Counselling therapist and author Eric Fisher reflects on his lifelong love for writing, the healing power of storytelling, and why discipline and kindness matter
INTERVIEW
Eric Fisher may be a counselling therapist, but the art of writing has fascinated him from a tender age. Speaking with Literary Harbinger in an exclusive interaction, the quadragenarian, who resides in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, says he began writing in his preteens. ‘I started by writing short stories and also creating comics using only pencils, featuring characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise,’ he says, adding, ‘I also wrote poems when I was younger. I do not write as many short stories, poems, or create comic books now as I did in my younger years, yet I do look back fondly at those creative conduits and the creative process behind each.’
Writing with Purpose
Fisher began writing screenplays around the age of 15 (yes, you read that right!), pursuing that creative medium well into his late twenties before it fizzled out in recent years. He says he does not write as many screenplays now as he did in the past. ‘That seems to happen with some pursuits in our lives; they rise in importance and then seem less important as time goes on,’ he explains, adding, ‘For many, they find the hobby they enjoy and remain consistent with it, whether that is woodworking, model ship building, crafting, or painting portraits. I think that is awesome, and for the last few years, what I have been able to remain consistent with is writing non-fiction, specifically in the self-help improvement subgenre.’
Fisher’s first book is titled The Martial Art of Recovery: Self-Mastery Practices to Subdue Addiction and Achieve Mental Wellness, and his second is titled Buried Alive: Four Ways to Free Yourself from the Dirt. ‘First off, please let me share that I am a mental health clinician and have been in the field for over 16 years,’ the author, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counselling, tells us. His first book, he lets on, came into being as he tried to connect his knowledge of recovery from substance use and process behaviours such as gambling with his previous experience in a hobby or sport. ‘That happened to be martial arts, American Kenpo in particular.’
Finding Hope Through Adversity
The Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) and Counselling Therapist (CT), we learn, began figuring out metaphorical ways, using wordplay, to bring martial arts concepts and techniques to life in the context of mental wellness and recovery. ‘The intersection of martial arts with recovery was cultivated across about 14 months of writing the book. I discuss holistic ways to find wellness and defend against self-sabotage from substances, behaviours, or toxic relationships. Ways to practically apply the material are also given,’ shares Fisher, who is also basic-trained in EMDR and a Master Practitioner of ART, two psychotherapies often used in the treatment of trauma.
Be that as it may, his second book, Buried Alive, came into being because he wanted to connect certain self-help concepts with a major incident that happened in his life. The incident involved his father being accidentally buried alive while digging for Native American artefacts beneath an overhang in the woods of rural Tennessee.
‘In 2005, I video interviewed the three men involved in the near-fatal incident. I transcribed the interviews as best as I could. No AI was used!’ he says. ‘I was able to shed light on ways to be resilient even when dirt in our lives wants to keep us buried. Whether that is depression, shame, guilt, regret, grief, anxiety, or substance use, I show four ways to unearth ourselves from the dirt: the importance of community and connection, the importance of different types of balance in our lives, the CIA acronym (curiosity, introspection, and agency), and a mysterious concept that begins with “W” that will make sense when you go through the section,’ he explains.
Mediocre books sometimes become New York Times bestsellers. Discipline will outweigh the importance of motivation. As long as you have discipline—which shows you enjoy the process, focus on the present moment, and practise self-validation—you will always be on the winning team.
~ ERIC FISHER
Trusting the Creative Process
Fisher’s latest book, entitled Listening On Repeat, details his experiences as a seasoned mental health therapist. ‘Primarily my mistakes and learnings along the way, along with some self-help suggestions for particular challenges, such as impostor syndrome,’ he says.
Up until this point, Fisher has written non-fiction books, and the chapter placements were figured out for each of them. ‘The subsections within the chapters may emerge as I write and are not always planned,’ the author states, adding that one of his upcoming books will be outside the realm of non-fiction. ‘So, it will be interesting to see how I develop the plot points, characters, etc.,’ he says. ‘For that book, I am using a previously written, unproduced screenplay as the blueprint, which already has a beginning, midpoint, and ending. I will flesh out the content for the book, and with that, there will not be much planning, and I will see what comes up spontaneously as I get into the flow of the portion I am writing about. I do not think that either viewpoint reigns supreme!’
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Writing on His Own Terms
An avid reader, Fisher appreciates Gabor Maté for his intriguing approaches to mental health and the way he views each person through a case-by-case lens, avoiding pigeonholing people into broad generalisations. ‘I also like how Bessel van der Kolk shows the importance of sharing that the body indeed keeps the score with trauma, and he does a fantastic job illustrating how the body is impacted and continues to be affected by traumatic experiences. His amount of research on the hugely complex topic of trauma is amazing,’ he says, letting on that he is currently reading Gideon’s Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad. ‘The amount of research its writer, Gordon Thomas, has done is exceptional,’ he says.
On being asked whether becoming an author was a conscious decision, Fisher, who tends to write when inspired, with little to no planning, while ensuring that the chosen approach does not betray his intentions, says he finds the question interesting. ‘I would have to say that yes, it was, yet the creative directions zigzagged in multiple ways before I wrote my first official book, whether that was writing and drawing amateur comic books, poems, screenplays, or short stories. I had always had the idea in the back of my mind of authoring a book, and that finally came to fruition a few years ago,’ he tells us.
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Showcasing Experiences as a Therapist
But how does he juggle writing and other responsibilities? ‘Mindfulness plays a key role in balancing writing with other responsibilities, including work, family, and recreational activities,’ Fisher declares. He says that time management, which he believes aligns with mindfulness, also greatly aids in maintaining that balance. ‘I know how much time I have for a certain activity, the space in between appointments, and how much writing I can get done before the next scheduled item. Sometimes setting an alarm on my smartwatch for activities helps me stay within the allotted time.’
Giving us a glimpse of his upcoming third book, Fisher, who is also fond of hiking on local and not-so-local trails, biking in local parks, watching films and TV shows, playing board games, travelling to new destinations, and trying exotic foods, lets on, ‘It is non-fiction, autobiographical, with some self-help elements. A type of memoir.’
He continues, ‘The book showcases my experiences as a therapist and what I have learned along the way. Currently in first-draft mode, it is based on a screenplay I wrote years ago. If I had to make a comparison mashup, I would say the book will be Michael Crichton’s Timeline meets Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, with action and sci-fi elements.’
Nonetheless, at this time, Fisher does not really plan to become a full-time author. ‘I do not feel that is my pathway at this time, but hey, if that does come to pass, I will not be annoyed or disappointed!’ he says.
‘Discipline Will Outweigh the Importance of Motivation’
As the conversation continues, we ask him whether there is anything he would like to tell budding authors whose works may not do well, and his response comes quickly. ‘Been there. Done that,’ he smiles.
‘I would tell an author that if they judge their merit based on the number of books they sell, they will always come up short. Many amazing books do not receive the recognition or monetary success they rightfully deserve. Mediocre books sometimes become New York Times bestsellers. Discipline will outweigh the importance of motivation. As long as you have discipline—which shows you enjoy the process, focus on the present moment, and practise self-validation—you will always be on the winning team. On a more practical side, be curious about why your book did not perform well. Perhaps marketing is something that you need to learn more about. Above all, market yourself, and the books will follow,’ he shares. But he does not end there. ‘All the best to the aspiring writers out there!’ he exclaims.
Final Thoughts
Last but not least, we venture to ask him whether there is anything at all that he would like to change in this world, and he tells us that he would like to change the lack of kindness. ‘There is not much effort involved in being kind to another person, regardless of whether they agree with my beliefs and opinions. Kindness is a commodity that pays forward in massive dividends. Being kind can brighten someone’s day without me even knowing it,’ he says.
‘Kindness considers my attitude, motivations, and behaviours. I may help someone be a little kinder to themselves by treating them with kindness. There is a lot of hate and violence in the world, and I feel that kindness could significantly improve how we interact on individual, group, and societal levels. Kindness will most likely be one of the many things we leave behind for others to remember us by,’ he shares, ending the interaction on a thoughtful note.
I may help someone be a little kinder to themselves by treating them with kindness. There is a lot of hate and violence in the world, and I feel that kindness could significantly improve how we interact on individual, group, and societal levels. Kindness will most likely be one of the many things we leave behind for others to remember us by.
~ ERIC FISHER
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