Gloria Nye says:

Carolynn Hillman presents an effective way to eliminate the inner-critic with its degrading and put-down voice and teaches us how to replace this with a supportive inner caretaker so that we can truly be our authentic selves. This is the first book that I have found that gets to the root and digs out the cause of poor self-esteem. The first line in Chapter 3,”Why We Are the Way We Are” blew me away. She writes, “We devalue ourselves and treat ourselves in harsh, judgemental, overly critical ways because we have been taught to do so”. Wow, that meant I could unlearn this and eliminate once and for all that self-destroying inner critical voice! I wasn’t born flawed! The author gives clear, specific steps on how to do this and it works. I have been working on my self-esteem for many, many years; reading books, therapy, and praying. The day before I found this book on my friend’s bookshelf,I had asked in anguish and frustration, “How do I do this? How do I be ME?!” This book was the answer. Even before I finished reading it and doing the exercises, I experienced a huge “energy exchange”. I believe the term is panic attack (of which I had never had before). I was laughing and crying at the same time while unable to get enough air. I gulped and sobbed and laughed as I felt thoughts and emotions whirling and clashing inside me, rearranging themselves. Later I realized it was as if my authentic inner self was battling that “critical worthless” me that I thought was real. When I finally began to breath deeply again, I felt a self-acceptance in my heart and insides for the first time in my life. I knew that I was o.k. I was/am enough. I feel different. I even feel normal – whatever that is. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you Carolynn Hillman for giving me back to myself. I am buying several copies for my daughter, my sisters and friends. So to anyone who is not living the life you want, or being the person you want to be, get this book, read it, do the exercises. You can change and truly be the wonderful, caring, loving and beautiful person you are.
Rating: 5 / 5

Peter Strong says:

As a mindfulness based psychotherapist, author and teacher, I found the advice in this book to be very helpful. I find that when such good strategies as presented here are combined with mindfulness meditation, which provides a way of of establishing a healthy, non-reactive inner therapeutic space in which difficult emotions, depression, anxiety and trauma can heal. If you would like to couple this sound advice with the healing power of mindfulness, then I also recommend ‘The Path of Mindfulness Meditation’ by Dr Peter Strong, an in-depth exploration of mindfulness meditation.
Rating: 4 / 5