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RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Augoustinos, M., Walker, I., & Donaghue, N. (2006). Social Cognition: An integrated introduction (2nd edition). London: Sage.

Barrett-Lennard, G. T. Relationship at the centre: Healing in a troubled world.
London and Philadelphia: Whurr Publishers, 2004.

This book advances a new perspective on the working and potential healing of relations between persons and peoples in our deeply troubled world. Personal selves evolve from varied experiences in relation, and each of us is 'many in one'. Close exploration of inner relations leads on to the other main spheres: interpersonal and family relations, community process as relationship, the nature and far-reaching phenomena of loneliness and alienation, and organizational and big-system relations. One chapter maps the wide spectrum of inter-connected human systems, and another presents a view of helping theory and practice development extended through this spectrum. Over the whole range, the basic processes, healing and development of relationship are in central focus. The book ends by distilling a multi-level view of change priorities, possibilities and steps toward recovery. (The book includes forewords by Brian Thorne, Emeritus Professor of Counselling, University of East Anglia; and Leslie S. Greenberg, Professor of Psychology, York University, Toronto.)

My Preface begins with reference to the book's title: Each chapter, distinct in its topic, is grounded in thought that originated at a different point in my professional-personal journey. Extending the metaphor, each can be considered a step in this journey. But why the term 'mindful'? I have thought long about each part of the book and tried to capture meanings rather precisely, consistent with wanting to make the volume accessible to a broad range of readers. Even when my language is informal and personal the content is 'mindful' - my mind reaching out to your thinking self, as reader. I also have ventured to speak directly about aspects of my own journey in the Appendix, and to end with poems that distilled or foreshadowed more formal thought. In varied ways, themes regarding the self and relationships between selves course throughout this book. The nature, growth and healing of self through therapy and life experiences is a major strand. I have sought to illuminate how relationships work between therapist and client, in developmental groups and in families. The nature of listening and processes of empathy in human life are particular foci in at least three chapters. One chapter is devoted to my Relationship Inventory. Description, illustration, theory and systematic study follow each other with varied emphasis, according to the topic. Each of the 10 chapters begins with an informal mini-preface about how it came to be 'born' and grow, with hints as to the nature of this offspring of thought. This book will be included in an advertising feature by the publisher in a forthcoming issue of the American Psychologist, and is available direct from PCCS - email: maggie@pccsbks.globalnet.co.uk. In Perth, it is stocked by the Murdoch University bookstore and the Archive bookstore in Claremont.

Migrating to another country and another language is comparable to surviving a war or becoming a parent: it splits one’s life into two parts — before and after — and changes it forever. The eight stories collected in this book are told by Croatians who migrated to Australia between 1949 and 1996. With captivating frankness and humour, storytellers share their intimate knowledge of Croatia and their ‘outsider’s’ views of Australia. The book can be purchased in the bookstores Australia-wide and online, $ 24.95 (less through some outlets).

Australia has now moved into the 21st century and “Reconciliation” sometimes seems as far away as it ever has been. It also seems that Indigenous-Australians have been researched more than any other Australian group, and for the most part this research has had little practical impact on the disadvantages that many Indigenous people suffer. In this work, we look at the self-image of Indigenous children (how they see their cultural group as well as their sense of their own self). We attempt to look at Indigenous social justice issues from a practical point of view, as well as a theoretical one. The studies performed here originate from mainstream ideologies. However, they also originate from the hearts and minds of Indigenous-Australians who helped both with the ideas behind the research, the collecting of data, as well as the interpretation of results. The book explores ideas, and then offers up the results for other researchers to challenge, build on, and develop. In this day and age, researchers have become very aware of the potential oppression and inappropriateness of ‘mainstream’ psychological approaches toward Indigenous people, and are therefore trying to respond to this. In years to come, we may look back on the methods employed in the present project and perceive it to be a ‘product of its time’. But for now, we offer the project up for development by other people working in the field.

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