Mundy to launch Birr author's book on anxiety

The increasing number of clients coming to her with anxiety issues prompted Birr psychotherapist Stella O'Malley to write a book on the subject which will be launched at Woodfield Café in the town next Tuesday (April 9).

Mundy will be performing the official launch of 'Fragile: Why We Feel More Anxious, Stressed and Overwhelmed Than Ever (And What We Can Do About It)'.

Ms O'Malley, who is originally from Dublin but has been living in Birr for a number of years, previously wrote 'Bully-Proof Kids' and 'Cotton-Wool Kids'. 
While those books focused on parenting, she pointed out that this one deals with "mental health for everybody".

When asked what prompted her to write it, she replied: "I'm a psychotherapist and so many clients were coming in to me who were very anxious. It was coming up so often, not alone with children but with parents who were saying, 'I am anxious and my child is anxious'.

The book is being published by Gill Books, which said it "highlights the most effective approaches to combat anxiety and stress, also pointing out how the media, society and the world in general misguidedly promote the worst possible strategies for managing anxiety."

Ms O'Malley told the Offaly Independent that the book would benefit people who recognise that they have a difficulty with anxiety, as well as those who are feeling "a bit overwhelmed" because of commitments they've taken on and the busy nature of their lives.

Next Tuesday's launch will take place at 6.30pm in Woodfield Café. 'Fragile' by Stella O’Malley is published by Gill Books, priced €16.99.