Testimonials

Another Way speaks to the reader on many different levels. This is the account of a young girl (Chloe) and her struggles to truly love herself. We’re drawn into her world of casual sex, peer pressure, and living with lies. We feel her pain and rejoice with her as she searches to find Her Way.

This story draws you in, to experience life as a teen today.  Another Way introduces our young readers to a new way of thinking. Through self-discovery and self-empowerment, Chloe learns there truly is Another Way—a way to stand strong with honesty and personal integrity—an inspiration for young, as well as older readers.

Kenley’s novel ANOTHER WAY is one of those great reads that is sure to find an audience with readers of all ages, becoming a source of encouragement for those who feel as though past decisions will keep them from enjoying future success and happiness. Through the decisions facing the character Chloe, we are reminded of those that we face each and every day. The way we respond to them can have lasting effects, and that is what ANOTHER WAY reminds us…If you have ever had any doubt as to what is possible just by choosing to forgive yourself and finding the will to move forward, then this is a book that should definitely be on your reading list.

Holli Kenley beautifully shares in Another Way how young people can embrace confidence and self-empowerment as they find their way through the challenges of the teen years. Amanda and Chloe’s tough choices demonstrate a sensitive look at the benefits of knowing and respecting yourself first. The book shares practical and effective tools which help create a road map to making the best decisions possible. This is a remarkable book and one that would benefit any child who is starting out in middle or high school.

Well written, beautifully paced, and consistently engaging. This heart-warming story takes us on an emotional journey with two teenage girls, growing up in a modern society surrounded by social pressure to embark on a sexual relationship, before they are ready. The novel sensitively explores teenage friendship, sexual relationships, and self-esteem. In a world rife with underage sex and teenage pregnancies, this book gives young people a chance to see there is Another Way to express love: through mutual respect and trust. This is an invaluable addition to any young person’s bookshelf.

My adolescent clients are often bombarded with multiple mixed messages about sexuality, self-worth, and decisions about relationships. Another Way is an indispensable book for teens and those who care about them to communicate and make crucial life decisions about sex and relationships.

Holli Kenley has written yet another award-winning book – Another Way… a powerful book that must be read by pre-teens and teenagers. As her story resonates strongly with my experiences during those formative years of discovery, I appreciate Holli’s emphasis on values and implementing those values through connections with like-minded friends, through youth groups which provide support. I highly recommend Another Way and also encourage parents to read this book to provide a deeper connection and compassion for what our children experience in their lives.

Another Way depicts the challenges our youth face regarding promiscuous sexual behaviors. And in this book, author Holli Kenley finds a way to offer a structured layout full of applicable life lessons and useful tools. For all practical purposes, I definitely recommend Another Way for parents and all youth group leaders. This book provides insightful information for such an extremely important and essential part connected to today’s youth by giving options in how to make better decisions.

In her “no holds barred” manual, Kenley has captured the incredible significance and power of cyber bullying, in a way that leaves the reader both shaken by its impact and relieved by the steps offered to manage it. This pamphlet is not an expression of fear or worry; rather it is a brilliant effort to provide parents with the tools and concepts they need to both understand the potentials of internet communication, as well as those needed to protect and assist their children in using technology effectively and safely. She makes her point quickly, thoroughly and accurately, leaving the reader to feel that he has the foundation to better understand, communicate and protect his child in a world with so many unknowns.

Cyber Bullying No More is a concise, but highly informative book on wise strategies to help parents deal with a reality they wish would go away–cyber bullying. This simple, yet well-thought out book covers three areas of importance: protection, intervention and prevention. The best advice I got out of this book is the amount and quality of communication and supervision that is required from parents when parenting their emotionally young but tech-savvy kids. The principles and daily practices the author expounds are intelligent and they make sense. Her experience as a marriage and family therapist comes through as she takes an international problem and shows families they can deal with it.

This is a short, well planned and well written book. It has easy to implement advice for parents of preteen/teens who are digitally immersed. I highly recommended it to any parents who want to know how to keep kids cyber safe and friendly.

Holli Kenley lays out for us what all parents and guardians should keep in mind when it comes to children being involved in modern technology, be it cellphones or the internet. The book also reminds us of the responsibility we all have to do our part in keeping young people safe. Communication is a large part of what is discussed in the book, as well as understanding why individuals react the way they do.  I found this to be a great resource that addresses not only the needs of the individual being bullied but the bully as well. Easy to read and understand and great information to share, CYBER BULLYING NO MORE gets to the root of the problem and searches for real answers.

Rather imply that families can return to some idealistic less complicated time without Facebook, sexting, social networks, and Twitter, etc, Kenley’s book will help parents mitigate possible harm to their children as they integrate this technology, hopefully into healthy lives and relationships.

Within the first few pages, it becomes evident that Kenley knows her subject well. Drawing from both her professional involvement and from her own painful personal experience, Kenley conveys her understanding of betrayal and its pain from many angles. In her practice, Kenley discovered that the experience of a betrayal was often behind issues such as depression, grief, anxiety, and anger… Writing in a caring voice that reminds readers to pace themselves and pause when needed, Kenley provides rare, honest glimpses into the pain and thought processes that accompany betrayal.

Overall, this work will be extremely useful to anyone going through a betrayal personally, or trying to help a friend or loved one navigate their way through. Written in a style easy to understand and relate to, it offers help to anyone at any step of the recovery process. Because the book is well written and detailed, those in a helping profession can utilize these steps and activities with clients of any age who may be experiencing betrayal in any of its many forms. A valuable handbook to maintain in any permanent reference library, this reviewer highly endorses this fine work.

This book is the outcome of the author’s own experiences as a marriage and family therapist and as a person who has been betrayed by a member of her family. When autobiographical epiphany gives rise to intellectual rigor, we usually have a winner and this book is no exception: as promised by the author, it is a riveting, well-written tour of hitherto largely uncharted waters, replete with numerous case studies, a systematization of the emotional and cognitive components of betrayal and its consequences, a plethora of self-help measures, and self-evaluation questionnaires. About half the book is dedicated to recovery from betrayal. It belongs in the libraries of mental health practitioners, people who suffer or have suffered from betrayal (and who hasn’t?), and those who monitor intriguing and promising emergent ideas in psychotherapy and clinical psychology.

Holli Kenley shares her comprehensive approach to a situation most of us experience at least once in our lifetimes – betrayal. As a former therapist, I appreciate the author’s ability to take a complex topic and turn it into an uncomplicated and well-organized read, including easy-to-follow exercises at the end of each chapter. This book is an important resource for anyone experiencing grief and loss as the result of betrayal. Read it and “recover the peace within.”

The second edition of Breaking Through Betrayal offers an empathic, insightful and compassionate look at the universal pain of betrayal and relapse.  Like an experienced wilderness guide who can skillfully navigate treacherous terrain, Holli Kenley points out the steep cliffs and the quicksand, while gently encouraging each traveler to claim their own unique vistas and hidden treasures on this journey. The process outlined through narrative and activities includes restorative practices that lead to increased hope and resiliency. Like its author, this book is a wise and compassionate companion on the journey.

Holli Kenley is on a mission to heal the pain and shame associated with relapse. Whether you are recovering from years of self-betrayal or substance abuse, Holli, through her professional insights and personal experiences, will gently guide you to a place of healing and understanding. And I can’t think of a more caring or qualified person to walk with you on your journey back from the heartbreak of relapse. If you are ready to embrace the gift of self-discovery, Breaking Through Betrayal: And Recovering The Peace Within was written for you.

Holli Kenley presents us with a short, well-crafted book that illustrates the recovery process through skillfully integrated descriptions of Nature and of personal process. Kenley intertwines personal, interpersonal and transpersonal themes in an accessible manner and I am pleased to recommend this book to colleagues and clients. Mountain Air is not a quick read by any means and at just under 80 pages, the slim size belies this heavy-hitter. It is billed as a self-help book in the area of substance abuse and addictions, and I can certainly see myself offering it as a resource for clients in recovery. In addition, I would certainly recommend this book to everyone as a good resource for rediscovering life, embracing healing lessons from the past and inviting daily renewal into our lives.

I’ve read a lot of self-help driven books but I’ve never read one quite like Mountain Air. The author has cleverly mixed the lessons she has for the reader around some beautifully crafted descriptions of her mountain home. If you’re looking for a book that has managed to find the positive possibilities available to us all, even in the darkest pits of relapse, then this book is a must for you.

Mountain Air is a rush of words and emotions turned into poetry! The author, Holli Kenley, weaves her web of words to take the reader on an exploration through Nature and the pangs of relapse from a childhood trauma only she can envision. I honor Kenley’s use of words to display an array of pictorials in the mind, such as: “Denial does not like to rest; its lies are ready and willing to sabotage truth at every turn.” The book echoes a healing element through its unfolding adventure from present to past and back to present once again. Thank you, Holli for sharing your journey with us.

Holli Kenley, psychotherapist and abuse-survivor herself, has created a work that is unique in the recovery literature. Her particular focus is on the inevitable relapses along the way to healing…This poetic and nature-infused account should become a standard for all therapists and all in the process of recovery.

In Mountain Air, Holli Kenley displays both a poetic soul and the diagnostic mind of a therapist. Repairing the wounded self after relapse is the subject of this inspiring book recounting Holli’s journey from despair to hope. She invites her readers to grasp their courage in both hands and embark on their own passages to the inner truth of the deep self. As Holli writes, “Each of us knows what our truths are. It is forgivable to lose them; it is unforgivable not to reclaim them.” In each chapter are exercises for self-examination so readers can discover ways to triumph over behaviors impeding health and wholeness.

Finally an author has taken the time to examine how technology is affecting our kids, and grownups. This is not a “technology is evil” book, this is a well thought out and researched book that examines both the positive and negative effects of the hours and hours of screen time kids are exposed too.

Of course one of the unforeseen results of technology is cyber bullying. Holli Kenley is a trained therapist and true expert in the area of bullying and relationships. In Power Down, Parent Up she gives parents the information they need to understand what cyber bullying is and offers great research based advice on how best to keep them safe.

This slim book impacts greatly. Like high density nutrition–a little goes a long way. Ms. Kenley expertly provides the core of essential research studies to make her important points–not an easy task, as those of us who have tried to synthesize the massive amounts of data now available about the negative impact of overuse of screen time on all aspects of children’s and teens’ well-being–from cognitive impairments and attention problems, to impulsivity and increased aggressiveness, to anxiety, depression and suicide to name a few. Ms. Kenley wraps up the leading-edge research in clear, succinct ways, never short-changing the studies nor their significance. In fact, because of her gift for integrating lots of information into bite-size pieces, the seriousness of the studies and the urgency to act stand out.

Holli’s well-researched book gives parents a road map on family technology and the effects that overuse can have on a child. The helpful advice on cyber bullying, and how to get support if your child has this experience, is excellent. Suggestions are shared, as well, to encourage the reader to create a family life that is not entirely built around technology and to set up guidelines for your children so they can thrive rather than suffer the unhealthy side effects of screen overuse. Power Down and Power Up is to the point and easy to read. In our technology filled world, this book is so needed. I highly recommend it.

Some mothers betray this fiduciary duty. They hold the exclusive power to grievously wound their daughters to the quick, and thoroughly break and dismantle their cores. Many don’t recover. “Daughters’ Betrayed By Their Mothers” is the story of the few who did and flourished, each one charting her own inimitable path to healing.

“Daughters Betrayed By Their Mothers” is comprised of interviews with survivors, one of whom is the author herself. It is therefore, an intricate exercise in reflection and introspection. This book is heartrending and uplifting, dark and optimistic, painful and inspirational. It amounts to a testament to the resilience and resourcefulness of victims of maternal abuse.

“Daughters Betrayed By Their Mothers” is a life-changer for anyone who has suffered betrayal by their mother and is in search of answers. Having experienced betrayal in my own mother-daughter relationship, I discovered portraits of women’s experiences that mirrored my own, and in this way I found solace and answers. There are tears of both sorrow and joy in the beautiful, brave stories of harm and hope. It is a must-read. 

The book’s expansion of the word betrayal beyond its typical connotation allows readers to connect to the book on a variety of levels. As many other books limit the scope of the meaning of betrayal, Daughters Betrayed By Their Mothers sets out to demonstrate that betrayal happens in many forms, often going unnoticed, yet has tremendous consequence in all aspects of life. While the mother-daughter bond is often considered to be one of the most nurturing, safe, and loving bonds known, this book explores what happens when this distinguished expectation is not met.

As a health and wellness coach, I quickly came to discover that health and wellness is way more than just diet and exercise. I look forward to recommending Daughters Betrayed By Their Mothers: Moving From Brokenness to Wholeness to clients who have had similar experiences and may be unaware of how these experiences not only affect them emotionally, but in all aspects of their journey towards their most complete and healthy lifestyle. 

I absolutely recommend “Daughter’s Betrayed by Their Mothers,” especially to women dealing with childhood trauma, even if this is a topic they haven’t thought of exploring.  So much of what Holli illustrates through her research is that one of the most important relationships—the mother/daughter bond—can be the key to understanding relationship patterns throughout life.

This is not your normal ‘how to’ parenting book. “Pilates For Parenting” helps caregivers get to the heart of parenting, take time to evaluate what we do, and become more in tune with our children. I will be using the parenting workouts myself and with my clients.

In the digital age in which we live, we are often too distracted by our smartphones, social media sites, and television screens. “Pilates For Parenting” just might be the best method for reconnecting with your children and developing stronger relationships.

The text, workouts, activities and guiding exercises in “Pilates For Parenting” will equip readers with their own personalized, practical, effective game-plan as they navigate the ups and downs of becoming nurturing, protective, and wise parents.

“Pilates for Parenting” – what a brilliant concept! We are all very aware of how important it is for us to exercise to keep our bodies fit and healthy. We join gyms, take classes, develop daily disciplines all in an effort to better care for ourselves. So why not take the same approach to our most important role, parenting!