Counselling for Toads

I love this book it recognises the dynamics we all play using the simple structure of the wind in the willows book to make and important point.

I read this every year without fail and if you have ever had a problem in your family about who is bossing you about and how to get through this as an adult then have a read.

This is a joyful book to read – a clever pastiche of Graham Greene’s Wind In the Willows it explains the principles of Transactional Analysis in a way that more ‘technical’ books on the subject can’t reach. Once again it is about awareness of how you are speaking and impacting on others and how shifting your approach can help them shift their thinking.

The ‘story’ format is hypnotic...and I love the hypnotic quality of stories that convey learning in an almost imperceptible way. The poet Seamus Heaney, Nobel Laureate, a countryman of mine summed up the power of poetry (and… show more.

It is no exaggeration to say that this book changed my life both personally and professionally. Robert de Board introduces us to counselling with his account of The Wind in the Willows character Toad having therapy. This delightful read doesn’t just illustrate the power of transactional analysis, it demonstrates how our experiences shape our interaction with the world around us, enabling us to see both through a clearer lens. The book ignited my interest in psychoanalysis and behavioural psychology and I have genuinely lost count of the number of times I’ve recommended or gifted it to people.