Treat yourself to a journey of self-discovery and healing with Robby Carroll’s book, ‘Streams of Influence’. This book sets forth the numerous influences, which have streamed into Robby Carroll’s life and have given birth to a special kind of therapy, consulting and training that is effective, down to earth and restorative. His work is characterized by an emphasis on personal communication, attentive listening, and speaking the truth in love.
More than any other comment, people say this man models what he teaches having survived addiction himself, only to later endure the deep, life-changing pain and grief of losing a son to addiction. This book inspires the reader to consider the Streams of Influence in their own life.
‘Streams of Influence’ is available at Amazon.com in both printed and Kindle formats.
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PRAISE for Streams of Influence
This volume is a “story” filled with courage, vulnerability, and experience born out of a passion for living and growing as a person, pastor, teacher, and psychotherapist. Robby Carroll reveals the essence of what real ministry and pastoral psychotherapy is all about – the sacred journey of the shaman who has ventured into the chaos and mystery of one’s inner world and returned with a message and images of insight, beauty, and hope. His personal journey then offers a rich understanding of how the various influences on one’s life paint both landscape and forefront images reflecting the content, movement, and colors of one’s experiences. The various aspects of his experience are shared not as a product, but as a surprise that developed the continuing novel of his life and work.
This autobiography reveals a growing sense of imagination with a focus on learning from one’s own experience and seeing it as more than ego, but rather as a venture into participation with the Divine. Carroll views the events of his life as events of revelation that both inform him and grow him into a deeper understanding of his belongings and connections with others as well as what he considers to be eternal. His pilgrimage is a fabric strongly woven by the threads, colors, and textures experienced through his encounters with the lives and experiences of others. His journey out of a deeply troubled childhood of abuse, rejection, and adolescent/adult alcoholism into religious experiences of grace and acceptance enabled a venture into redeeming self-discoveries that eventually led him into ministry and later into becoming a committed pastoral psychotherapist. Carroll’s history reminds us that our limitations and stumblings offer the possibility of insights and treasures toward spiritual growth, renewal, the redemptive power of grace. His current ministry and shared stories of some of his clients show him to be available for the adventures of his parishioners/clients and one who continues to use his imagination and personal discoveries as grist for the mill of his life and work.
The organization of this story is such that it could be used creatively with CPE and pastoral counseling students in their training to learn how they can write and learn from their own stories to discover how their gifts can arrive in their lives. From Carroll they can learn about the richness that comes through being awakened to a deep desire to live life and to be open to the surprises it brings. The central theme of Carroll’s work affirms that no person is a finished product, regardless of how she/he may have been blocked or frozen by events of their past. His life or being, as well as all others, is a becoming every single moment, filling out an identity and sense of self that is both unique and connected with the complexity of the human community. This personal account is a valuable resource for pastors, seminarians, and pastoral psychotherapists. It is an authentic offering of the integration of one’s story, with all its various layers of experience and multitude of influences, into an inner stream of self-definition, imagination, and courage to face all that comes forth from the future.
Franklin D. Duncan, Ph.D.
ACPE Supervisor
LMFT, State of Georgia
Retired
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This book, like its author, is a testament to the power of vulnerability and authenticity. Robby Carroll’s story is one of amazing grace through the danger, toils, and snares of life. In his professional and personal life, Robby offers us all an invitation to be our truest selves and to live with both gratitude and joy even in the midst of struggle. Within this pages, we find practical wisdom in abundance from a pastor, mentor, counselor, and fellow traveler on the journey of faith and life. I am delighted that Robby has the courage and openness to share his story with all of us!
Rev. Christopher Henry
Pastor, Shallowford Presbyterian Church
Atlanta, GA
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God is always in search of us, but often we are too distracted, too dysfunctional, or too rebellious to see. In this saga Robby Carroll pulls back the curtain and allows us to watch the drama of God’s work in his life. This is a moving story of a man being captured and transformed by God.
The only truly unique thing which any of us can give others is our own story. Robby Carroll gives us that gift, and in the process witnesses to the unfolding grace of God—always searching for us, always loving us, always transforming us, and always working through us.
Dr. Stephen A. Hayner
President, Columbia Theological Seminary
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Robby Carroll nails it. God has not hidden or abandoned us; rather, it is we who get lost and sometimes find God who is always waiting for us to awaken from our self-induced slumbers. This is a tale told with humility and without guile. It is a tale by a master pastoral psychotherapist and it is also a tale filled with hope for all of us. Brian H. Childs, Ph.D. President, College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy
Every once in a while an autobiography comes along that tells more that the author’s story. In the case of Robby Carroll’s book, readers encounter doorways through which to enter their own life experiences and view them with new eyes. This beautiful account of one man’s redemptive journey grabbed me on the first page, held my attention throughout, and stays with me still. Written by an authentic, gifted human being, Streams of Influence is filled with grace.
Rev. Dr. Joanna M. Adams
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Also, order your copy of Robby’s collaborative work with Ben Campbell Johnson and Kay Stewart called, ‘Life’s Transitions: Invitations to Wholeness’.
This book is about life transitions – it’s an invitation to live the questions of a life in transition, and to live them now! This is not a book of theories, concepts, strategies, or advice. Rather, it is a collection of real stories coupled with an invitation to connect occurrences to resources deep within us. The book is also about letting go of our striving for answers . . . it’s an invitation simply to live the stories and questions, and perhaps gradually live into a sense of wholeness through lessons learned! We encourage you to engage the book with openness and curiosity, bringing patience and gentleness to all it stirs in you.
The pages reflect the light and life discovered in real people, real sharing, and real stories. The writing of this book came through a series of conversations among your authors. For more than a year they met to candidly share their own stories of healing, growth, and wholeness. Together they lived the questions of their transitions. Connections were strengthened by listening deeply and reflecting on unique stories that revealed subtle, yet powerful common threads of their human experience. By engaging these stories, their hearts were opened, their souls were stirred, and they were enabled to more fully live the transitions of their lives.
The authors – Kay Stewart, Robby Carroll and Ben Johnson – are story-gatherers and inquiry partners. Together, they represent more than two hundred years of living. Collectively, they have lived through tragic loss, challenging opportunities, fearful hours of darkness, and countless other experiences that created transitions for them. They did not always make those transitions successfully. Sometimes they got stuck in a transition, other times they were overwhelmed, and often they were surprised by the blessings called forth through their transitions.
CLICK HERE to order your copy.