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Women and Stress: A Practical Approach to Managing Tension
Therapists Lush and Vredevelt explore the causes of stress, cite typical responses to tension brought about by conditioning in early life, and offer therapeutic strategies for managing unmanageable emotions such as anger, fear, and disappointment. They address such issues as romance needs, hormonal shifts at different phases of our lives, and strenghtening self-esteem.
272 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 14, 2012
I picked this up at Blessings because it was buy one get one half price and...well, maybe I was feeling a bit stressed. Anyways, I love this book. I am learning so much...Jean writes this book while in her seventies and her wisdom saturates this book. She split it up into three sections: What makes us tense, Typical responses to tension, and Secrets to taming your tensions. I wish I had this when I was younger...it would've helped me a lot I believe.
Jean is a Christian counselor and she uses real people stories to explain and teach. I usually only get halfway through a 'how to' book--I tend to hit a wall. However, this is one didactic type of book that I will definitely finish!
Jean is a Christian counselor and she uses real people stories to explain and teach. I usually only get halfway through a 'how to' book--I tend to hit a wall. However, this is one didactic type of book that I will definitely finish!
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April 11, 2011In an attempt to learn more about myself, my body and how I process the world around me, I chose this (old) book off my mom's shelf. I really feel that it enabled me to define what things have been affecting my overall stress level and how to approach these areas of life in a Christ-like way. I love that a book written by an older woman can speak truth into the modern woman's life as this one did for me!
August 1, 2011
The author speaks with clarity, authority, and compassion; I appreciated her wisdom and short stories as illustrations for her points. A good and practical read; not too deep or overly analytical (which is a good thing if you're stressed out, but looking for guidance). :D
February 9, 2015
I truly enjoyed this book and plan on reading it again in the future. While reading the entire book, I felt like I was sitting down with a mentor over coffee as she shared her life experiences and gave me advice and tips in the process. The book was not filled with metaphors and allegories as I feel many other books aimed toward women are. Instead, although not following a regimented outline and often rambling a bit, it was practical and to-the-point. As I said, it was like chatting over coffee. But yet it was such a wonderful chat that led to growth and challenges. I really loved this book and walked away with new ideas and plans for many areas of my life.
December 27, 2022
Jean Rush was a family therapist who was a frequent guest on James Dobson’s Focus on the Family radio program. Pam was a counselor.
They start off the book discussing the different things that make us tense (they seem to use stress and tension interchangeably). Then they discuss the typical responses to tension, especially the “fight or flight” responses and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
They use the imagery of a storage pot of tensions, with each person having a different size pot. But eventually, each pot can overflow, causing a mess. But they also talk about energy which seeks a discharge, which reminded me of static electricity.
Then, as the title says, they share some very practical ways to keep the pot from overflowing or the electricity from discharging. They use multitudes of helpful examples from their own lives and practices.
A couple of my favorite quotes from the book:
I appreciated the authors’ down-to-earth approach. Their chapters weren’t weighted down with clinical language or vague theories. I loved that they centered their advice around God and His ways and Word.
I think the authors and I would agree on core Biblical issues, but I think we come from different faith traditions. On the very first page, Jean mentions something that I would disagree with. I went back and forth about whether to get into the issue here, and decided against it. It would take a while to explain adequately and might be misunderstood. But, like any book, we read with discernment and compare what we read with Scripture.
This book was published in 1992. It doesn’t mention some ways to relieve tension that you might find in a modern book, but I liked its “old school” approach. Even though it’s older, and I might not agree with every little point, I found much helpful information here.
They start off the book discussing the different things that make us tense (they seem to use stress and tension interchangeably). Then they discuss the typical responses to tension, especially the “fight or flight” responses and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
They use the imagery of a storage pot of tensions, with each person having a different size pot. But eventually, each pot can overflow, causing a mess. But they also talk about energy which seeks a discharge, which reminded me of static electricity.
Then, as the title says, they share some very practical ways to keep the pot from overflowing or the electricity from discharging. They use multitudes of helpful examples from their own lives and practices.
A couple of my favorite quotes from the book:
What are your needs? How do you need God to intervene for you? Talk with Him about your sources of tension. Ask Him for wisdom and guidance. Ask Him for answers. God is not partial. He will do for you what He has done for me and Susan, June, Mrs. Hastings, and countless others. His ears will hear your cry, and He will act on your behalf, but it all must start with you. Carve out some time to be alone with Him. Tune your ears to listen to His Spirit. Open your heart to receive from Him. Then get ready. Watch. Wait. In time, you’ll sense Him filling the holes in your soul (p. 91).
I believe many of life’s greatest blessings come wrapped in struggle paper. Unwrapping those blessings takes time. It’s a process consisting of several phases (p. 256).
I appreciated the authors’ down-to-earth approach. Their chapters weren’t weighted down with clinical language or vague theories. I loved that they centered their advice around God and His ways and Word.
I think the authors and I would agree on core Biblical issues, but I think we come from different faith traditions. On the very first page, Jean mentions something that I would disagree with. I went back and forth about whether to get into the issue here, and decided against it. It would take a while to explain adequately and might be misunderstood. But, like any book, we read with discernment and compare what we read with Scripture.
This book was published in 1992. It doesn’t mention some ways to relieve tension that you might find in a modern book, but I liked its “old school” approach. Even though it’s older, and I might not agree with every little point, I found much helpful information here.
February 9, 2020
An excellent book. Jean Lush has practiced as a therapist for decades and toured with Dr. Dobson. Her way of presenting practical solutions in identifying triggers, behavior and methods about stress is great for both women and men. Her offering real life examples is great without becoming pedantic. She is a Christian and there are moments of when she brings up her faith and prayer. If that is not for you do not just discount the book. It is worth it and she is not preachy. She mentions when her faith worked for her but does not push that you should follow the same course. Everyone's faith is their own. There are only two things I had issue with. Her chapter on menopause is outdated for the science. Take it with a grain of salt. And her getting a few facts from the story of Odysseus wrong bothered me but then I realized she is pulling this out from memory and memory is fickle. Especially if it is something you have not read in a long while. It is also a minor point.
I would recommend this for women and men of any age. It is mostly geared towards people past the age of 30 I would say. It will help any adult whether you are single, married, whatever. She focuses on things that come across as pretty universal to us all in a clear style that makes it relate-able. She does not offer sympathy but empathy because she shows how she has been through some of these things herself. It is well worth finding and reading.
I would recommend this for women and men of any age. It is mostly geared towards people past the age of 30 I would say. It will help any adult whether you are single, married, whatever. She focuses on things that come across as pretty universal to us all in a clear style that makes it relate-able. She does not offer sympathy but empathy because she shows how she has been through some of these things herself. It is well worth finding and reading.
January 4, 2020
2 and a half stars, it lost points with me because the chapter on menopause completely stressed me out. Also she gave an anecdote about Ulysses in which she got the story of The Odyssey wrong which was just plain frustrating.
April 27, 2023
Really great insight on why I feel the way I do highly recommend for anyone who deals with anxiety and stress. I would even argue that men should read this too.
September 20, 2024
Jean is a Christian counselor and she wrote in such an easy fluent way. I really enjoyed the short stories of some of her past sessions. I actually learned a few things also!
December 20, 2025
I learned so much in this book and should probably read it again. Everything from how pre-menopause affects our lives to relationships. Highly recommend to women in their 30’s and 40’s.
January 18, 2016
I enjoyed this book. The author has an easy to read writing style and provided much good information on stress and managing it. I did find it distressing that the author seems to push hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for all women--I do think that it can help some women, but I don't think it should be a mandate for everyone. It needs to be a personal choice for the woman in consultation with her physician.
December 30, 2012
Book is very good, and written in a way you can follow and understand. Does have suggestions on ways stress can be handled. So it delivers as a good resource for anyone looking for a way to handle stress. Author is wise and comes off that way.
February 6, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews