Start Here

As a chronically anxious and overwhelmed person, I found in this book a gentle reminder of what is within my control. Kerry helped me reconnect with my own strength, my power and my ability to find peace

With her latest book, Start Here, Dr Makin-Byrd shares a succinct and effective way to meet our stress with kindness and care, offering readers a no-nonsense roadmap for connecting with their deepest intentions

This is a rare kind of self-help book - deeply humane, scientifically grounded and courageously honest. Dr Kerry Makin-Byrd brings warmth, clarity and lived wisdom to her three-step model for overcoming overwhelm; one that aligns closely with key psychological flexibility processes. With both rigour and gentleness, she guides the reader toward a life of meaning, compassion and intentional change

In Start Here, Dr Kerry Makin-Byrd offers a refreshingly straightforward roadmap for navigating overwhelm. With warmth, honesty and the generosity of someone who truly walks her talk, she brings together stories, science and practical wisdom in a way that is immediately usable. Kerry guides readers through her simple yet profound framework -soothe, transcend and move - showing how to calm our bodies, widen our perspective and take values-based steps forward. Knowing Kerry personally, I can say the compassion and clarity you'll find in these pages reflect exactly who she is. This is a book I will be recommending to clients, colleagues and friends alike

It's fitting that I started reading this book in the middle of a personal disaster. What amazed me was how readable it was, even mid-disaster. The first two chapters were breezy and immediately actionable. Despite everything on my to-do list, the steps fit right into my life. This book is a breath of fresh air: easy to read, intuitive to apply and immediately useful. Dr Kerry Makin-Byrd's writing is achingly human. The reality and vulnerability here are rare in a book so compact and clear. That's what makes it powerful - it's both evidence-based and grounded in humanity. Not only was this system created by an expert, it's clearly been used by real humans in difficult situations. I love the soothe-transcend-move framework; it's useful for me and my clients. I love how compact and easy to read this book is. Most of all, I love the hope and humanity in every chapter. Start Here truly is a 'practical guide for the overwhelmed'