DESCRIPTION:

Val Walker is hold a background in rehabilitation counseling, greif support, and cousneling. All of these helped Val write her new book Healing Through Wonder: How Awe Restores Us After Trauma and Loss. Val was once homeless, running from a violent partner, and battling suicidal depression, she found herself sitting by a river holding a bottle of pills in one hand and a bottle of red wine to wash them down in the other. Out of the twilight sky a majestic blue heron circled and landed just a few feet away. Something in the heron's piercing eyes caused her to stop swallowing the pills. In that moment, she realized that there was just too much beauty and magic in the world to give up. Thus began a decades-long quest to understand how wondrous encounters can spark healing from trauma and grief. This inspiring guide shares stories of profound, transformational experiences from four profiles alongside her own, and unpacks the neuroscience that explains how wonder helps our brains and bodies heal.

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Val believes deeply in the power of shared moments of wonder even brief, unexpected ones to break through isolation and foster healing. She holds a Master of Science in rehabilitation counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University and has led support groups for over thirty years for people living with illness, grief, and trauma. She speaks nationwide on building connection after loss and major life changes. As well as this she is a contributing blogger for Psychology Today and the Health Story Collaborative. Val's work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, TIME, The Boston Globe, AARP Bulletin, Good Housekeeping, and more. Based in Boston, Val also teaches "Words Galore" programs for seniors and draws inspiration from her years living in Maine's Midcoast region.

Website: https://HealingThroughWonder.com