Publications
Books
I, Paige Abbott, may be a Registered Psychologist but my childhood dream was to be a writer. By the age of 10, I had penned a fiction book and sent it into various publishers (with no success). To be practical, for my career I decided to pursue my other passion of psychology but I never lost sight of my goal to be a writer. I worked as a research assistant for a number of years to support myself through University and enjoyed the incorporation of non-fiction and research-oriented writing. This introduced me to the idea that writing did not just have to be fiction. I became focused on learning about counselling and therapy for a few years but then was presented the opportunity to incorporate some non-fiction writing back in, combining my two loves of psychology and writing. It has been thrilling to be able to author three books with two other healthcare providers, Dr. Raju Hajela and Sue Newton, who are extremely passionate about Addiction and Mental Health.
The books that I have co-authored are ‘Addiction is Addiction’, its accompanying workbook, and new release, ‘Love, the Drug.’
Some Background
People are still caught up in approaching Addiction as a choice, moral issue, and/or all about the specific behaviour.
It is important to see the bigger picture of Addiction as a genetic brain disease that affects all parts of life and behaviour and appreciate that it is a life-long journey with many working parts. It starts with the brain and ends with behaviour, not the other way around. I bring this perspective into my counselling work as well and hope you find value in it.
The latest book, ‘Love, the Drug’ is a book entirely about Addiction in the realm of relationships, a part of Addiction that many people do not notice or appreciate but is such a critical part. In my counselling work, I have found that the majority of my time is spent supporting people around their relationships-with self, others, and spirit- so I am grateful for this resource as it talks about the symptoms and recovery steps that one can take to support health in this realm.
To purchase these books or learn more about them, click on the links above.
About Paige Abbott
Paige has been a Registered Psychologist since 2009 and during that time has worked in college, business, and private clinic counselling environments.
She works from an eclectic model of therapy while appreciating all aspects of the person. She is particularly passionate about Addiction Psychology and supporting people with their relationship and emotional health.
Paige values the importance of self-growth and development and uses physical activity, journaling, meditation, and her support network for her own self-care. She is friendly, inviting, warm, and uses humour (and the occasional swear word) to keep connected with her humanity.
