The Paper Tiger Syndrome How to Liberate Yourself from the Illusion of Fear



The Paper Tiger Syndrome

How to Liberate Yourself from the Illusion of Fear

Rebecca A. Ward

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09WKPJQQS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (March 26, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8440498334
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.58 x 9 inches


Can you remember a time when you felt truly fearless? When you knew, without a doubt, that the world was safe? Can you ever remember feeling completely liberated from the undercurrent of discontent, anxiety, or suffering that’s so prevalent in modern life? For the average person, consistently experiencing that kind of freedom sounds like wishful thinking. Life’s hardships can create a sense of foreboding that’s hard to shake. But the truth is that most fears and anxieties are really just paper tigers.

Paper tigers are the thoughts and experiences that conjure up dread, but that don’t present any real danger. Missed deadlines, traffic jams, conflict with a loved one, and arguments with the boss create the same physiological responses in the human body that our ancestors experienced when they were stalked by predators on the plains. In the modern world, however, those responses are unwarranted. They’re neurological “misfires” that wreak havoc on our mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing, all in an effort to keep us “safe.”

The Paper Tiger Syndrome is a guidebook on the journey of healing and self-repair, which demonstrates that the most direct way to overcome fear, stress, and trauma in your life is to regulate your physical body. In here, the author—a trauma survivor herself—shares her own inspirational story to show you what’s possible and helps you understand how to regain control so you can freely live again.

Based largely on the principles of somatic therapy, The Paper Tiger Syndrome provides specific exercises and tools to help you walk the bridge from fear to safety to unconditional love. In that space of love—the space that exists beyond fear, trauma, or suffering—lies the purest form of the human expression of your soul. It’s what author Rebecca Ward calls your Original Blueprint®. Learn to reclaim it.

I received a copy of this book from Michelle Fitzgerald, Publicity Director, FSB Associates



Review: The Paper Tiger Syndrome  How to Liberate Yourself from the Illusion of Fear


Are you searching for a book that promotes the support system and our need for connections?  If so, this may be the book for you. 

Every situation seems new when we are young and as children, we often rely on non-verbal cues for our connections.

The book provides statistics on the Making Caring Common. and we learn that symbiotic relations help protect our nervous system from dysregulation which is expressed in a wide range of emotions including sadness, anger, irritability, and frustration.

I appreciate that Ward provides exercises in things such as beliefs, community, lineage, and rituals and speaks to the benefits of keeping a personal journal. Ward also looks closely at the 5 dimensions of awareness and speaks to reviewing our commitment to practice and recognizing inner experiences. All the while, we learn about levels of well-being, coping skills, and how to have a longer, healthier, life.

One thing I learned is we often develop our inner critic by the time we are five. Creating a relationship with our inner critic can be done with humor and encouragement, this will allow us to maneuver our inner critic to be a supportive cheerleader.


About the Author

Rebecca A. Ward is the author of The Paper Tiger Syndrome. A Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, she specializes in grief & loss, trauma, stress reduction, and the psychological symptoms associated with chronic and terminal illness. Her work is informed by somatic-based practices, including as a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SEP) and also serves as a training assistant for the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute (SETI). She is also certified in Interactive Guided Imagery and the Integrative Enneagram and have received 20+ years of training in numerous relational, grief, ritual, and spiritual modalities. As an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Certified Integral Coach, her work as a management consultant includes nearly 30 years of combined experience in executive coaching and management consulting. She works with leaders across all levels to repair connections and build cohesion and is an expert in leadership presence and embodiment—connecting the work of somatics with the use of language and communication.