Heart Work
The Transformative Power of Story and Song
Part memoir and part guide, this book includes stories about the ways that therapeutic writing and songwriting have helped Maureen heal along with simple exercises designed to help you write your own stories and songs for healing.
"This is a profound book about healing through writing. It allowed me to gently remember parts of myself that have stories to tell, and how to listen through writing. If you are looking to begin or deepen your writing and healing practices, Heart Work: The Transformative Power of Story and Song will take you there."
~ Erin Brown, MSW, RSW
"With empathy and vulnerability Maureen Pollard takes us on an autobiographical journey from trauma to healing in her memoir Heart Work :The Transformative Power of Story and Song. She teaches us to wield art like a scalpel and to bind our wounds by shining the light of inspiration through the stained glass of trauma, sending us back out into the world a little lighter…a little stronger."
~ Ron Hawkins, singer-songwriter and visual artist
In Angel's Wake
William Maguire is a young man coming of age as his family is evicted from their home in Argentia, Newfoundland to make way for the Americans to build a naval base as they entered World War II. Will thought his life was set, with his beloved Angel by his side. When Angel is swept off her feet by a dashing Yankee sailor, everything changes. Is Will destined to be alone, or will he let Rose Spencer make a place in his heart?
Inspired by the song Yankee Sailor by Great Big Sea, In Angel's Wake is available to order in paperback or as an e-book on Kindle.
Self Preservation
A Survival Guide for A Career in Trauma-Exposed Environments
An easy-to-use resource filled with practical strategies for building, maintaining and recovering resilience across a career on the front lines.
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"Maureen’s book is a gift—a guide to help you navigate the complex and often treacherous waters of trauma-exposed work. It’s a reminder that while this work will change you, it doesn’t have to destroy you. You can emerge from it stronger, wiser, and more compassionate, not just towards others, but towards yourself as well."
Brian Knowler, BA, LLB, Mental health advocate, law enforcement officer, retired lawyer and best-selling author of On the Other Side of Broken: One Cops Battle With the Demons of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Career Suicide is Overrated: Equipping Leaders With Mental Health Strategies for Their Teams and Themselves.
About Maureen
Maureen Pollard is a registered social worker with a private practice in Cobourg, Ontario. She specializes in supporting people as they integrate the experiences of grief and trauma.
Writing stories captivated Maureen at a young age, perhaps beginning with the class newspaper in Mrs. Voy's grade four class. For many years, Maureen's writing focused on telling real people's stories in professional reports. In 2010, Maureen found her way back to creative writing, gently prompted by a conversation with her eighth grade teacher, Mr. McLean, and embraced with compassionate encouragement by Firefly Creative Writing.
In 2020, Maureen discovered songwriting and began an adventure in telling stories in a whole new way with help from the Toronto Songwriting School. In 2022, K-Shark Audio produced Maureen's first two full-length album of original songs.
There's no looking back and no telling what will be next!
Photo by Nicole Turk Photography
Reader Reviews
Best Interests was the first hard copy book since the pandemic that I couldn’t put down. Loved it. It’s so hard to explain child protection to people but you managed to put it into writing with an interesting character to boot.
A. T.
