A book on gaslighting for the inner child
Malcolm the musician : So Close to Home
Malcolm the Musician: So Close to Home is a unique resource for young and older adults designed to help us better understand the phenomenon of gaslighting and its impact on our well-being.
Mental health professionals may utilize the book in their work with clients to explore the injustice of maltreatment, identify the tactics gaslighters use, and generate healing strategies to rise through pain and suffering.
An activity for the ukulele is included in the book offering us the opportunity to access the therapeutic benefits of music, build community and a sense of belonging, and have fun.
“Tapping into his work as a counselor, Asuncion drew inspiration for Malcolm the Musician: So Close to Home (Epigraph Publishing) from the psychological and emotional abuse…the damaging effects of maltreatment, and the consequent pain and suffering he encounters in the lives and experiences of his clients.”
“The book is designed to be a resource for those healing from abuse, Asuncion noted, as the book offers readers 10 affirmations — lessons the main character learns — to overcome fear and regain confidence.”
— George Harvey, Penobscot Pilot
john A. ASUNCION, LMHC, CPC
Utilizing a person-centered, holistic, and trauma-informed approach in my work as a mental health therapist and group counseling leader, I help people cultivate greater health and wellness, advance personal growth and development, and improve life satisfaction.
I am a graduate-level, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Clinical Professional Counselor providing teletherapy to creatives residing in New York and Maine.
During my 14 years in the mental health field, I have directed short- and long-term inpatient treatment programs addressing the needs of people in recovery from substance use disorders, juvenile sex offenders, adolescents diagnosed with severe conduct disorder, and trauma survivors; and led outpatient support services for community members living with HIV-/AIDS.
Further, I am a past president of the New York Mental Health Counselors Association, Hudson Valley Chapter; have served as a clinician, adjunct instructor, and director in higher education; and the author of Malcolm the Musician: So Close to Home--a book on gaslighting for the child within.
