Richard C. Scheinberg
What if someone told you that the most difficult period in your life may be a blessing in disguise? As a psychotherapist with 25 years of experience, Richard C. Scheinberg has candidly and succinctly summarized the spiritual and deeply personal transformation of ten people attempting to overcome the worst challenges of their lives. In this inspirational book, Scheinberg also reveals how he survived the most difficult periods in his own life. Furthermore, he conveys his personal conviction that our common strengths emanate from a source more powerful than any challenges that may come our way.
“An amazing book!”
—Dr. Vivienne Finnegan, MD, Melbourne, Australia
“It’s very rare that a book comes along that is so thought-provoking about life. It made me reflect about my own life and start to truly understand ‘How did I get here?’ I started reading and I couldn’t put it down! I loved it in its entirety and I can’t wait to read it again!”
—Michael D’Amico, Medical Programming Engineer, Selden, New York
“A deeply personal and inspirational reaffirmation of a gifted therapist's journey through life....”
—Deborah Poerio, APRN, MS, FNP, C, Manchester, Connecticut
RICHARD C. SCHEINBERG is a New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker and he is recognized nationally as a Board Certified Diplomate in clinical social work. Scheinberg has twenty-five years of professional experience and he is currently the Director of Sunrise Counseling Center, located in Bay Shore, New York, which is a mental health agency he opened in 1993. Aside from being a human resource specialist for community organizations and employee assistance programs, Scheinberg continues to serve as a seminar developer, workshop leader, and business consultant locally and nationally.
From the Introduction:
The pain of feeling alienated and misunderstood is the universal fear and anxiety that dims the Spirit. The hurt usually involves an experience of trusting or seeking love, but experiencing betrayal and/or abuse. Sometimes the hurt is traumatic, and sometimes the pain is so great that one has fantasies of homicide or suicide. Some experiences are more common in childhood and some occur more often in adulthood. As we look back, we always try to make sense of it all. Why did this happen to me? What am I supposed to do now? Does God have a plan? Do I have a purpose? These are experiences to which we can all relate....
...trauma forced me to do the deepest soul-searching of my life. Over many, many months I painstakingly reviewed and resolved every source of conflict and despair in my life. And the payoff for this work has been greater than I could have ever imagined. The result of this trauma was a spiritual rebirth I could not deny. I came to realize that my life has a purpose that only a higher power could have understood. I know now that I am very much like every other individual who feels like a lost soul on this earth.
From Chapter 4 (about "Paula"):
"I have something for you," she proclaimed, and she reached into her pocketbook to grab a letter. "You can read it all," she added, placing it in my hands...
...As Paula sobbed in my office, I often thought to myself that I wished there was some way to console her and quickly "make it better." But her healing had to come from within. Her psyche and soul had to mingle, grieve out loud and find healthier ways to integrate these experiences. How did these things happen? Why would a young woman have to endure such trauma? What were life's lessons to be learned? Between tears, Paula began to make sense of this mess. After several weeks, she began to find peace of mind.
