The Lava Tube

We all have a story. People's stories can make us laugh or cry, trigger joy or fear, inspire us or challenge us to step up and act. Rosemary's book is more than just a story. In telling her story, Rosemary shares her struggle with mental illness and the attitudes of those around her, laced with hope, recovery, and the grace of God.

Rosemary explains in simple and engaging terms her own journey through various treatments, attitude changes, and management techniques for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). She gives constructive insights into the tension between oversimplified responses framed in spiritual language and the clinical explanations of medical practitioners.

The beauty and power of this book is in the healthy perspectives that combine spiritual power and medical evidence. These life-changing perspectives break down the stigma of mental illness, especially among believers, and give hope through well-researched practical information and resources. Ultimately, this is an engaging journey of transformation from crippling fear, guilt, and anxiety to joyful hope, recovery, and freedom. It is an informative journey of the heart, soul, mind, and body.


""As a personal work from one who has suffered with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, The Lava Tube makes a humane contribution to our understandings, care, appropriate responses, and therapeutic interventions, mainly for those who suffer directly from the condition, but also for those in relationship. It has clearly been a work of love--courageous, honest, and generous--forged from adversity, offered from a broadly integrated bio-psycho-social-spiritual health perspective. This is a worthwhile read, for both professionals and lay persons. Congratulations to the author!""
--Rosemary Steer MAPS, Psychologist, The Andrews Centre, Endeavour Hills, Australia


Rosemary Burke is an office coordinator with a twenty-year nursing background and mother of two. Her current work includes helping people in a range of not-for-profit, multicultural contexts. She is also qualified in pastoral care. Rosemary has held and continues to hold leadership roles in her local church, encouraging creativity and empowerment.