Dr Kevin Ross Emery is an eminent US spiritualist coach and counsellor, who has written a number of interesting books on various aspects of spirituality and psychic-awareness, but most notably, Managing the gift: alternative approaches to attention deficit disorder.
I met Dr Emery last year in the UK at a bit of a spiritual soiree and he is most definitely an interesting guy. In Managing the gift, Dr Emery claims that the 'ADHD impacted person is part of the evolutionary process of humanity', and in his view, we must recognise and appreciate the gifts that people with attention deficit disorders bring to society.
Dr Emery doesn't feel that medication is the answer to help people affected by ADD or ADHD. He even says that if he were to rename the disorder, he might call it something like 'cultural inconvenience syndrome' (which I do quite like). Dr Emery also believes that intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically, people with attention deficit disorders can easily be appreciated in many ways (if we were in an ideal setting), and he feels that there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding surrounding the 'disorder'.
In Managing the gift, Dr Emery certainly provides a fresh approach to something that is increasingly being seen as a 'new problem', and something which should be quashed as a opposed to harnessed. In his book, he outlines a framework to begin the management of ADHD or ADD, and then devotes chapters to the different levels of intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical management. Also covered are the impacts of anxiety, shame, isolation and depression, as well as how to address these aspects.
I think there is insight within the pages of Dr Emery's book for anyone dealing with people with attention deficit disorders, whether as parents or as therapists/care workers, as well as for people with disorders themselves. I cannot recommend whether or not one should choose to adopt the approaches, but I feel that any attempt made to widen understanding or take an alternative outlook can only be positive.
Managing the gift: alternative approaches to attention deficit disorder by Dr Kevin Ross Emery (paperback, 165 pages), £7.46.
Click here for details of Kevin's Serenity Tour (in the US), beginning May 6th.
"Outside the Box with Dr. Kevin" is a weekly podcast showing listeners how they can find greater spiritual meaning in everyday life. Segments include interviews, "Through the Spiritual Lens," an astrology forecast, and answers to listeners' emails. Hosted with wit and wisdom by Dr. Kevin Ross Emery and a variety of fascinating co-hosts. To learn more about Dr Kevin and his show, please visit him at: http://weboflight.com and http://www.kevinrossemery.com
Posted by: Anita L McCormick | November 26, 2008 at 04:35 AM
"Outside the Box with Dr. Kevin" is a weekly podcast showing listeners how they can find greater spiritual meaning in everyday life. Segments include interviews, "Through the Spiritual Lens," an astrology forecast, and answers to listeners' emails. Hosted with wit and wisdom by Dr. Kevin Ross Emery and a variety of fascinating co-hosts. To learn more about Dr Kevin and his show, please visit him at: http://weboflight.com and http://www.kevinrossemery.com
Posted by: Anita L McCormick | November 26, 2008 at 04:36 AM