The Self-Care Toolkit Surpasses 70,000 Copies Sold – Cover Image with Banner

What Is This Book?

Feeling overwhelmed by stress Exhausted from relationships Unable to sleep due to anxiety about the future...

The quickest way to recover from such mental distress is learning to care for yourself effectively.

A popular counselor with over 30 years of experience in therapy generously shares self-care techniques in this book.

This definitive workbook introduces professional methods—including stress management, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, coping strategies, and schema therapy—using minimal jargon to make them accessible to everyone.

Illustrations by manga artist Tenten Hosokawa. Chapter 1: Exercise 1, Chapter 1: Exercises 5–6

Author's Message (from the Introduction)

(... ) I know I am not the only counselor in the world. There are certainly counselors more skilled than I am. However, I believe the situation surrounding counseling is the same for me: compared to the number of people who are struggling, suffering, and who could benefit from counseling, there are far too few counselors—or too few people who can access counseling services.

That is why I decided to write this book. I wanted to share, as openly as possible, the practical ideas and techniques for self-care that I have accumulated through 30 years of full-time work as a counselor.

Numerous Messages of Gratitude from Readers

Six years have passed since its summer 2020 release during the pandemic.

Throughout this time, the book has continued to sell steadily.

Many heartfelt messages of appreciation have reached us from readers:

"A book that feels like a counselor sitting beside my heart" "Healed by the gentle illustrations" "A book that will surely help me during tough times"

This Is Not Just a 'Book to Read'

Like a math workbook or a recipe book, this book requires active 'engagement.'

Of course, you don’t have to complete every exercise.

It’s not easy for someone who is struggling or suffering to 'engage' with exercises.

Therefore, I recommend trying in small steps—only as much as you can manage, without pushing yourself.

This book is especially recommended for those who tend to lose emotional and physical balance during seasonal changes.

Book Structure

The book is organized into 10 chapters.

Each chapter contains 10 exercises,

making a total of "10 × 10 = 100 exercises."

Chapter 1: Calm Down First Chapter 2: Connect with Someone Chapter 3: Identify and Write Down Stressors Chapter 4: Identify and Write Down Stress Reactions Chapter 5: Practice Mindfulness (Using Body, Actions, and the Five Senses) Chapter 6: Practice Mindfulness (Noticing and Letting Go of Thoughts, Images, and Emotions) Chapter 7: Find Many Small Coping Strategies Chapter 8: Explore the 'Roots' of Emotional Struggles Chapter 9: From 'Cursed Words' to 'Words of Hope' Chapter 10: Protect and Heal Your 'Inner Child'

Author Profile

◇ Emi Ito

Certified Psychologist, Clinical Psychologist, Mental Health Welfare Specialist. Director of Setagaya Stress Coping & Support Office. Visiting Associate Professor at Chiba University Center for Research on Child Mental Development. Graduated from the Psychology Department, Faculty of Human Relations, Keio University. Completed doctoral program in Sociology at Keio University Graduate School, Ph.D. (Sociology). Specializes in clinical psychology, stress psychology, cognitive behavioral therapy, and schema therapy. Worked as a counselor at psychiatric clinics since graduate school. Engaged in corporate mental health programs before establishing a specialized counseling center based on cognitive behavioral therapy in 2004. Major publications include 'Learning Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Through Case Studies' (Seishin Shobo), 'Self-Help Schema Therapy Workbook Book 1 & Book 2' (Seiwa Shoten), 'Introduction to CBT for Caregivers BOOK 1 & BOOK 2,' 'Mindfulness & Schema Therapy for Caregivers BOOK 1 & BOOK 2' (all Igaku Shoin), and 'Illustrated Stress Management for Children' (Godo Shuppan).

◇ Tenten Hosokawa

Manga artist and illustrator. Graduate of Setsu Mode Seminar. Notable works include 'My Partner Has Depression,' 'The Iguana's Bride' (both from Gentosha Bunko), 'I Still Love My Mother' (Asahi Shimbun Publishing), 'That’s Okay,' 'Really, That’s Okay,' 'Marriage & Partner Relationships Are Okay Too' (co-authored with Hiroko Mizushima, Soogensha), and 'Have You Had a Hard Time?' (Heibonsha).

Bibliographic Information

Title: 'The Self-Care Toolkit: 100 Exercises for Managing Stress'

Author: Emi Ito (Text), Tenten Hosokawa (Illustrations)

Format / Pages: B6 paperback / 304 pages

Price: ¥1,760 (¥1,600 + tax)

ISBN: 978-4-7949-7181-4 C0011

Publication Date: July 2020

URL: https://www.shobunsha.co.jp/?p=5792

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  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: New Product