Personal Growth

By Leah Jo Carnine and Fizz Percale, 2020, Zine

Zine / pamphlet. Published by Microcosm! Queer Attachment: An Anti-Oppression Toolkit for Relational Healing Weaves together mainstream attachment theory with study of trauma and the nervous system, with a focus on bringing in the knowledge of the queer and PoC practitioners in this field. This zine offers a guide to healing that is rooted in social justice, considerate of diverse identities, and deeply aware of how mental health is tied to systems of oppression.

A deep dive into the spectrum of Autistic experience and the phenomenon of masked Autism, giving individuals the tools to safely uncover their true selves while broadening society’s narrow understanding of neurodiversity

“A remarkable work that will stand at the forefront of the neurodiversity movement.”—Barry M. Prizant, PhD, CCC-SLP, author of Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism

For every visibly Autistic person you meet, there are countless “masked” Autistic people who pass as neurotypical. Masking is a common coping mechanism in which Autistic people hide their identifiably Autistic traits in order to fit in with societal norms, adopting a superficial personality at the expense of their mental health. This can include suppressing harmless stims, papering over communication challenges by presenting as unassuming and mild-mannered, and forcing themselves into situations that cause severe anxiety, all so they aren’t seen as needy or “odd.”
 
In Unmasking Autism, Dr. Devon Price shares his personal experience with masking and blends history, social science research, prescriptions, and personal profiles to tell a story of neurodivergence that has thus far been dominated by those on the outside looking in. For Dr. Price and many others, Autism is a deep source of uniqueness and beauty. Unfortunately, living in a neurotypical world means it can also be a source of incredible alienation and pain. Most masked Autistic individuals struggle for decades before discovering who they truly are. They are also more likely to be marginalized in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, class, and other factors, which contributes to their suffering and invisibility. Dr. Price lays the groundwork for unmasking and offers exercises that encourage self-expression, including:

• Celebrating special interests
• Cultivating Autistic relationships
• Reframing Autistic stereotypes
• And rediscovering your values

It’s time to honor the needs, diversity, and unique strengths of Autistic people so that they no longer have to mask—and it’s time for greater public acceptance and accommodation of difference. In embracing neurodiversity, we can all reap the rewards of nonconformity and learn to live authentically, Autistic and neurotypical people alike.

Ever since he came out as autistic, people have been contacting Joe to share their stories and ask questions. The most common question by far: how do I find a romantic partner? Dr. Faith G. Harper, author of Unfuck Your Brain and Unfuck Your Intimacy joins autistic publisher and author Joe Biel to offer hard-won guidance on a wide range of topics about friendships, dating, and romance and answer a ton of questions. What do you want out of a relationship? What is the difference between flirting and harassment? How do you have a fun date and get to know someone when eye contact and prolonged conversation aren't your strengths? How do you change a casual acquaintance into friendship or dating? How do you express your needs and make sure you're hearing your partner when they express theirs? How do you maintain a healthy, happy long term relationship? Autistic readers will find valuable answers and perspectives in this book, whether you're just getting ready to jump into dating, seeking to forge closer friendships, or looking to improve your existing partnership or marriage.

By: Dom&Ink, 2019, Paperback

Every rainbow-coloured page is packed with LGBTQ+ activities, advice and attitude.

With spreads to colour, scribble, design and glitter, you'll meet dancing drag queens, rainbow donuts and the world's sassiest LGBTQ+ dinosaur: Brett the Sassysaurus!

Read quotes from real-life rainbow icons, find out how to throw your own Pride Party, and learn about the history of gay rights. Most importantly: celebrate being yourself and what makes YOU amazing!

Warm, hilarious, caring and insightful, Free To Be Me will fill every reader with self-esteem, confidence, colour and pride.

By: Sonya Renee Taylor (Author), Ijeoma Olio (Foreword), 2021, Paperback

"To build a world that works for everyone, we must first make the radical decision to love every facet of ourselves...'The body is not an apology' is the mantra we should all embrace."
--Kimberlé Crenshaw, legal scholar and founder and Executive Director, African American Policy Forum

"Taylor invites us to break up with shame, to deepen our literacy, and to liberate our practice of celebrating every body and never apologizing for this body that is mine and takes care of me so well."
--Alicia Garza, cocreator of the Black Lives Matter Global Network and Strategy + Partnerships Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance

"Her manifesto on radical self-love is life altering--required reading for anyone who struggles with body image."
--Claire Foster, Foreword Review

Humans are a varied and divergent bunch with all manner of beliefs, morals, and bodies. Systems of oppression thrive off our inability to make peace with difference and injure the relationship we have with our own bodies.

The Body Is Not an Apology offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by these violent systems. World-renowned activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor invites us to reconnect with the radical origins of our minds and bodies and celebrate our collective, enduring strength. As we awaken to our own indoctrinated body shame, we feel inspired to awaken others and to interrupt the systems that perpetuate body shame and oppression against all bodies. When we act from this truth on a global scale, we usher in the transformative opportunity of radical self-love, which is the opportunity for a more just, equitable, and compassionate world--for us all.

By:  Adam Eli (Author), Ashley Lukashevsky (Illustrator), 2020, Paperback, Pocket Change Collective

Pocket Change Collective is a series of small books with big ideas from today's leading activists and artists. In this installment, The New Queer Conscience, Voices4 Founder and LGBTQIA+ activist Adam Eli offers a candid and compassionate introduction to queer responsibility. Eli calls on his Jewish faith to underline how kindness and support within the queer community can lead to a stronger global consciousness. More importantly, he reassures us that we're not alone. In fact, we never were. Because if you mess with one queer, you mess with us all.

Addictions replace relationships, says Microcosm Publishing bestseller Dr. Faith, in her latest series of zines that use brain science and swearing that'll make you laugh, think, and take the practical steps you need to. If you would like to not be addicted anymore, then this zine walks you through the array of options, from total abstinence programs to the many shades of harm reduction and replacing your problem relationship with more positive things. Worth reading if you're struggling with addiction yourself or if you're wondering how to help someone else.

2nd Edition PAPERBACK

Published by Microcosm! Unfuck Your Brain Workbook: Using Science to Get Over Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Freak-Outs, and Triggers Our brains are doing their best, but sometimes they act like real assholes and it can take a lot of work to calm them down. If you're dealing with unresolved trauma, depression, anxiety, anger, grief, or addiction, or just feel like your reactions to everyday events aren't what you want them to be, there are tons of tools to help with that. This workbook is packed with exercises for getting extra space between your thinking mind and your instinctive reactions so that you can be more likely to respond appropriately to the non-emergencies of daily life. Drawing from many different disciplines, including CBT, DBT, ACT, PTM, and somatic therapies, Dr. Faith Harper brings her signature practicality, humor, and warmth to the project of getting better so you can make friends with your brain and live the life you want.

Live your best, unashamedly unmasked Autistic life with this invaluable resource featuring tools for navigating friendships, family, work, and love, from the author of Unmasking Autism.

“Unmasking for Life should be read by not only autistic people but their loved ones, to ensure they facilitate a truly fulfilling life.”—Eric Garcia, author of We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation

Most masked Autistics have spent a lifetime being told how to perform neurotypically: how to behave, how to carry themselves, what to feel, and how to live. With his previous book, Unmasking Autism, Devon Price, PhD, has given them the space and the tools to unmask and embrace their neurodiversity. But no matter where you are in the unmasking process, there is still work to be done. Unmasking is more than just a personal process of self-acceptance, after all—it also requires figuring out how to move comfortably throughout life building friendships, nurturing family, pursuing love, finding a means of survival, and expressing oneself on one’s own terms. In order to live a brilliantly unashamed Autistic life, you need more than internal healing—you need practical tools of assertiveness and interpersonal effectiveness, and solutions to the problems of ableism and inaccessibility.

Enter Unmasking for Life, which provides the resources to help you advocate for your needs and invent new ways of living, loving, and being that work with your disability rather than against it. You’ll learn how to develop five key skills for living unmasked in all areas of life:

• Acceptance of change, loss, and uncertainty
• Engagement in productive conflict, discussion, and disagreement
• Transgression of unfair rules, demands, and social expectations
• Tolerance of distress, disagreement, or being disliked
• Creation of new accommodations, relationship structures, and new ways of living

Unmasking for Life will help validate and support you so you can move beyond unmasking your Autism and begin unmasking your world.

The #1 New York Times bestseller. More than 2 million copies sold!

Look for Brené Brown’s new podcast, Dare to Lead, as well as her ongoing podcast Unlocking Us!

From thought leader Brené Brown, a transformative new vision for the way we lead, love, work, parent, and educate that teaches us the power of vulnerability.
 
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; . . . who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.”—Theodore Roosevelt

Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable or to dare greatly. Based on twelve years of pioneering research, Brené Brown PhD, MSW, dispels the cultural myth that vulnerability is weakness and argues that it is, in truth, our most accurate measure of courage.

Brown explains how vulnerability is both the core of difficult emotions like fear, grief, and disappointment, and the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, empathy, innovation, and creativity. She writes: “When we shut ourselves off from vulnerability, we distance ourselves from the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives.”

Daring Greatly is not about winning or losing. It’s about courage. In a world where “never enough” dominates and feeling afraid has become second nature, vulnerability is subversive. Uncomfortable. It’s even a little dangerous at times. And, without question, putting ourselves out there means there’s a far greater risk of getting criticized or feeling hurt. But when we step back and examine our lives, we will find that nothing is as uncomfortable, dangerous, and hurtful as standing on the outside of our lives looking in and wondering what it would be like if we had the courage to step into the arena—whether it’s a new relationship, an important meeting, the creative process, or a difficult family conversation. Daring Greatly is a practice and a powerful new vision for letting ourselves be seen.

By: Ph.D. Harper, Faith G. (Author), 2020, Paperback

Are other people constantly intruding on your personal space, using your stuff, disrespecting you, and otherwise violating your boundaries? You can't control what they do, but you can control how you understand and communicate your own needs and make choices about how you behave and respond to the people around you. Dive deep into self-work with this interactive guide that can be used alone or as a companion to Dr. Faith's book Unfuck Your Boundaries. You'll learn about how to give and get consent, how to make sure you're stating your boundaries clearly and being understood, how to decide what is a dealbreaker, how to deal with boundaries in group settings, how to identify abuse, and how to hold yourself accountable to respecting the boundaries of others. Helpful to anyone trying to figure out healthier intimate relationships, better workplace dynamics, difficult family drama, or just how to be more confident in your own skin.