon, Bertram P. and Vandenbos, Gary R. 1981, Psychotherapy of Schizophrenia: The Treatment of Choice, Jason Aronson Inc, Lanham, Maryland, USA
21. Levine, Peter A., Ph.D, 2005, Healing Trauma, Sounds True, Boulder, Colorodo
22. Lynch, Terry, 2004, Beyond Prozac, PCCS Books, Ross-on-Wye, UK
23. Lynch, Terry, 2011, Selfhood, Mental Health Publishing, Limerick, Ireland
24. Lynch,Terry 2015, Depression Delusion Volume One: The Myth of the Brain Chemical Imbalance, Mental Health Publishing, Limerick
25. Maté, Gabor, 2003(2019 kindle edition), When The Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress, knopf, Canada
26. Maté, Gabor, 2008, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction Vermilion, London
27. Moncrieff, Joanna, 2009, A Straight Talking Introduction to Psychiatric Drugs, PCCS Books, Ross-on-Wye, UK
28. Moncrieff, Joanna, 2008, The Myth of the Chemical Cure, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, UK
29. Peck, M. Scott, 1978, The Road Less Travelled, Rider,
30. Pilgrim, David 2009, A Straight Talking Introduction to Psychological Treatments for Mental Health Problems, PCCS Books, Ross-on-Wye, UK
31. Read, John and Sanders, Pete 2010, A Straight Talking Introduction to the Causes of Mental Health Problems, PCCS Books, Ross-on-Wye, UK
32. Rogers, Annie 2007, The Unsayable: The Hidden Language of Trauma, Ballantine Books, New York
33. Rogers, Annie 1996, Shining Affliction: A Story of Harm and Healing in Psychotherapy, Penguin
34. Rowe, Dorothy, 1996, Depression The way out of your prison, Second Edition, Routledge, London
35. Szasz, Thomas S. 2010 (first published 1974), The Myth of Mental Illness, Harper Perennial, New York
36. Wampold, Bruce E. 2001, The Great Psychotherapy Debate, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc, Mahwah, New Jersey
37. Watson, Jo, 2019, Drop the Disorder, Challenging the Culture of Psychiatric Diagnosis, PCCS Books Ltd, Monmouth
38. Whitaker, Robert 2010, Anatomy of an Epidemic, Broadway Books, New York

HSE, 2017, A National Framework for Recovery in Mental Health 2018-2020

https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/mental-health-services/advancingrecoveryireland/national-framework-for-recovery-in-mental-health/

See also:

Co-Production in Practice Guidance Document 2018 – 2020

Recovery Education Guidance Document 2018 – 2020

Family Recovery Guidance Document 2018 – 2020

https://www.hse.ie/recovery-education-resource

https://www.hse.ie/recovery-education-toolkit

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2e46f-sharing-the-vision-a-mental-health-policy-for-everyone/

ImROC Series of Briefings

Available from https://imroc.org.resource_tag/our-briefings/

1. Recovery Colleges, 2012
2. Recovery, Personalisation and Personal Budgets, 2012
3. Recovery, Public Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2012
4. Recovery: A Carer’s Perspective, 2013
5. Peer Support Workers: Theory and Practice, 2013
6. The Team Recovery Implementation Plan: A Framework for Creating Recovery Focused Services, 2013
7. Peer Support Workers: A Practical Guide to Implementation, 2014
8. Supporting Recovery in Mental Health Services: Quality and Outcomes, 2014
9. Risk, Safety and Recovery, 2014
10. Making Recovery a Reality in Forensic Settings 2014
    Implementing Recovery: A New Framework for Organisational Change, 2014
    Making Recovery A Reality, 2014
    Implementing Recovery: A Methodology for Organisational Change, 2014
    Team Recovery Implementation Plan, 2015
    A Personal Health and Wellbeing Plan for Family, Friends and Carers, 2015
11. ImROC Advocacy Briefing Paper: A Stepping Stone for Recovery, 2016
12. ‘Continuing to Be Me’ – Recovering a Life with a Diagnosis of Dementia, 2016
13. Co-Production – Sharing Our Experiences, Reflecting on Our Learning, 2017
14. Recovery: The Business Case, 2017
15. Recovery Colleges 10 Years On, 2018