As a therapist, teacher, healer, author, researcher, or community builder, we want to know what helpful resources you’ve encountered. If you have experience helping others heal and develop well-being, please tell us what made your job easier.
Below are guidelines for sharing your recommendation.
Select the Resource You’d Like to Recommend
Think of a resource that you would like to share. This resource can be a book, article, workbook, journal (with prompts), app, training, lesson plan, system, framework, or something else. The format is not important.
More important is the purpose. Resources shared in IMPACT illustrated are those you have personally found successful at promoting emotional well-being, healing, and happiness.
The resource may involve cognitive change, contemplative practice, or improvement of circumstances (e.g., community building). We refer to these as three currents of experience. A combination of these, or a resource which explores the synergy between them, is ideal. We cannot accept reviews of resources which emphasize one current while invalidating the other two (for example, as you might find in books supporting toxic positivity). Please read our About page to learn more.
Tell Us About It
Once you have a resource in mind, tell us about it. There are no word count requirements, but we do have some basic sections:
- A 1-2 sentence summary
- A short description
- The target audience(s)
- Your commentary
- The impact
- The illustration (optional)
- Quotes
Quick Summary
Write one to two sentences that summarize your opinion of the resource, your overall impression, or your personal experiences with it. These sentences will appear at the beginning of your review in a larger font size. For example, you might write:
“This was the first book I read on trauma that truly showed me how to take the first step toward recovery. I’ve seen it help others begin the healing process.”
Short Description
How would you describe it? A generic description is probably available somewhere on the internet, but your impression is what matters here. What description would you give this resource?
Note: In pages listing multiple recommended resources, your description will function as the excerpt for your review.
Target Audience
Include a brief note on who may benefit. Mention the age ranges, interests, challenges, or characteristics of the audience. For example, you might write, “Adults recovering from trauma.”
Your Commentary
This is the bulk of your review. Write as little or as much as you like.
While this is a review, your personal experiences and thoughts are what give this review its unique value. We want to know what you think, how you feel about it, how you have used this resource.
You can share personal anecdotes. You can talk about what stood out for you. You can explain why it matters to you or what initially compelled you to explore it. This is about your experience with a resource, not just the resource itself.
The Impact
What effects might this resource have on others? How do you know? The purpose of this section is to point to whatever evidence supports the resource, from randomized controlled trials to personal experiences with your clients or populations served.
As an authority in your field, having helped others in some way, you are in a unique position to share the impact of this resource in a way that reaches those who need it.
The Illustration
If you have artwork you’d like to include with your recommendation, we will place it above your review. If not (more commonly), an illustration from a contributing artist will be featured on your review page. We will share the chosen illustration before posting, for your approval.
Quotes
Include at least one quote, excerpt, or example. For instance, for a book, was there a line or two that you highlighted? You can provide comments to include with your quote (like why you highlighted it).
Title and Subtitle
If you’d like, give your recommendation a title and subtitle. The title of the resource will be included elsewhere on the page.
Please send your review to support@impactillustrated.com.
Tell Us About You
If you’d like to have a Contributor Profile page, please share a bio. We will create a profile page with whatever information you provide and link this page to every review or illustration you submit.
If you have one or more websites that you’d like to include, please share the links. We can also share links to your social media accounts and any publications or services you want to share.
FAQ
Can I review my own publication?
No, but you can request a review, and we can feature your publications on your Contributor Profile page.
You can also review a resource that is connected to your publication (for example, an approach to dreamwork that you describe in your book) and mention your publication in your review. This may work well in the section, “The Impact.”
What do I write in The Impact if there is no research evidence for the resource?
Randomized controlled studies are a gold standard for evidence. However, we recognize that the impact of a resource can be measured and felt in other ways. Even anecdotal evidence, despite the strong potential for error, has its place. Many powerful studies were designed and run because anecdotal experience suggested the possibility of positive outcomes.
That being said, if there is strong evidence that the resource is not helpful, or worse, that the resource can cause harm (for example, school programs designed to raise self-esteem, for which there is strong evidence of negative outcomes), please consider recommending a different resource.
I have an illustration, but I’m not sure it’s good enough to share.
If you have original artwork inspired by your experiences as a healer or your own healing journey, we would very much like to include it in IMPACT illustrated. Many who face the same challenges and heartache that you’ve faced (or helped others face) will be inspired by your imagery. Please share your vision and creativity with us.
Does the illustration need to be relevant to the review?
No, our site is intended to create an atmosphere similar to that of a café, where books, discussions, and original art can be experienced alongside one another. Imagine your reader listening to your thoughts while enjoying a cup of tea, writing in their journal, and gazing at the latest art on display.