Anna Parkman is entering the world of metaphoric psychology tales. Born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Parkman’s journey throughout her childhood paved the way for her protagonist in her newest book, “Apocalyptin.”
At just 7-years-old, Parkman’s parents divorced; it was at that moment she knew her life was going to change forever. Two years later, she began to show interest in psychology. She was reading books by famous psychologists like Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Pain and suffering filled her heart at such a young age.
Parkman’s relationship with her mother went sour after the divorce. She faced a lot of abuse in many different areas. This only pushed her further to dig deep into the world of psychology. All of her readings taught her how to get out of psycho trauma, grievances, and other negative manifestations.
Her original education was in Public Relations at a university in Saint Petersburg. However, she knew psychology was her true passion. So, she moved to the U.S. and received her certification as a health and life coach
In her metaphoric tale “Apocalyptin,” Parkman tells the story of someone who “goes through all the stages of transformation, emerging from the darkness of destructive emotions and feelings into the light of new knowledge and awareness,” she explains.
She says that her title comes from the word apocalypse which means the end of the world and new knowledge. “For the reader, this is the end of the old world. Filled with pain, resentment, and suffering. The opening of a new world filled with new knowledge and new meanings and possibilities. ‘Apocalyptin’ is like a medication that effectively heals childhood traumas.”
Not only does “Apocalyptin” tell the story of going through the stages of transformation, but Parkman also outlines a guide on how to overcome trauma and her methods of forgiveness.
Parkman has incredible knowledge of all things psychology. From psychosomatics to integral therapy to child psychology to personality disorders, she is an expert on the mind of the young and old.
Having an abundance of knowledge on all the aspects of psychology is crucial to her work. She believes that “this makes the work of a psychologist very effective and gives an opportunity for the powerful transformations.”
One area of her study she is passionate about is fairytale therapy. This form of therapy turns the moral of the story into life guidance. Since this genre of writing is often targeted towards children, fairytale therapy offers a light of recovery for the young suffering from trauma.
Although “Apocalyptin” is not a traditional fairytale, the plot still focuses on characters that go through challenges and learn from them ー just as any child in real life would, too.
Parkman’s tale “works directly with the subconscious, bypassing the criticism of consciousness,” she says. Her goal when writing “Apocalyptin” was to help people break down their psychological schemas formed during childhood that are ingrained deep within their minds.
“Apocalyptin” takes the readers through the protagonist’s psychological journey. The characters throughout the tale are meant to subconsciously heal the reader’s cavernous mental wounds. At the physiological level destruction of old connections take place and new connections form in the brain.
By the time the reader finishes the book, they will “have the same translation impact that the main characters [have],” Parkman says.