RECORDING of Resilience Book Launch: Dr Leslie Gutman in conversation with Rebbetzen Esther Cohen

Join Dr Leslie Gutman and Rebbetzen Esther Cohen for insights into how Torah sources and contemporary psychology can help us bounce back in response to life's inevitable challenges.  

This book launch is part of a monthly series of shiurim and events in memory of Dalia Hillman z'l and Chazan Hillman z'l. To learn more about Dalia, see this post. For more about Chazan Hillman, see this article.

Resilience: A Jewish Guide to Facing Adversity, Fostering Strength, and Living Your Best Life 
by Dr Leslie Gutman 
We are taught that our struggles make us stronger; they help to shape us into who we are meant to be. Yet, how can we ensure that our challenges uplift us rather than bring us down?

Based on resilience research, positive psychology, and behavioural science, this book is written as a manual for building resilience. It is intended to offer a better understanding of how to confront life’s setbacks, limiting the possible negative impact of adversity as well as fostering the strengths that exist within all of us — so we can handle the inevitable problems and pitfalls that come our way.

Alongside scientific research, Resilience contains illuminating insights from the Torah and its scholars, as well as Jewish spirituality, thought, and history. It also includes personal stories of resilience from different individuals, and practical, evidence-based exercises teaching resilience-building strategies.

Resilience is available on Amazon, in both hardback and Kindle formats. 

About the speakers

Dr Leslie Gutman is Professor of Applied Developmental and Health Psychology in the Department of Clinical, Health and Educational Psychology and Director of the MSc in Behaviour Change at University College London (which is currently ranked second in the world for Psychology). She is also an advisor to several charities in the UK as well as Associate Editor of the Journal of Adolescence. She has authored over 70 academic publications. Her book, Resilience: A Jewish Guide to Facing Adversity, Fostering Strength, and Living Your Best Life, is her first book written for a non-academic audience. The book has been endorsed by Rabbi Dr Akiva Tatz, Rebbetzin Shira Smiles and Dr Tal Ben-Shahar (author of two bestselling books on happiness and former lecturer at Harvard). She also writes articles for Aish.com and The Uplift Magazine.

Rebbetzen Esther Cohen  was born and raised in Brazil. She has worked as a therapeutic counsellor for 20 years and has been involved in education for nearly 40 years. Esther started her career in the USA, before moving to England, where she completed a Graduate Teaching Programme, the Ashdown Fellowship, a B.Phil. in Counselling, and an Advanced Diploma in Life Coaching. Most recently, she obtained a Masters in Jewish Education; her dissertation centred on the teaching of mental health skills and self-regulation to primary school children through Jewish Education. Esther spent several years working in alternative settings such as cheder and Education Otherwise, before taking on the role of Head of Religious Education in her current school and becoming a Pikuach inspector. She has been involved in developing Pikuach’s criteria for Jewish personal and spiritual development and is passionate about fostering well-being and meaningful spiritual development.  She is the founder and director of Kadimah Counselling, offering private counselling and life-coaching. Esther also works alongside her husband as a Chabad shlucha, providing support for university students.