Love, Pamela (2023) Pamela Anderson
In this letter to the reader, Pamela Anderson takes ownership over her narrative as she shares her story. In her soft tone of voice and gentle, rhythmic cadence, Pamela exerts strength and empowerment. Hurt, but never hardened by trauma, abuse, and exploitation; Pamela remains “fluid and free”, grounded to her core values and free spirit. In a true story of resilience, Pamela embraces those qualities that were used to target and demean her and (with great courage) turns them into strengths rather than insecurities that allow her message to be heard in her own gentle voice. Much like Josh Brolin’s memoir, this story is less about the timeline of events, and more about her ability to adapt and respond to them without becoming overly defensive; owning her imperfections rather than trying to hide them; and remaining open and showing all parts of herself to the world (and to a world that could not handle it). I highly recommend listening to the audiobook because so much of her story is experienced through the sensuality she has embraced as much as it is through the artistry of her carefully articulated words.
“I am the hero of my own story.”
How did I hear about this book: Fellow book-loving (non-therapist) friend.
Would I recommend it to colleagues: Sure
Would I recommend it to clients: Yes, and I have already.
How do I apply this content to my work: Through a couple of different modalities, one of my clinical areas of focus is to help my clients connect with and feel grounded into their core sense of Self as a means of finding safety. Through Polyvagal Theory, I educate my clients about the way our nervous system works to help us survive and how it is constantly scanning inside our bodies, in our environments, and in our relationships for cues of safety and cues of danger. While we cannot control external factors, we can anchor into a sense of safety within our Self that we can handle what comes. With the use of EMDR, I help clients clear negative core beliefs that may trigger these internal cues of danger that may lead us to become our own worst enemy rather than our greatest sense of safety. And through the use of Dance/Movement Therapy, I help clients connect with the relationship between physical and metaphorical concepts such as core support, core purpose, and feeling connected to the self as a whole rather than the sum of its parts. Among these approaches, we connect with ways to find strength and safety in being alert versus hypervigilant; grounded, open, and flexible versus defensive, guarded and rigid; and thriving versus surviving in this world we find ourselves in.
“There was a turning point when I felt free to be myself and not just exist in survival mode [...] I embraced the illuminating thought ‘I am good enough, I am powerful. Oh, am I.’”
If you are in Washington State and looking to work on finding a way to feel more connected to your core sense of Self and shift from survive to thrive, contact me and let’s schedule a free phone consultation.
Disclaimers: These reviews are based on my own personal experience reading these books and do not reflect on the book’s author or publisher. I have not received any commissions or other incentives to promote my reviews. My reviews express my own unbiased opinions.
