My Cells My Self How 32-trillion Cells Make a Person

"My Cells My Self" is a refreshing journey into our shared human condition that the author, Joe Mancuso first began developing in 1984 and throughout his career until his retirement in 2019 from clinical practice as a senior program psychotherapist and clinical supervisor within a psychiatric hospital. It provides the reader with a map & compass of humanity to navigate life resiliently. He first created his unique perspective when he worked as a substance abuse counselor for individuals within a residential treatment facility. The individuals who sought his help during his career struggled with mental health disabilities and addictions. His clients appreciated that the information Mr. Mancuso shared was broken down so they could easily understand it without feeling insulted or demeaned.

When a person purchases a new car, it comes with an owner's manual so they can understand how the car is designed and can learn how to maintain and care for it over time. We are even expected to take classes and learn how to operate cars before being allowed to drive them. When operating situations arise, the owner can look to the manual for instructions on how to operate the car, fix it, or even refer to their driving instructions to recall lessons learned, helping them proceed to their destinations safely. A full introduction to our humanity can likewise show us, we have bodies, minds, and spirits that help us to get around and get along in life. Like a car, these design features give their best performance when we have a working understanding of what they do, how they function, and opportunities to practice using them. Throughout our lives, conditions arise such as grief, depression, anger, anxiety, and physical illness that we don't know how to handle, often leading to mistakes. There is no owner's manual to the human self for us to consult… until now. "My Cells My Self" is that new updated operating manual to human life.

Many folks across time and cultures are drawn to the body, mind and spirit perspective and its holistic recognition of what it is to be human, but few understand its actual manifestation. Many books have been published that focus on this perspective, but none has done what "My Cells My Self" does: clarify in everyday language the natural biological foundations that give rise to human life and the body-mind-spirit connection. These concepts are presented by progressively demonstrating how our 32-trillion living cells produce our physical body, our psychology, and ultimately our personal spirituality. "My Cells My Self" takes the reader on the journey of self-discovery with humorous drawings, illustrations, and diagrams that clarify concepts, as well as practical interactive worksheets, and handouts following key chapters that summarize the information being learned. These features allow an individual to understand where they are in life so they can act in real time toward reclaiming happiness and well-being.

Mr. Mancuso's unique education has provided him with the singular conceptual vision for "My Cells My Self." He began his studies in human biology as a pre-dentistry student and changed his major to psychology after taking an elective abnormal psychology class that piqued his interest to understand the biological underpinnings of human thought. This shift in his academic interest allowed Mr. Mancuso to study how biology creates psychology as he earned his degree. Mr. Mancuso was board-certified as a clinical associate medical psychotherapist by the American Board of Medical Psychotherapists and Psychodiagnosticians in 1989, then as a Fellow and Diplomate in 2000. Mr. Mancuso was also licensed to practice in the State of Wisconsin as a clinical social worker in 1994, a professional counselor in 1996, a clinical substance abuse counselor in 1989, an intermediate clinical supervisor in 2001, and as an independent clinical supervisor in 2016, until his full retirement from clinical practice in 2025. Mr. Mancuso is also an artist whose work has been shown in local galleries. He uses pen and watercolor to draw nature and cartoons. He has always used his art while teaching clinically and treating his patients, using the blackboard, handouts, and PowerPoint presentations to explain difficult concepts and add humor to his lesson plans.