Rebecca Ray

Living on the Sunshine Coast of Australia, Dr Rebecca Ray is a clinical psychologist and author of several books, including her latest published in 2023, Difficult People - Dealing with the Bad Behaviour of Difficult People.

Dr Ray outlines various difficult people and helpfully provides examples of what their behaviour might look like and the form it can take in real life. When providing advice around the setting of boundaries for particular personality types and situations, the author also show more gives several examples and suggestions of dialogue the reader can try in those situations.

What would have elevated the book for me would have been dialogue examples for the mildly concerning situations as well as the highly intense and potentially dangerous scenarios. Taking it one step further, if the author had presented them with an escalation in her tone to reflect the appropriate seriousness, I believe this would have provided a deeper and much needed resource for readers. Put simply, some of the suggestions were too nice and a sedate approach doesn't work for all recipients.

Choosing to narrate the audiobook herself was an inspired choice and the occasional laugh and self acknowledgement was a relatable touch. I could almost imagine myself on Dr Ray's consulting couch or therapy lounge as she spoke in general terms about psychological safety and how best to preserve it.

Dr Ray readily acknowledged the reader may have come across this particular book because they themselves are a difficult person, and in doing so, managed to make everyone feel welcome and seen without judgement.

Having read more than 50 self help books about personality types, relationships, communication and psychology over the years, this book wasn't able to offer me anything new on the topic, however I did enjoy the Australian perspective and the refresher on boundaries didn't hurt.

Difficult People - Dealing with the Bad Behaviour of Difficult People by Dr Rebecca Ray is best suited for readers new to self help books and the topics of communication, managing relationships and conflict. show less

This is very good. Tangible, practical help - minimal pontification. The format of about 10? episodes works - each episode isn't too long and gives you a chance to absorb an idea.

The author is an Australian psychologist.

In Be Happy!, Dr Rebecca Ray introduces us to 35 different strategies for cultivating happiness. Over the course of the book, she is careful to stress that 'happiness’ is a transient emotion, and what we are really seeking is improved quality of well-being. The techniques are broken into 4 sections- choosing, cultivating, practising, and making space for.

Choosing gives tips on turning your focus to important virtues. Topics include: laughter, gratitude, courage and self-love, Cultivating show more turns that focus to different areas of our lives. Topics include: rest and sleep, a calm environment, and your values. Practising is mostly about learning to be mindful and open in our lives. Topics include: creativity, forward momentum, and setting boundaries. The final area- Making Space For gives tips and tricks to improve quality of life. Topics include: imperfection, holding onto pain, and forgiveness.

Many of these strategies I was already aware of, but not all. Even so, the way Dr Ray has arranged everything, so neatly laid out, it was a pleasure to read. These tips and tricks are easy and accessible. Reading it prompted my to restart gratitude journal, and turn it into a meme/ tag for my blog. Highly recommended for any looking to better themselves, and improve their coping skills.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publications for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. show less

This was very helpful and informative book. It gives great tips for being truly happy with things like practicing forgiveness. I found each and every page of this book extremely helpful and I would recommend this to anyone looking for help with true happiness or, like me, someone with anxiety.