Board certified Health Psychologist and Eastern alum Dr. Jodie Eckleberry-Hunt has a history of teaching physicians for 13 years and now does executive wellness coaching with patients at Beaumont Health. 

On top of her work at Beaumont Health, she is an author with the release of her new book: “Move On Motherf*cker.”

This self-help book is meant to assist people in combating the stress that 2020 has to offer us by “Blending evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and profanity, this unexpected guide will show you how to respond to your negative inner voice with one very important phrase: Move on, mother*cker!”

Stress tips include guides for setting personal and professional boundaries, identifying toxic or codependent relationships, becoming assertive without being aggressive and quitting seeking perfection with journaling and other self-awareness exercises. 

Eckleberry-Hunt said she has always wanted to write a book and that Rachel Naomi Remen, another inspirational author with works such as “Kitchen Table Wisdom” and “My Grandfather’s Blessing” as inspiration for her own work.

It wasn’t until a bad work situation arose for her that led to the discovery of her own voice that was the final push to write a book and help remind “ourselves that no matter how awful a situation feels that we do have some choice, some control over our attitude.”

She said the practices included in the book have not only worked with patients Eckleberry-Hunt has worked with, but have worked on herself as well to go on a journey of healing wounds.

“Life is a journey, and we all have to do what we feel is right in our gut,” she said.

When asked about how profanity comes into play she said it is “a way to get one’s own attention by using targeted cuss-words,” and that the use of profanity has been shown in studies to be helpful for not only pain management, but emotional management as well. 

“I also found about psychology is sometimes what is written is good stuff, but it’s too academic or too long or people can’t relate to it…what makes my book different is I take evidence-based research on what makes psychology work and I package it in a way I think people can understand and a way people can relate to and laugh at. I think there’s something incredibly healing about being able to laugh at oneself and the pain we create in our own lives,” Eckleberry-Hunt said. 

Eckleberry-Hunt said she hopes the book can be an affordable way for people who may not be able to go to therapy to gain knowledge on psychology and apply it to life.

She also spoke about her background as an Eastern alum, and said she chose Eastern for the close distance to her hometown in Fairfield, Illinois, as is the reason for many Eastern students.

She also said the small classroom sizes, along with individual attention, boosted her self-confidence so she could take off from here.

She now lives in Fenton, Michigan, and lives with her married partner, two teenage sons, as well as a labradoodle named Bacon.

She also had some words of wisdom for people who may be struggling.

“These are really trying times right now and no ones really at their best right now, but if we can all just try to remind ourselves that we’re all humans just out there trying to survive and be a little bit kinder to each other,” Eckleberry-Hunt said. “This is all going to pass, but I think that we have to really be careful. That we don’t let fear dictate everything that we do.”

“Move On Motherf*cker” will be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and New Harbinger.

Theo Edwards and Kyara Morales-Rodriguez can be reached at 581-2812 or dennewsdesk@gmail.com.