Anna Parkman has not always been able to call Miami her home. Up until 13 years ago, Parkman had been living in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she was born and raised. A lot of what she experienced as a young girl growing up in Russia, has shaped her into who she is today; a certified life and health coach in the US, with a passion for psychology.
At just nine years old, Parkman began reading books about psychology in her school’s library. She remembers reading the books of famous neurologists like Sigmund Freud and Karl Jung. Her interests in these topics, although some came from pure curiosity, stemmed from the trauma and abuse she was enduring at home.
“The reason for my interest in psychology was my traumas. My parents divorced when I was 7. I was suffering a lot from that fact. There were many conflicts between adults in the family. I also faced my mother’s cruel behavior towards me. In my personal life, I had a lot of different experiences including different types of abuse… As a result, I came up with my own method of getting out of psycho trauma, getting rid of grievances and other negative manifestations.” Parkman confessed.
Anna went on to get a degree in Public Relations at St. Petersburg University in Russia. She then became a certified life and health coach from the Health Institute in the US. Beyond her certification, Parkman has managed to study and master different methods of psychology that include, cognitive behavioral therapy, gestalt therapy, sexology, child psychology, family psychology, counseling psychology, and integral therapy.
“It is my deep conviction that it is correct to use an integral approach in psychology. It is highly professional to navigate in various types of psychology and combine the most effective tools and materials. This makes the work of a psychologist very effective and gives opportunity for powerful transformations,” said Parkman when asked about her vast knowledge of the topic.
The combination of Anna’s personal experience with trauma and her expansive set of skills within the field of psychology, it was only expected that she would one day write a book with all of her background in the subject. Write a book she did, “Apocolytin” is a must-read for those personally going through hardships or know of anyone in their life who is struggling with abuse.
“The name “Apocalyptin” comes from the apocalypse which means the end of the world and new knowledge, disclosure, revelation; removing the cover. For the reader, this is the end of the old world filled with pain, resentment, and suffering and the opening for him of a new world, filled with new knowledge and new meanings and possibilities. Apocalyptin is like a medication that effectively heals childhood traumas,” said Parkman.
‘Apocolytin” can be seen as a “metaphorical tale” according to Parkman. The avatar protagonist, throughout the entirety of the book, goes through recovery stages, emerging from the darkness of destructive emotions and feelings into the light of new knowledge and awareness. Readers will be following the protagonist through their journey of resistance, experiencing the emotions and feelings that are being described. By the end of the story, the reader will have the same emotional impact that the main characters experienced on their road to recovery.
As Anna has been able to fight her inner troubles through successful strategies and methods, her true passion is to relay this advice to others now. Parkmans describes her troubles as “a long time ago,” which gives her strength to advocate for others now. Parkmans experience with personal healing and transitions have been a big inspiration for “Apocalyptin.” Writing the tale was like digging into her past, and reliving the methods she used to recover.
Ultimately, through her work, Parkman wants to help people break down their psychological schemas formed in childhood that may be holding them back in adulthood. Parkman believes that the psychological models established during childhood are deeply attached to our subconscious mind; many of these models were formed out of abuse or trauma, thus becoming unhealthy for the adult mind.
“I am planning to work on this project as a speaker and teacher. I believe that there are children who have faced cruelty and observed dysfunctional patterns of behavior from family members. I want to give them a chance to heal their traumas more wholly and quickly and help them shape a new worldview. This will give them a chance to grow a more healthy mindset and not repeat patterns from their dysfunctional families,” said Parkman.
