UMass Center Celebrates Women’s History Month with Book Signing

SPRINGFIELD — Inspirational stories of courage and healing will take center stage during a book signing today, March 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the UMass Center at Springfield. Authors Patricia P. Martin and Helene D. Houston will present readings and discussion from their book The Other Couch: Discovering Women’s Wisdom in Therapy as part of a Women’s History Month observance.

“We try to remove the stigma of mental illness and acknowledge that the wisest people are the ones that seek help,” said Houston. “We provide a caution about our digital age and the increased isolation of the individual and the danger that the sharing of wisdom through stories will become a lost art.”

The Other Couch explores the lives of 36 spirited women who struggle and overcome their challenges with courage, resilience, and commitment. Martin and Houston focus on the wisdom patients bring to their therapists as they introduce women diagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder, multiple personality disorder, chronic suicidal ideation, and substance abuse. Each chapter conveys an important life lesson about the human condition and touches on situations including abusive relationships, addiction, and the death of loved ones.

Today’s event will include a book reading and signing by the authors, an opportunity for networking, and light refreshments. This event is being held in conjunction with the Art for the Soul Gallery.

“We are celebrating Women’s History Month by promoting and hosting community events that empower women, girls, and those concerned about this segment of our population,” said Jamina Scippio-McFadden, director of Marketing & Community Relations at the UMass Center. “This particular book relates to physical and emotional health, to which several of our academic programs support as well.”

Scippio-McFadden highlighted the center’s programs related to the broader healthcare field, specifically the Nursing program, the Addictions Counselor Education Program (ACEP), the recent addition of extensive training offered by Berkshire AHEC, and the developing Psychological and Brain Sciences @ Springfield research program.

Copies of The Other Couch will be available. To RSVP for this free event, call (413) 788-6277 or e-mail umasscenter@umass.edu. Walk-ins are welcome. Light refreshments will be served.