Skip to Main Content

Happy Is the New Healthy

Published by Forefront Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

If there was ever a need for a book like this, it is now. As a world renowned expert on the subject, Dr. Joan Neehall is the one to deliver this message.

Have you been stressed, anxious, or worried? Have you felt pangs of loneliness in recent times? Are you longing for greater connection with others and the world around you? In a phrase, Are you looking for happiness?

If so, you are not alone—at least not statistically speaking. Millions of others are seeking this feeling of spiritual, mental, and physical wellness too.

Now, in her latest book, Happy Is the New Healthy, forensic psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Joan Neehall explores the underlying causes of unhappiness, and shares with us the secrets to rewriting the frequent thoughts and redirecting the common behaviors that keep us in that state. Most importantly, she demonstrates, through examples from her 35 years of clinical practice, how others have successfully initiated the kinds of changes in their lives that engender the feelings of peace, satisfying connection, and enduring happiness we all seek.

Of course, the advice in this book could not be more timely. A dedicated chapter not only acknowledges the very specific challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic presents for individual, societal, and global happiness, it advances ways to look at, cope with, and use the most daunting of circumstances to reimagine the kind of future that will make you happiest. By daring us to take charge of our emotional health and giving us the tools to do so, this book partners with its readers, reminding them that we are not at all alone in this pursuit.

About The Author

Joan Neehall, PhD, is a clinical psychologist with a specialization in forensic psychology. She has practiced in Edmonton since 1984 (registration #1579) and in British Columbia from 1987 to 2019 (registration #922). She holds diplomate status in the American College of Forensic Examiners. Joan is a psychologist, author, wife, mother, and philanthropist, and conducted seminars in Shanghai, China, in 2019 and in Beijing in 2018. In addition to Happy Is the New Healthy, she has written Perfecting Your Private Practice (2004) and Women Who Roar: Female Pioneers in Alberta (2011), and she coauthored the bestselling Habit of a Happy Life: 30 Days to a Positive Addiction with Dr. Jeffrey Zeig, PhD, in 2018. She has appeared on television shows discussing a variety of topics ranging from body dysmorphia to stress management, as well as the new science of happiness. She taught at Simon Fraser University and has worked in hospitals and in private practice. Most recently, she has spoken at the Mindful Life Summit in San Francisco and on Schneps Media, among other outlets, and has participated in numerous panel and Zoom discussions addressing such topics as happiness, powerful women, telemedicine, and how to deal with the psychological effects of the lockdown and COVID-19.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Forefront Books (March 23, 2021)
  • Length: 272 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781948677714

Browse Related Books

Raves and Reviews

Want a book on happiness that makes you happy to read it? That is how you will feel when you read Happy is the New Healthy.

Eminent psychologist Joan Neehall provides witty, practical, up-to-date information replete with engaging case studies.

Have you missed some vibrant dance steps on your life path? Happy is the New Healthy will help you reclaim joyful rhythms.

– Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D., Director, The Milton H. Erickson Foundation

Is there anything more important in life than health?

But health never happens without happiness.

As a doctor of cells, I teach: healthy cells are happy cells.

Dr. Joan Neehall, PhD, not only explores the ways to happiness of the mind, but brings to life the concept of psychology of the immune system: happy mind is happy immune system.

– Dr. Sveta Silverman, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology

Dr. Neehall is an accomplished, intuitive therapist. In this book, Dr. Neehall draws from her own experience, her clients’ experience, and a vast literature including philosophy, self-help, and behavioral economics. She describes that the pursuit of happiness frequently leads to unwanted states or negative addictions. Instead, she proposes that we develop positive addictions that support our happiness. She describes the basic building blocks of happiness such as connections to family, friends, and community; the physiological ingredients of happiness; and effective strategies to help us deal with the inevitable adversities of life. Finally, she applies these useful lessons to our current COVID-19 pandemic. The book is easy to read, makes you stop and think, and imparts wisdom, common sense, and humor.

– Kaloyan Tanev, MD, Director of Clinical Neuropsychiatry Research, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital

If your attempts at discovering real happiness have left you feeling discouraged and disillusioned, take heart. This uncannily timely book provides a roadmap to help you avoid predictable dead ends and find lasting solutions for feeling more joy in your life.

– Michele Weiner-Davis, Author of Healing from Infidelity

Dr. Joan Neehall’s latest book Happy Is The New Healthy is an outstanding toolkit to help us understand the nature of happiness, and how to work towards it. In an age of countless distractions and negative influences, today’s quest for sustained happiness can be challenging without direction. Dr. Neehall provides us with an inspirational roadmap that is enjoyable, practical, rational and ultimately motivating.
This brilliantly written book is packed with highly engaging insights and logical instruction for all readers, young and mature alike. With real-world examples and easy-to-follow directions, this guide should be mandatory reading for all students of happiness and seekers of personal success. Thank you Dr. Neehall for this outstanding contribution to self-help.

– Jaggi Rao, MD, FRCPC, Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Alberta

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images