MORE TRANSFORMING NEGATIVE SELF-TALK

A toolkit of simple exercises to successfully tame your inner critic.

Whether an infrequent occurrence or a constant running narrative, internal self-talk can be mildly irritating or severely debilitating. Not always the classic sign of schizophrenia or other serious psychiatric disorder, it’s a common mental health complaint that can lead to depression, anxiety, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive thoughts if left unchecked. In this rich collection of practical, take-charge strategies, the author reveals how self-critical voices can be transformed and used to your own advantage. As a follow-up to his first popular book, Andreas digs deeper here, showing how to actually engage a voice as opposed to simply change it. Rather than talk back or try to silence it, Andreas teaches readers how to join with a voice, clarify what it’s saying, ask for its positive intent, use its specific abilities to your advantage, and more. Follow the exercises and you’ll be equipped to better manage your worst self-talk. Steve Andreas, a private practitioner, writes and gives trainings on topics of personal change and communication. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.