About
Sylvia Cary
Head Doc to Book Doc
About Cary Editorial & Book Consulting
ABOUT SYLVIA CARY, LMFT
From Head Doctor to Book Doctor
Licensed California psychotherapist, Sylvia Cary, is the author of six published books — four traditionally published and two self-published, so she knows both worlds which is useful when it comes to helping other authors get published. She started out as a magazine writer with articles, mostly on mental health topics, appearing in Mademoiselle, Men’s Fitness, Shape, New Woman, McCall’s, Realities, The Therapist: Magazine of the California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists, the Screenwriters Guild magazine, and the Scriptwriters Network publication, with a number of article reprints in the UK and Denmark. For a dozen years Sylvia and her late husband, Lance Henrik Wolstrup, a computer programmer, jointly produced a mental health newsletter. Sylvia was the recipient of the Clark Vincent Award from the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to honor her literary contributions to the mental health profession.
SHORT BIO: Sylvia Cary, LMFT, licensed psychotherapist and award-winning author, has both traditionally and “indie” published so she’s familiar with both worlds. She has an editorial business, Cary Editorial & Book Consulting, helping other authors get their books out into the world. (See CLIENT BOOKS below).
Born into a writing family in Connecticut, Sylvia’s father was a historian and published author, her mother and step-father were magazine editors on the Reader’s Digest (where they met), her sister, an attorney, wrote a number of law-related books, her aunt published children’s books through Random House, and her grandfather, a gun expert, regularly wrote articles for True magazine as well as writing a produced movie about boxing. She has two adult daughters and two grandchildren. Whether or not her grandchildren become writers remains to be seen. She lives in Sherman Oaks, California.
COMING SOON! “THE THERAPIST WRITER” –
Completely revised, updated, and expanded, including new size and cover!
THE THERAPIST WRITER: Helping Mental Health Professionals Get Published.
by Sylvia Cary
“FINALLY, a step-by-step guide for therapists to turn their BOOK IDEA INTO A COMPLETED MANUSCRIPT.”- Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D., LMFT, Author of The Introvert Advantage
“While the idea of writing a book may be daunting, it is doable. I did it. Other therapists have done it. YOU CAN DO IT.” – Sylvia Cary
What’s in THE THERAPIST WRITER. .
Are you a mental health professional with a burning desire to become a published author? Look no further than The Therapist Writer: Helping Mental Health Professionals Get Published by Sylvia Cary, a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. This revised and updated edition is packed with new chapters, including cutting-edge topics like “Artificial Intelligence for Writers” and “Harnessing Finishing Energy.” With a new cover and expanded content, this therapist-friendly guide is here to help you navigate the publishing world, addressing the unique concerns and special issues faced by therapist writers, from confidentiality to self-disclosure. This book delves into the nitty-gritty of therapist writing, whether you’re considering fiction, non-fiction, essays, memoir, or scripts, this guide will help you find your writing niche and harness your creative potential.
But getting published is not the end of the journey—it’s just the beginning. And once your book is out in the world, the book marketing section provides valuable insights into promoting and selling your work.
The Therapist Writer is divided into three parts. Part I, “GETTING IT STARTED,” addresses the unique aspects of therapist writing, legal and ethical considerations, copyrights, permissions, and techniques to write about others without causing harm. Part II, “GETTING IT WRITTEN,” guides you through the challenging process of choosing the right topic and audience, exploring different genres, and striking a balance between transparency and professional ethics. Part III, “GETTING IT PUBLISHED,” equips you with knowledge about various publishing options, such as traditional publishing, academic presses, hybrid, and self-publishing, or e-books, empowering you to choose the path that aligns with your business goals and personal aspirations.
By delving into “The Therapist Writer,” you will unlock many benefits as a mental health professional. Ten perks of getting published await you
.“I LOVE SEEING WRITERS GET THEIR BOOKS PUBLISHED.”
“Helping authors get their books published is what I do and love to do,” says Sylvia Cary, who coaches writers through the editing, interior design, formatting, producing, and book launching stages. “To date I’ve coached some 30 authors through to publication–both fiction and non-fiction.” (See list of CLIENT BOOKS below.)
“Sylvia is an invaluable ally in the process of helping writers stick with the challenge of bringing a book to print.” — Stephen J. Johnson, Ph.D
10 PERKS OF GETTING PUBLISHED
“Getting my book published made me feel more confident abut my abilities and showed me that the naysayers were wrong.” – Flossie Allen, author of The Ladder of Life
Books By Sylvia Cary . . .
NEW RELEASE 2023!
THE THERAPIST WRITER: Helping Mental Health Professionals Get Published, Sylvia Cary, LMFT.
Getting a book published is one of the quickest ways for a mental health professional to become known as an expert. It can lead to more attention, more referrals, more business and more money. This is a step-by-step guide for therapists (and others) to make their book idea into a completed manuscript.
THE ALCOHOLIC MAN: What You Can Learn From the Heroic Journeys of Recovering Alcoholics
18 alcoholic men are interviewed about their experiences during that critical first year of sobriety off of alcohol and/or drugs — how things change from month to month, what dangers lurk, what working with a sponsor is like. And best of all, what being clean and sober is like!
WOMEN and LONG-TERM SOBRIETY by Sylvia Cary, LMFT.
There are a lot of perks to becoming sober, and even more for staying sober over the long haul. Wouldn’t you like to know what it is like to have 10 years free of alcohol or drugs? 25 years. 50 years! The women in this book tell you in their own words what it will be like being sober for decades – and they tell you much more. The book is divided into chapters that deal with 7 important life areas: feelings, work, love, family, finances, troubles, and community. Each chapter concludes with a Sober Tips List,
Review
“In this concise, clearly written book, Sylvia Cary describes the shift of awareness that signals and solidifies abstinent behavior.” — The California Therapist
“Sylvia Cary, a Mensan, a recovering alcoholic, and a psychotherapist…wants to tell others about the possibility of an almost instantaneous cure…and the seven ways to help bring the experience about.” — MENSA Bulletin
From the Inside Flap
“In medicine, as in life, until the mind has been prepared to see something, it will pass unnoticed, as invisible as though it did not exist.” – Ovid
IT MUST BE FIVE O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE by Sylvia Cary. In narrative non-fiction style, this is the story of a couple in the “happiness business,” a therapist married to a psychiatrist, and alcoholism (hers) ruins everything. Sobriety turns it around.
From a review in The Washington Post
SERVICES Offered By Sylvia Cary. . .
A 4-5 page written evaluation of your completed and self-edited book. I'll look at such things as what's the main idea? Is it viable? is it commercial? well-executed? properly structured? well-organized? For fiction: plot and characters? What could make your book even better? What is the best publishing option for you? (If you pay for this book evaluation and THEN decide to sign up for the full self-publishing plan, the book evaluation fee is deducted from the total). "Getting published is good for business, no matter what business you're in."– Sylvia Cary COST: $250 (half up front via check. PayPal or Venmo)
Do you write short articles for a newsletter in your field , ezine, or for an organization you belong to? Write a blog? I can help with your editing or cut it down if you've overshot your word limit. As someone said, it takes more time to write something short than something long. COST: Flat fee of $75 for an up-to-2000-word article or blog post edit. Email article as a Word attachment to sylviacary@gmail.com
Other Services Offered by Sylvia Cary . . .
These FREE LA-area monthly drop-in groups are sponsored by the Independent Writers of Southern California (iwosc.org). Check their website for times and locations. Some have speakers; others are for feedback on writing and discussion. At the moment we're still meeting on Zoom so pick out a cool background from a free photo site and join us. (Zoom background not a requirement!)
ABOVE
CHALKBOARD CONFIDENTIAL: A Teacher’s Memoir, Lila Lee Silvern. The author brings theatre, wry humor, and a sense of romance to this collection of teacher stories that follow her long and successful career teaching in a Los Angeles barrio.
FALSE PRETENSES, Scott R. Kramer. A political thriller involving a stolen election, domestic terrorism, and extortion. Once in power and consumed by greed, Pete Reeves will stop at nothing to have more of both.
DEAD WRONG: How Medicare-for-All could kill more than America’s Healthcare system, David Paul Lyday. A break-down of while this may sound good –but isn’t.
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IT STARTED IN ROSWELL, P. N. Haberman. A novel. LAPD cop Mike Sands trades the chaos of Los Angeles for a job with the Police Department in the quiet desert community of Roswell, New Mexico, hoping to finally have time to work on his sci fi novel. His plan is interrupted when a local eccentric brings him an “alien” blue plant found out in the barren desert and asks Sands to investigate it.
SAVAGE BEAUTY: Heart-Pounding Journeys Through Africa with a Camera, Carol Neafcy Wlliamette. Brooklyn-born author’s itch for adventure and talent for photography take her to thrilling and beautiful places.
TONGUE OF FIRE, Ernest Frankel A novel. The story of an American demagogue. Set in Washington, D.C. during the 1950s.
GATEWAY TO EVERYWHERE, Ernest Frankel. Epic Historical Fiction. A love story as big as California that begins with a wedding in China on the eve of the 1900 Boxer Rebellion and then takes the newlyweds on a daring escape from Peking across the pirate-infested high seas to Palm Springs at a time when America was beginning to take its place on the world stage.
THE RECOVERY WORKBOOK, Ruth White, LMFT. A book to familiarize alcoholics and addicts with the tools necessary to stop drinking and using, and of most importance, to teach them how to enjoy their lives once again.
ATTACHMENT-FOCUSED FAMILY PLAY THERAPY, Cathi Spooner. An essential roadmap for therapists working with traumatized youth. Book explores trauma and attachment through a neurobiological focus.
HOW TO DRAG THE MEDIA BACK TO THE MAINSREAM, David Paul Lyday. An instruction manual for dragging “mainstream media,” movies, pop culture and education, back into the real American mainstream.
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PARENTING WITH WISDOM AND COMPASSION, Ilene Val-Essen, Ph.D.. Imagine a new paradigm of parenting that dramatically changes the way we relate to our children. Doors open that were previously closed, freeing us to parent with a wiser and more compassionate heart. A Six-Step process to help us realize it.
SO, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? Cathy S. Harris, MSW, LCSW Your ultimate introduction to Trauma-Informed theory and practice.
You’ll get:
Quote from Author: “Read what happened after I had my original title (cover and ISBN all paid for!) only to learn of a brand new book by none other than Oprah Winfrey (!), co-written with a significant leader in the trauma-informed movement, Dr. Bruce Perry, with the exact same title. At first I was ‘traumatized,’ but now I’m grateful. Oprah’s book has opened up the trauma-informed conversation, paving the way for more books on this important topic–including mine–with an altered title!”
— Cathy S. Harris
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Welcome!
THE THERAPIST WRITER BLOG is primarily for mental health professionals who write, no matter what they write about — their work, fiction, screenplays, poetry, sci fi or mystery thrillers. I’ll touch on a variety of topics: News & Events, Hints & Tips. Special Issues for Therapists Who Write. New Client Books. Personal Notes. Serendipity. Related Guest Blogs. (Submit guest blog request to sylviacary@gmail.com).
(See below for a sample “metaphor photo” – the word “precarious” comes to mind. What article or blog idea might his photo work for?)
Sylvia Cary, LMFT
Cary Editorial & Book Consulting
Box 5037
Sherman Oaks, CA 91413
http://sylviacary.com
sylviacary@gmail.com
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