Book Signing by Jennifer Goble

What: Book signing for “My Clients…My Teachers; The Noble Process of Psychotherapy,”by Dr. Jennifer Goble

When: 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 8

Where: Sterling Public Library community room

STERLING —After 23 years owning and operating a private counseling practice, former Sterling resident Dr. Jennifer Goble is now sharing her counseling experiences in a new book, “My Clients…My Teachers; The Noble Process of Psychotherapy.”

She will hold a book signing for her new book from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 8, in the Sterling Public Library community room. Light refreshments will be served.

Now semi-retired, Goble is a native of northeastern Colorado, growing up in Akron. A farm wife for 30 years, she has three children and seven grandchildren. She and her husband currently call Estes Park and Bisbee, Ariz., home.

Goble earned a Ph.D. in counseling education from Colorado State University and she has taught, counseled and developed educational programs for students from preschool through university graduates.

“I wanted to write this book for years. When I first sat down, after I finished all that education, it was just like, these are amazing stories; they just need to be told,” Goble said about why she wanted to write this book, the first she’s ever written.

“It’s a book that I hope just helps a lot of people and the people that have said yes to having their

stories written, I know they to want to help other people from their stories.”

It took her about two years to write the book, which is divided into nine counseling/therapeutic categories: abuse, addiction, anxiety, depression, infidelity, loss, mental illness, parenting and relationships. Goble gives a brief description of each category in her own words and then shares several client stories relating to that category. At the end of each story she talks about what she herself learned from that client.

“It was really fun for me to sit down and to just think about all the clients I saw. I just picked them out of my head, I didn’t go back through files, I just picked the ones out of my head that I thought would give an overview, a good overview and the ones that I really learned from, because a big part of this book is what I learned from my clients,” Goble said. “I sometimes think I learn more from them than they learn from me. They’re so authentic.”

There are a total of 58 different short stories, about 500 words each, within the book.

“I try to not disclose too much of their personal story, but give enough that it would be helpful to somebody reading it,” Goble said.

The clients she talks about in the book include men, women, children and couples.

“I just tried to pick a variety of clients that could give a good overall picture of what psychotherapy is about,” Goble said.

The book also includes several illustrations, stick figures she used to explain a theory to her clients, “so that they carried what we did in therapy out into the world.”

Goble is hoping that those who read the book will come away with a better understanding of what counseling and therapy is.

“As I went through that career it was just like, you know, I don’t think people really know what psychotherapy is. I think more people that really need it would go if they understood what it was,” she said. “I hope those who read my book will seek mental health therapy if they have been thinking about it, support a friend or family member who is in or needs to be in therapy, and for a therapist to continue developing their skills and view what they do as positive.”

She pointed out that therapy is not just for people dealing with major issues.

“You have people come that just have little issues and people that have had major losses and people that have major mental health issues that they need to work through. (Counseling is) just something that everybody, I think, can benefit from if they just knew about it,” Goble said.

This book is only the beginning for Goble; she hopes to write another one at some point.

“I have three books in my head, so I hope I write another one. It will be on a whole different topic,” she said.

For those unable to make it to the book signing, her book is available on Amazon and Kindle, or you can visit her website, jennifergoble.com.

Goble is available to give presentations to any organization that would like her to.

Contact Journal-Advocate staff writer Callie Jones at 970-526-9286 or [email protected]