Book Nook

Are you familiar with Doreen Virtue?  A little about her: Ms. Virtue has her PhD in counseling psychology and has been a clairvoyant her whole life.  She’s written numerous books about Angels, and mentions in her books spiritual beliefs such as A Course In Miracles, the Law of Attraction, and more.

Doreen Virtue is a talented writer whose language is easy to follow and reads much like I would imagine she speaks.  I like that because there’s a sense of intimacy found in this book.  The Angel Therapy Handbook is a guide for spiritual teachers and practitioners, specifically directed at providing angel and psychic therapy for clients.  I enjoyed it because it wasn’t just a how-to for beginners, necessarily, although having had no official psychic or angel therapy education of my own, she made it basic enough that I wasn’t confused at what it was or where it was going.

In addition to providing very easy to understand techniques, she also has a significant portion of advice at the end of the book on how to go into your own spiritual profession and practice, including that of a writer.  She provided beautiful insights on how to break into the metaphysical teaching world, and I relished her thoughtful recommendations.  It read almost like a how-to for herself when she was a budding new teacher.  I felt like what she said was applicable and interesting, even though my own path isn’t necessarily on the spiritual vein, although I do enjoy fancying myself as a highly sensitive, spiritual person.

My ranking: Two flurs because this is a book I want to keep for reference, but would be also willing to lend out to my sensitive beloveds, not necessarily needing to have it back again.  Having concluded with the excellent advice she gave on becoming an entrepreneur, I think just having the book as my own will remind me of where I’m going with my own writing career.

I couldn’t help but think of my dearest friend, El, while reading this.  She is reading it at the same time (albeit FAR more quickly than I did), and I felt a very strong connection with El while I read it.  I know that this is a powerful book that can and will motivate her on her own spiritual path, and I’m thrilled to see where she goes having read this.

Before I began reading The Angel Therapy Handbook, I wondered if it would be right for me since I'd never studied with Doreen. But I found myself being fascinated by Doreen's story about how she began to combine her experience as a psychotherapist with what she had learned firsthand about angels.

What is Angel Therapy?  Here's how Doreen describes it:  "Angel Therapy is a non-denominational spiritual healing method that involves working with a person's guardian angels and archangels, to heal and harmonize every aspect of life."

Angels are a link to Divine Guidance and are available to help when we ask them. The key thing to remember is that they love to help but can only help if we ASK.

I have to admit that reading the book was fun for me. I enjoyed reading it and began to be more curious about the workshops Doreen teaches. During the past couple of years, I've met more and more people who have studied with her. What they have in common is that they are all kind and loving people that I am glad to have met.

Doreen Virtue has been teaching her Angel Therapy Practitioner Course since 1997 and has helped thousands of people learn skills for spiritual healing. In this book she shares with her readers tools, secrets, and exercises she teaches her students. For those who have studied with her, this is a wonderful reference book. For the rest of us, it is an interesting and entertaining look at her teaching.

n the back cover of the book, Doreen Virtue says, "My life purpose isn't to give angel readings and spiritual healings to clients. It's to teach other people to do these things for themselves and their clients. I always encourage my spiritual-counseling students to teach others — to create an ever-spreading ripple effect that increases the awareness that we all have angels, that we all can communicate with them, and that we all have spiritual gifts we can use to help ourselves and the world."

This book has great advice for anyone who feels called to speak, teach, or do healing work of any kind.

In the book Doreen talks about a little-known universal law that she says is always in operation: The Law of Action. She goes on to say, "This rule states that as you take any action in the direction of your goal — no matter how seemingly small — the universe will take an even greater step in your direction to meet and support your goal."

Especially during the current economic downturn people often have less work and find themselves with more free time. We can each choose to use that time for some — any — action. We can choose to help others, explore new paths, make new connections, and to stay active. Passivity leads to boredom and self-doubt. Action of any kind helps keep your mind sharp, active, helps you feel good, and moves you toward your desired outcomes. What are some small actions you can take today?

My husband, Dudley, and I enjoyed meeting Doreen when her band, Obsidian, played in San Francisco. Doreen looks like an angel onstage — whether she is speaking or playing guitar with her band.

Yes, I am glad I decided to review this book. I am also glad that I've begun to learn about angels. What have I learned?

Angels are non-denominational so they are available to everyone.  
Angels are with us all of the time — we just need to believe it and tune into them.
Angels love to help us — but we must ASK them to help.

Do I recommend this book? YES!

If you've studied with Doreen, you'll enjoy having this book as a reminder of what she's taught you. If you are new to her work, I suggest starting with her book Angels 101 so you know the basics of what she teaches.

If you would like to learn more about angels and "Angel Therapy" get a copy of this book! I feel sure you'll enjoy reading it.

As an angel therapy virgin, checking out this free book from my friends at Hay House seemed like it had the potential to be a lot of fun. So with a wildly open mind, I started reading.

The Angel Therapy Handbook by Doreen Virtue is definitely written for those who have little experience in the world of angels, clairvoyance, claircognizance, etc… A quick and easy read, the greatest “gold” I’ve taken from this book is that it has caused me to take pause throughout the day and connect (or reconnect) with my angels, guides, and God and remember to “Let Go, Let God.” In other words, to give my load over to my spiritual guides and rest easy knowing that it is not all my burden alone, to carry. Ms. Virtue makes this easy, offering plenty of affirmations, meditations, and exercises.

Also, in reading this book, it became clear to me that there is still so much I don’t understand about my own natural intuitive abilities. I am eager to read more of Ms. Virtue’s work… (and she has a LOT!)

My favorite part of the book, by far, was Part III in which Ms. Virtue inspires the reader to discover her own life purpose and outlines action steps in order to achieve this purpose. Inspiring, compassionate, and sensitive, Part III is definitely written for those of us who believe that we are here on earth to guide others, to heal, and to love.

Thank you, my dear friends at Hay House, for opening up my world just a little bit more, and introducing me to the work of Doreen Virtue!