Reviews of Dr Dura-Vila’s Books
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- Reviews of Dr Dura-Vila’s Books
Acclaim for "Camille The Chameleon On Masking: How To Stop Masking And Discover Your Awesome Autistic Self”
"Camille the Chameleon on Masking is a beautifully written and illustrated book that really struck a chord with me as a late-diagnosed autistic adult. It explains the concept of masking in such an accessible way, helping readers understand how we often camouflage our true selves to fit societal norms, and the impact that can have. It also resonated deeply with me as the parent of an autistic child who masks. This book is a fantastic resource for both children and adults, offering valuable insights on how to support autistic individuals in embracing their authentic selves. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about masking and neurodiversity."
"A beautifully insightful book that brilliantly explains autistic masking - essential reading for all"
Amazon Review
"This book is excellent in helping young people and parents understand the complex dynamics of masking in a very easy to understand language and it gives strategies to help the young person and carers understand what is happening to them and therefore feel freer to be themselves.
It has beautiful illustrations which are so engaging and fun for children and young people
I highly recommend this book to children who mask to manage their emotional state and feel they fit into what society expects of them."
"Excellent book"
Amazon Review
"Camille the Chameleon by Dr. Glòria Durà-Vilà is a beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully written book that gently explores the experience of autistic masking. The story is simple but powerful—Camille trying to blend in by hiding her true colours felt really relatable and moving. It’s a great way to start conversations with children (and adults) about what it means to mask and why being yourself matters. Insightful, accessible, beautiful, and kind, this book is a meaningful support for anyone wanting to better understand and support autistic children, making this an invaluable resource for families, educators, and clinicians alike."
"A gentle, insightful story that introduces autistic masking with warmth, clarity, and compassion."
Amazon Review
"Camille the Chameleon by Dr. Glòria Durà-Vilà is a beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully written book that gently explores the experience of autistic masking. The story is simple but powerful—Camille trying to blend in by hiding her true colours felt really relatable and moving. It’s a great way to start conversations with children (and adults) about what it means to mask and why being yourself matters. Insightful, accessible, beautiful, and kind, this book is a meaningful support for anyone wanting to better understand and support autistic children, making this an invaluable resource for families, educators, and clinicians alike."
"Excellent book"
Amazon Review
"As a Psychologist, I know how important it is to discuss masking from a very young age. Camille the chameleon is very easy to read and understand. And the illustrations are beautiful! A must have for all the maskers and those who love them. Another great piece of work from Dr Glòria Durà-Vilà."
"A must have for all the maskers (and friends)"
Amazon Review
Acclaim for "The Panda on PDA: A Children's Introduction to Pathological Demand Avoidance”
“A fantastic book. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this with my son… a unique way to teach children about their own diagnosis, in simple text… highly recommend it.”
"A Fantastic Book"
Amazon Review
“Wow. What can I say?! Just perfect. Absolutely spot on! My 7 year old was nodding along as we read this book which really helped me see how he felt and what his struggles were. I've passed it around the family to also help them understand him more. The pictures are beautiful. My son feels proud to be a panda now and wants a teddy one! Thank you so much for writing this book. I didn't know we needed it so much until we got it.”
“Wow. What can I say?! Just perfect"
Mrs Pope, Amazon review
“This book is a wonderful introduction to PDA for children and young people. Full of positivity about pandas' strengths and honesty about the challenges, it is a brilliant resource for opening up conversations with a PDAer about what PDA means to them. I look forward to sharing it with my students.”
"I look forward to sharing it with my students.”
Clare Truman, teacher and education consultant supporting autistic students, author of The Teacher's Introduction to Pathological Demand Avoidance
“Dr Durà-Vilà's wealth of PDA experience and expertise shines through in this beautiful, affirming book. Rebecca's charming illustrations bring the PDA panda ambassador to life as it guides young PDAers in understanding their profile of Autism and how they can best be supported. With colourful heartfelt drawings from PDA children there's so much to like about this book, I would highly recommend [it] to any family starting their PDA journey.”
"Dr Durà-Vilà's wealth of PDA experience and expertise shines through in this beautiful, affirming book."
Helen Evans, CEO, PDA Society
“This beautifully illustrated, friendly book invites the PDA child to join their tribe using the masterful tool of a de-personalised panda (who co-authors the book and openly involves the child on every page). The information is presented creatively and communicated in a non-demanding style; perfect for a PDA reader. Dr Glòria has managed to create a resource that will inspire many children to be their authentic self and is highly recommended as a great starting point to introduce PDA to a young audience.”
"Highly recommended as a great starting point to introduce PDA to a young audience."
Danielle Jata-Hall is a parent of a PDA daughter; she is also a blogger, advocate, children's author and an online campaigner.
“The Panda on PDA is a sensitively written and beautifully illustrated book which explains PDA in a way that younger children will easily understand. There is a lovely balance between the challenges these young people face and the positive characteristics many of them display when well-understood and supported. I would highly recommend this book for any parent living with a PDA child, or professional supporting one.”
"I would highly recommend this book for any parent living with a PDA child"
Dr Judy Eaton, consultant clinical psychologist and author of A Guide to Mental Health Issues in Girls and Young Women on the Autism Spectrum.
“A delightful book with beautiful illustrations that will appeal to younger readers. It presents a charming, positive character who explains PDA and supports adults in conversations with young children to offer them a better understanding of their own unique profile.”
"A delightful book with beautiful illustrations"
Ruth Fidler, author and education consultant supporting complex presentations of Autism and wellbeing.
“This beautifully illustrated book will help children with PDA to understand their amazing, unique brains and their feelings and emotions in a wonderfully positive and relatable way. PDA is described in a way that is helpful, clear and child friendly. This book will be beneficial to children with PDA, their siblings, peers, parents and wider family. I love the fact that children can personalise their books too!”
"This book will be beneficial to children with PDA"
Laura Kerbey, Autism and education consultant
“This beautifully illustrated book introduces PDA (some strengths, difficulties and things that might help), through the eyes and lives of Pandas (bears with a particular style of Autism). It is aimed to be read with younger children and has lots of interactive elements and opportunities to personalise the content. It's an excellent resource to introduce children in a positive way to some complex ideas and will be as helpful to the adult reading it with them as it will to the child him or herself!
"This beautifully illustrated book introduces PDA (some strengths, difficulties and things that might help),"
Phil Christie, Consultant Child Psychologist and author of Collaborative Approaches to Learning for Pupils with PDA
“A colourful and charming book that is full of self-awareness messages for children of all ages. Creatively written so that the child can see their own traits and differences through the medium of Pandas!!! Useful for a child starting on their journey of self-discovery that does encourages the child to look within themselves. I'm sure that they will keep returning to it over time to just check in and support themselves by using the positive language and scenarios to see that the differences that society may see in them are perfectly normal.”
"A colourful and charming book that is full of self-awareness messages for children of all ages"
Nicola Reekie, owner of The PDA Space
Acclaim for "My Autism Book: A Child’s Guide to their Autistic Spectrum Diagnosis"
“A fantastic book. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this with my son… a unique way to teach children about their own diagnosis, in simple text… highly recommend it.”
"A Fantastic Book"
Amazon Review
“Absolutely brilliant. My 5-year-old just got diagnosed with ASD and this book has been perfect in helping him to understand himself…. It's given us and him the language and opportunity to talk about it.”
“Absolutely Brilliant”
Amazon Review
“The best book for children on the spectrum.”
“The Best Book for Children”
Amazon Review
“My daughter was very worried…but with this book, she has found comfort and… understanding.”
“Comfort and Understanding”
Amazon Review
“This makes a change - the autistic child gets to fill bits in about their own, individual autism, as well as finding out about the condition in general. This has the *extremely* useful potential for handing to ‘stupid grown-ups’ so that the ‘stupid grown-ups’ can be a bit less stupid... I also liked the instructions for parents that this book should be filled in when a) there are few to no distractions, and b) when the child is receptive to the task. Finally! Someone understands the twin needs. It’s also good that we don’t get the ‘triad of impairments’: this is just so symptomatic of neurotypicals objecting that we’re not like them. This book concentrates far more on *what is important to the autistic*: sensory stuff, routines and special interests; a ‘triad of needs’ if you will.”
“Extremely Useful”
Amazon Review
“A valuable guide, long missing in the autism-related bibliography.”
“A Valuable Guide”
F Tsepelidou – Supervisor, EEMEISS Specialist School for Children on the Autistic Spectrum, Athens
“I have spent my entire career in inclusive learning environments and wish this had been available previously.”
“I Wish This Had Been Available Previously”
M Burfield – Head of School, Byron College, Athens
“I would urge all primary and secondary schools to order a copy of this book and put it immediately to good use.”
“Order this Book and Put It to Good Use”
A Redfern, The School Librarian
Acclaim for "Me and my PDA: A Guide to Pathological Demand Avoidance for Young People"
"I think that one of the best ways to help your PDA child is to support them to gain insight in a non-judgmental and open way. Helping them communicate this to you helps them feel understood and then empowers you as their advocate. It also helps you as the parent see all those truly wonderful positives about your PDA child. This book provides a wonderful framework for doing that. Cassandra Davies, parent of a young person with PDA and member of PDA Action Group Somerset and PDA, Pathological Demand Avoidance Support – Families & Practitioners UK"
"Support your child to gain insight in a non-judgmental way"
Cassandra Davies, parent of a young person with PDA and member of PDA Action Group
"It is a sensitive book based on an excellent understanding of PDA, which is probably the hardest form of Autism, and so exhausting for the children, young people and families that it affects. I cannot recommend it highly enough."
"I cannot recommend it highly enough"
Sarah Wild, Headteacher of Limpsfield Grange
"This book is a very valuable addition to the PDA library. Part self-help guide, part gentle workbook, it's presented in a really positive, accessible style which most importantly puts the young person with PDA in the driving seat."
"This book puts the young person with PDA in the driving seat"
The PDA Society
"This publication provides a starting point for a conversation with the child about their form of autism and how it is part of their unique personality and profile. The accessible and informative style will provide an invaluable resource to anyone looking to support a child in developing his or her self-awareness."
"Invaluable resource to anyone looking to support a child in developing his or her self-awareness"
Phil Christie, Consultant Child Psychologist and author of "Understanding Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome. A Guide for Parents, Teachers and Other Professionals
"Young person with PDA - Surprisingly easy and fun to do. Not much pressure from the book. Really well written and explained. A lot of the information and explanations matched my ideas of PDA and how it affects me. The boxes made it easy for me to express how my PDA affects me. I already understand my PDA very well, but I think this book would really help those who don't yet understand their PDA very well. It is also extremely helpful to show this book to someone else for them to understand me better. Parent - Me and My PDA contains everything needed for the young person and their support team to begin developing a robust 'individually tailored' framework of strategies. With beautiful illustrations and carefully worded text, which share the experiences of other young people - accompanied by further suggestions and ideas for contemplation, the young person can feel safe to explore their own difficulties, confusions, worries and fears. The book provides a warm, inviting and non judgemental space where the young person is invited to share key information about themselves via the easy to follow worksheets. In a nutshell, this book may just be the golden ticket in facilitating the young person to support us, so that we can better support them."
"A must for anyone living with, or supporting a young person with PDA" (including professionals)
Jane Sherwin
"Beautiful book explaining to the child with pda about the condition with lovely pictures and almost like a passport book of the child's needs, likes and dislikes for people who care for the child to read and know about the child."
"Five star product"
Caz
"So cleverly written. My little PDA-er was intrigued and wanted to get started straight away."
"Very PDA friendly and a real eye-opener"
Izcullen
"A delightful and positive book with great clinical utility. I love the illustrations and how client centred the book is. I would definitely recommend this to families, young people and professionals alike!"
"Delightful!"
Amazon Customer
“Lovely to see a book written with the young person's perspective in mind. It has a positive tone where so many books on this subject can feel negative. Illustrations were beautiful and we loved the doodle pages!”
"Very Helpful for Getting Some Understanding of PDA and Autism!"
Lucy Anderson
"Amazing. Written from a position of knowledge and authority but yet also accessible to all. Helpful for clinicians, parents, teachers and children/you people. Extremely helpful in my clinical practice. Dr. DMac. Child Psychologist."
"Amazing"
David McKie
Acclaim for "The Amazing Autistic Brain Cards: 150 Cards with Strengths and Challenges for Positive Autism Discussions"
"How can something so simple be so brilliant? For years, one way to describe the diagnosis of Autism was to liken it to a bagful of strengths and challenges. Each person reaches into the bag and grabs a handful that are unique to themselves. Gloria Dura Vila has created such a 'bag'. Her insightful cards, beautifully and sensitively illustrated by Rebecca Tatternorth, make diagnosing and understanding the uniqueness of Autism a pleasure."
"How can something so simple be so brilliant?"
Kathy Hoopmann, author of All Cats are on the Autism Spectrum
“Gloria has created a truly wonderful resource which will support so many practitioners and parents as they introduce Autism to autistic young people and others. The strategies and approaches outlined in the accompanying booklet, presented with Gloria's humour and passion, ensure that young people are supported to understand and value themselves as an individual. I can't wait to use these cards with my students.”
"Gloria has created a truly wonderful resource which will support so many practitioners and parents"
Clare Truman, teacher and education consultant supporting autistic students, author of The Teacher's Introduction to Pathological Demand Avoidance
“No more nerves and clumsy conversations. The Amazing Autistic Brain Cards are a must-have resource for anyone involved in sharing and discussing an Autism spectrum diagnosis with children and young people. Rather than giving a one-size-fits-all description of Autism, I love that these beautifully simple cards can be used to tailor-make a portrait of Autism that suits the child and celebrates their individuality. Dr Glòria Durà-Vilà leads the way by reflecting on her extensive experience as a clinician, offering insight and guidance that I am certain will empower and equip parents and practitioners alike with the confidence to have positive conversations with children about their Autism. I especially like that the cards can be adapted and revisited over time to accompany a child's own developing sense of self. This is a wonderful resource that will ultimately be of huge benefit to children and young people as they learn about themselves and what it means to be autistic...and amazing.”
"This is a wonderful resource that will ultimately be of huge benefit to children and young people"
Elaine Brownless, specialist Autism liaison teacher and author of The Autism Detective
“In addition to being an invaluable tool for professionals, Gloria's wonderfully empowering cards are a fabulous hands-on way for young people to build self-awareness, facilitate discussion and enable self-advocacy, creating a balanced and unique 'this is me' profile for themselves and others.”
"fabulous hands-on way for young people to build self-awareness,"
Reuben Hoole (13 year old autistic boy) and his mother, Vikki Threlfall
“Gloria has found a very practical and effective way to explain strengths and challenges to a population of young people when diagnosed with Autism. Using her humour and passion she touches all the key points so vital for young people and their parents, not only to understand, but also empower themselves in life choices. Brilliant!”
"Gloria has found a very practical and effective way to explain strengths and challenges"
Dr S Marco Mura, NHS Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Surrey and Borders NHS Trust
“These cards have the potential to fundamentally change the experience of talking and learning about Autism and neurodiversity for the better. It is exciting to have such a simple and effective tool which could transform discussions at the critical point of diagnosis. They will be equally useful for any broader explorations in different settings and for lots of different purposes. Genius!”
"It is exciting to have such a simple and effective tool"
Sally Russell OBE FRSA, Chair of the PDA Society
Acclaim for "Sadness, Depression and the Dark Night of the Soul: Transcending the Medicalisation of Sadness”
“This is a truly ground-breaking publication. By bringing together insights from psychiatry and spirituality Dr Glòria Durà-Vilà has provided an exceptionally helpful guidebook for all involved in helping people in situations of personal distress, sadness and trauma.”
"Dr Glòria Durà-Vilà has provided an exceptionally helpful guidebook"
Professor Bernadette Flanagan, author of 'Embracing Solitude'
“A balanced account of one of the most unbalanced topics in cultural psychiatry, psychiatric anthropology, and religious studies. An important study for inclusion in courses on religion and medicine, and an empirical provocation to psychiatry, anthropology and religious studies to reconsider what it means to struggle, endure, succumb, and overcome a ubiquitous form of human misery.”
"A colourful and charming book that is full of self-awareness messages for children of all ages"
Professor Arthur Kleinman, Department of Social Medicine, Harvard University, author of 'Rethinking Psychiatry: From Cultural Category to Personal Experience'
“This book deepens our understanding of the complex distinction between normal sadness and depressive disorder. Through a penetrating study of Catholic help-seekers in Spain the author clearly illuminates the ways that individuals interpret their distress and take various kinds of actions to relieve it. This book makes an important contribution to knowledge not just about depression but also about the process of medicalization more generally.”
"This book deepens our understanding of the complex distinction between normal sadness and depressive disorder."
Professor Allan Horwitz, Department of Sociology, Rutgers University, author of 'The Loss of Sadness: How Psychiatry Transformed Normal Sorrow into Depressive Disorder'
“We need a much better understanding of, and antidote to, the all-pervasive but often pointless medicalisation of human sadness and anxiety. This book engages with this problem from a fresh vantage point - that of men and women living a secluded religious life who not only make sense of psychological torment but face it head on, accommodating and transforming it as a kind of spiritual alchemy. Based on rich ethnographic research, Glòria Durà-Vilà explores the spiritual conceptualisation of human angst and loneliness with insightful compassion. In doing so, she permits us a unique and revealing account of dwindling religious communities that will stimulate anyone interested in the human condition.”
"Glòria Durà-Vilà explores the spiritual conceptualisation of human angst and loneliness with insightful compassion"
Professor Gerard Leavey, Director of the Bamford Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Ulster University
“In this substantial study, Glòria Durà-Vilà has stepped boldly into the conflict between sacred and secular understandings of sadness, and revealed it to be a remarkably interesting, important and fertile area of study. The book presents detailed and careful research which not only shines light into contemporary and traditional experiences of darkness and depression, but also into the often murky ways that religious and medical professionals think about each other. The work is certainly illuminating; it deserves to be influential.”
"The work is certainly illuminating; it deserves to be influential.”
Dr Stephen Cherry, Dean of King’s College, Cambridge, author of ‘Barefoot Disciple’, ‘Beyond Busyness: Time Wisdom for Ministry’ and ‘Healing Agony’
“Durà-Vilà's rich ethnography of spiritual sadness is as haunting as it is beautiful. By giving us intimate glimpses into participants' spiritual lives, this work illuminates how, for some, sadness can become a source of deep reflection, and even grace, as well as what is potentially lost when medicalization strips sadness of its resonant meanings. Deftly and sympathetically weaving together spiritual and biomedical perspectives, this is a "must-read" book for anyone interested in depression, spirituality, and how institutions like religion and psychiatry shape our inner worlds.”
"Durà-Vilà's rich ethnography of spiritual sadness is as haunting as it is beautiful."
Professor Rebecca Lester, Department of Anthropology, Washington University, author of ‘Jesus in Our Wombs: Embodying Modernity in a Mexican Convent’
“A novel book that tackles in a creative and original way, as well as being empirical, documented and rigorous, one of the great topics of today: the relationship between spirituality, religion and mental health in a globalised world in a state of deep transformation. This brilliant analysis highlights the differences among sadness, the Dark Night of the Soul and depressive disorders in a social framework with a strong tendency to medicalise human suffering.”
"A novel book that tackles in a creative and original way"
Professor Joseba Achotegui Loizate, Department of Psychiatry, University of Barcelona, Secretary of the World Psychiatric Association - Transcultural Psychiatry Section
“Lucid scholarship and sensitive ethnography situated in the ecclesiastical landscape of Spain provide grist for Durà-Vilà's cultural critique of a psychiatric check-list approach to diagnosing depression devoid of context. Clearly written and engaging, the study explains strengths and limitations of medicalising and spiritualising normal sadness and pathological depression. As a timely study of challenging issues, it demonstrates the value of a cultural formulation of religious faith. The book is an important contribution to cultural psychiatry, psychological anthropology and religious thought.”
"Durà-Vilà's cultural critique of a psychiatric check-list approach to diagnosing depression devoid of context"
Professor Mitchell Weiss, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel
“In The Lost Art of Healing: Practicing Compassion in Medicine (1999), Dr. Bernard Lown, a Nobel laureate and physician, writes about the fundamental need for human relationships between doctor and patient, pointing out how true healers make use of sympathetic listening and a trusting relationship, which affects outcomes from cardiac illness to depression. If medical care values meaning and context, with a strong alliance between provider and patient being crucial to outcome, they are even more critical in psychiatry, psychology, and religion, three fields in which emotion is at the forefront of care (Greenberg, 2016). Cure, in Latin, means to care! Durà-Vilà's work goes a long way toward this good end.
"Durà-Vilà's work goes a long way toward this good end."
PsycCRITIQUES ― American Psychological Association
“In her preface, the author writes "I would like you to think of it [the book] as a sort of diary of my travels, a witness to my experiences and to the lessons I learned along the way." This is indeed how I experienced reading the book - I had a sense of journeying alongside the author in her study.”
"I had a sense of journeying alongside the author in her study."
Andrew Clark ― Royal College of Psychiatrists' Spirituality and Psychiatry Special Interest Group
“This scholarly presentation of a well-researched study deserves to be read widely. I hope that it will help to change attitudes in a wide range of contexts.”
“This scholarly presentation of a well-researched study deserves to be read widely. "
Revd Anne Holmes ― Church Times -
