Amanda Stuart Author | Author

Amanda Stuart Author

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25.01.2022 Virginia Satir was someone who inspired me when I studied family therapy- such a wise woman

24.01.2022 Holidaying at Phillip Island, I arranged to meet Sarah Saridis, whose painting of the cover for The Longest Journey still gives me great pleasure. Sarah has continued to develop her wonderful artistic talent and has recently completed her degree. Later this year she is having her first exhibition. We met at the tiny market in Kongwak - a quaint market selling anything and everything! I enjoyed the guitarist, the flowers in the 'secret garden' and the samosas and Indian dahl, produced in a very tiny kitchen space!

24.01.2022 Its nearly 18 months since my last post on The Longest Journey page. The book is happily reaching new readers still, and since retiring officially I have been giving talks to groups on the Mornington Peninsula, such as Rotary and Probus groups, and the Cheviot Club in Rye. This is an ageing population and I generally spend some time discussing how we can approach the difficult issue of death - facing our own and helping friends when their partners and family members die. The Longest Journey includes a chapter on dealing with the death of loved ones, so it is still relevant. Im pleased people continue to find the book helpful when dealing with their emotional life.

23.01.2022 A copy of The Longest Journey which the woman who bought it told me had survived being chewed by her puppy and dropped in the bath - well almost survived...

22.01.2022 October 10 2015 marked the official launch at St Marys College, University of Melbourne, of the book Psychotherapy and Counselling: Reflections on Practice, published by Oxford University Press. The book was edited by PACFA Research Committee members, Prof Carolyn Noble and Dr Elizabeth Day. Amanda co-wrote a chapter for the book with Tammy Robinson, entitled Adaptation and Change in both client and counsellor in a sexual abuse case The book contains very diverse stories and case studies about counselling and psychotherapy practice.

22.01.2022 Check out my latest articles: http://t.co/m6RC3WOjBh

21.01.2022 Just received an email from someone who bought The Longest Journey while on holiday in Noosa - she then discovered that we both live in Blairgowrie, on the Mornington Peninsula

20.01.2022 Announcing my retirement! In a little over six months' time I will be 70 years old - a fact that is really hard to believe. I was 17 when I began working, and I think 53 years is long enough (I did have four years off to care for my children when they were little). My book, The Longest Journey, continues on its own interesting path - finding new readers and kind people willing to stock it on their shelves. Apart from ebooks, The Longest Journey will no longer be available fro...m the publisher, but it is in several shops - Antipodes Bookshop and Gallery in Sorrento, The Book Barn in Rosebud and Blairgowrie Newsagency. Copies can also be bought via my website amandastuart.com.au I once described the book as being like a centipede - heading off on its tiny legs and reaching all sorts of readers. The book seems to find its way to people who are helped by reading it. I like that! See more

19.01.2022 A powerful message. When I was a teacher, and later as a counsellor, I would quote the words "The truth will set you free", whenever there was nothing else I could say, and I knew that telling the truth would help the person to free themselves from their pain. I probably quoted these words in The Longest Journey. Somewhere! This post from Jeff Foster puts it very well.

18.01.2022 Following the interview with Francis Macnab in September 2012, 'The Longest Journey: finding the true self' has been on sale in the church hall after the Sunday Service. Thanks to Jeanette Noy for her continued promotion and support for the book, 103 copies have been bought so far. I find this extraordinary. And lovely! Thank you!

18.01.2022 I would love to see you at my solo exhibition - save the date!

13.01.2022 Check out my latest articles: https://t.co/HWd5y4yr7K

12.01.2022 It's nearly 18 months since my last post on The Longest Journey page. The book is happily reaching new readers still, and since retiring officially I have been giving talks to groups on the Mornington Peninsula, such as Rotary and Probus groups, and the Cheviot Club in Rye. This is an ageing population and I generally spend some time discussing how we can approach the difficult issue of death - facing our own and helping friends when their partners and family members die. The Longest Journey includes a chapter on dealing with the death of loved ones, so it is still relevant. I'm pleased people continue to find the book helpful when dealing with their emotional life.

11.01.2022 I aim not to comment on politics or public affairs, but the recent conviction of George Pell took me back to writing The Longest Journey, in particular the second chapter, and exchanging emails with Chrissie Foster, whose two young daughters were sexually abused by the local priest. Chrissie and her husband Anthony were key figures in the Royal Commission on sexual abuse. My heart goes out to her for all she has endured, and continues to endure. For anyone interested in read...ing of the trauma that victims of sexual abuse experience, Chapter 2 explores a number of victims' stories. In Chapter 7 one woman's story of finding the courage to confront her abuser (20 years after the abuse) is told in detail. Why is it so hard for people to tell? Because the victim feels intense shame - what happened to them is too shameful to talk about. Invariably they wonder if they invited it in some way. They didn't. They were innocent children, in the hands of a powerful predator. All they knew was that it felt wrong. And why would anyone put themselves through the harrowing experience of charging the perpetrator if it weren't true? I don't believe for a minute that they would. See more

11.01.2022 One of the clients who featured in The Longest Journey, who is now a mother of two little girls, wrote to me about her time in counselling, as she reflects on it now: "I still think a lot about my experiences with counselling, especially now as a mum of two girls. Mental health is so important and we have to look after it. Counselling definitely helped me with my anxiety and dealing with my family. I'm a lot less anxious now than I used to be. Age, experience and continuous l...earning have all helped, but I believe the work I did with you was invaluable. I'm constantly learning more about myself and about life Navigating my own way through life was hard! Counselling helped me realise I wasn't on my own and I needed support from others. I wasn't really nurtured as a child, so I missed out on feeling loved and supported. Now, as a mother myself, I try hard to make sure my kids feel loved and nurtured." Melissa's story (not her real name) is on Page 80 of The Longest Journey.

10.01.2022 My first solo exhibition is on October 13 and 14 this year - details below. The exhibition portrays, in both photographs and words, the lives of nine very different men, and the significant events that have shaped them. I realise that in some ways this exhibition links to my work in counselling, and the stories that formed the basis of my book 'The Longest Journey'. These nine men have all had interesting journeys, and I feel honoured to be able to share their stories in my exhibition.

10.01.2022 For anyone interested in seeing the exhibition Nine Men:Nine Lives, it is on line now, thanks to the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery. Now that they have been forced to close, they are mounting exhibitions on line. Below is the link - just scroll down to the second article. https://artsandculture.mornpen.vic.gov.au/

09.01.2022 They get a lot of detail, liberal sentiments, about gay or straight lifestyles. They get nothing, absolutely nothing, about the sexual abuse of children and boys and mens responsibility not to perpetrate that activity, Professor Mullen told the inquiry into the handling of child abuse on Friday. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au//boys-should-be-taught-sex-abuse-

08.01.2022 Finally started my own blog! http://bit.ly/YrPMVO

07.01.2022 http://www.amandastuart.com.au//australia-day-2014-reflec/

06.01.2022 I have just updated my website - amandastuart.com.au - with the expert help of Jacinda Kettermann, who not only did the website but sold several copies of the Longest Journey to her friends, as she felt she got a lot from it. Recently I contacted the ex-clients who are in the book as I like to know how they are doing. Each one who replied feels good about the changes they made in their lives. Some I follow on Facebook and I'm happy to see that a few who were addicted to drugs... are now living contented and positive lives - one man is a successful yoga teacher and a young woman has given up drugs and alcohol, and has advanced in her career to become team manager at a very young age. What this means, I believe, is that if you are courageous enough to look at your own problems in life and confront the demons from the past, you can let go of addiction and live a happier life. Most of all, your relationships with others improve hugely. The Longest Journey is currently for sale through my website at a discounted price till December 7th (including postage Australia-wide). The attached photo - taken at a local beach just as a storm broke - reminds me of Leonard Cohen's words, "There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in".

06.01.2022 An article in Essence magazine (February2020) about my exhibition Nine Men:Nine Lives also mentions the book I published in 2012 'The Longest Journey'. The book is in the Mornington Library at present and the librarian tells me all three copies are out on loan. They have asked me to bring along some signed copies when I do the author talk on March 13th at 2pm. Do come if you can! It's free but bookings necessary.

06.01.2022 Announcing my retirement! In a little over six months time I will be 70 years old - a fact that is really hard to believe. I was 17 when I began working, and I think 53 years is long enough (I did have four years off to care for my children when they were little). My book, The Longest Journey, continues on its own interesting path - finding new readers and kind people willing to stock it on their shelves. Apart from ebooks, The Longest Journey will no longer be available fro...m the publisher, but it is in several shops - Antipodes Bookshop and Gallery in Sorrento, The Book Barn in Rosebud and Blairgowrie Newsagency. Copies can also be bought via my website amandastuart.com.au I once described the book as being like a centipede - heading off on its tiny legs and reaching all sorts of readers. The book seems to find its way to people who are helped by reading it. I like that! See more

06.01.2022 The oldest of the nine men in NineMen:Nine Lives is Les Oakley, who turned 100 in October. He came to each of the events and was very happy to talk to people about his wartime experiences. I keep in contact with Les, who is in Jepara Nursing Home now, and unable to have visitors. Yesterday when I phoned him he told me he is reading my book - The Longest Journey:Finding the True Self. I wrote it when I was a counsellor and I didn't think it would appeal to Les but he assures me he's finding it very interesting!

05.01.2022 Jemma's interview is today! Sorry - we had last minute notice. Anyone free to listen at 12 noon, it's Radio rpp 98.7 fm and the interview lasts for one hour. Jemma speaks openly and honestly about her journey from lonely childhood to fulfilled and happy adult.

05.01.2022 I thought I would share this - lovely words!

04.01.2022 Jemmas interview is today! Sorry - we had last minute notice. Anyone free to listen at 12 noon, its Radio rpp 98.7 fm and the interview lasts for one hour. Jemma speaks openly and honestly about her journey from lonely childhood to fulfilled and happy adult.

04.01.2022 'They get a lot of detail, liberal sentiments, about gay or straight lifestyles. They get nothing, absolutely nothing, about the sexual abuse of children and boys' and men's responsibility not to perpetrate that activity,'' Professor Mullen told the inquiry into the handling of child abuse on Friday. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au//boys-should-be-taught-sex-abuse-

03.01.2022 It was a thrill to see my book (The Longest Journey, published in 2011) on the shelves of the Mornington Library this morning - coinciding with my exhibition Nine Men:Nine Lives. It's hard to believe 9 years have gone by since it was published.

01.01.2022 Following the interview with Francis Macnab in September 2012, The Longest Journey: finding the true self has been on sale in the church hall after the Sunday Service. Thanks to Jeanette Noy for her continued promotion and support for the book, 103 copies have been bought so far. I find this extraordinary. And lovely! Thank you!

01.01.2022 I have just updated my website:- amandastuart.com.au - in part because the original book distributor has gone into liquidation, so I'm handling any sales myself. Sincere thanks to Jacinda Kettmann for designing the new site, and also for selling copies of the book to several of her friends as she loved it!