Lifelines in the Dark shows you how to communicate with your clients when they are experiencing acute symptoms of illness. Amdur gives you a "skill map", a range of communication tactics that cover many symptoms, such as the presence of paranoia, mania, hallucinations, delusions, and other manifestations of the illness. With his expert guidance, you will learn to reach out to the person behind the illness. "Words do not cure severe psychiatric illnesses" says Amdur, "but we can choose to speak to the illness or speak to the person who is ill. And when we speak to the person, like a lifeline thrown in the dark to someone in the stormy sea, they have something to hold onto so that they are not overwhelmed by the waves."

This book can also be purchased, both as a bound volume and e-book, at Care In Action.

Centering: Standing with Strength and Grace in Crisis Situations 
Ellis Amdur, M.A., N.C.C., C.M.H.S.

It can be very challenging to preserve a sense of personal pride and confidence while in the midst of the turmoil created by the psychiatric disorders of individuals you work with. This guidebook walks you through effective strategies for maintaining greater self-control in your interactions with your clients. The confidence you will develop through this guidebook will, in turn, profoundly improve the quality of your relationship with your clients.

This book will also be available for purchase, both as a bound volume and e-book, at Care In Action.

In the Eye of the Hurricane: Calming and
De-escalation of Aggressive Individuals

Symptoms of psychiatric disorders and substance abuse sometimes include threatening behaviors, aggression, frightening verbal escalations, harsh exchanges, and more. In this guidebook, Ellis Amdur walks you through the steps you can take to reduce the probability of your client becoming aggressive, explains how to handle tense situations before they deteriorate into chaos, and shows you how to de-escalate once a crisis is in play. Amdur also teaches you about the cycle of aggression — the motivation behind these emotional expressions — and offers some crucial, common sense do’s and don’ts in the face of anger, rage and violence.

This book will also be available for purchase, both as a bound volume and e-book, at Care In Action.

Publication Pending