PoCS | Bringing Fire

In 2019, I co-authored The Power of Character Strengths with my friend and collaborator, Ryan Niemiec. It was my first, and last, foray into the field of self-help books. It uses the concept of character, the concept that runs all the way through Bringing Fire, to talk about exploring character as a contributor to personal growth and flourishing. It was an Amazon Best Seller when it was first published, was featured in a New York Times piece called "6 Self-Help Books That Therapists Read Themselves” and has since been published in audio format, Brazilian Portuguese, Bulgarian, Farsi, Hungarian, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese (with my all-time favorite cover art up until Bringing Fire).

Endorsements

The authors offer a crucially-needed roadmap to thriving and living life to the fullest, offering an alternative to focusing on faults, flaws and failings.

—Sandra Scheinbaum, Ph.D., IFMCP, Founder and CEO, Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, Inc.

This book focuses on strengths and not on weaknesses to fight against depression and increase well-being and happiness. It will put you in the path of a strengths-based transformation.
—Joseph F. Bacigalupo, MBA, MPEC, ACPEC, Managing Partner & Executive Advisor, AlliancesHub International, LLC

A really helpful book to boost anyone’s self-confidence (and make the world a better place). This book is well researched, easy to read, and entices to explore character strengths further.
—Barbara Winwood, Life Coach (Dorset, UK)

This is a hopeful, encouraging self-help book with a clear structure and is easy to read and digest. It is encouraging and realistic about our personalities and has plenty of great information and explanations, with real life/personal stories.

—Helen O’Donohue, Educational Psychologist (UK)

I want my clients to know that this is the definitive book on individual strengths and that they really should pick it up, read it and use it.
—Lisa Sansom, Coach and Consultant

I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at the age of 34. I have no family history (of any cancer!). I was a Division I athlete, maintained an active lifestyle, and was otherwise extremely healthy. Knowing my strengths before this “detour” allowed me to know what I should focus on
each day. These character strengths practices have kept me on a path of resilience and happiness throughout my diagnosis and treatment.
—Lani Silversides, Mathematics Instructor and athletic coach at Phillips Academy Andover,
Certified Sport Psychology Coach, and Certified Positive Educator

As a strengths-based psychotherapist, this work with character strengths has profoundly changed the way my clients see themselves and the kind of work we do together.
—Jennifer Cory, MS, MAPP, LCSW, Clinical Psychotherapist and Founder HEART Initiative

Here is a book that can change your life like it did mine.
—Kristen Carter, Positive Psychology Coach and Writer