Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice: A Revolutionary Program to Counter Negative Thoughts and Live Free from Imagined Limitations [Paperback]

Robert W. Firestone (Author), Lisa Firestone (Author), Joyce Catlett (Author), Pat Love (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2002

The inner critic is the voice in our heads that whispers, whines, and needles us into poor self-esteem and self-confidence. It edits our thoughts, controls our behavior, and inhibits our actions. It thinks it is protecting us from being hurt or feeling abandoned, but all it really does is reinforce our feelings of shame and guilt, sabotage our intimate relationships, and incline us to self-destructive behaviors. Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice presents a revolutionary new strategy for dealing with the inner critic: externalizing it. This subtle, powerful technique turns internal self-criticisms into 'you' statements that can be evaluated objectively and exposed as the gross exaggerations, unfair comparisons, or flat out lies they really are. This book takes you through the step-by-step process of learning how to keep track of your negative thoughts, analyze their reality, and recognize how they impact your life. Learn to use a variety of techniques to help release your inner critic's stranglehold and combat its subversive effect on your career achievement, intimate relationships, and sexuality. A final chapter of the book offers parents simple ways to help their children avoid forming a tyrannical inner critic.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In vain, psychologist Firestone, psychotherapist Lisa Firestone, and lecturer/ writer Joyce Catlett attempt to convey the interesting concept of the "critical inner voice," which could be described as that little devil that sits on one's shoulder to balance out the little angel on the other side. This voice begins when as young children we internalize parental messages, particularly negative ones, creating a psychological base which many of us do not progress beyond to find a more realistic and rational self-view. All parents, however well intentioned, create critical inner voices. Unfortunately, description is all readers will get here as the text recounts ad nauseam various manifestations of the voice. Although many readers will respond to the premise (and to the sad anecdotes), the book fails to articulate clearly any methods for counteracting the effects of the voice. Not recommended; instead, consider Byron Brown's clear, practical Soul Without Shame: A Guide to Liberating Yourself from the Judge Within.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

The self-help literature is strewn with the carcasses of superficial and glib advice. Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice presents a wise, bold, and provocative alternative to the limits of similar self-help books. The chapter on intimacy and couple relationships alone is worth the price of the book. Complex psychological phenomena are described in concrete and clear language. The authors offer numerous exercises to help the reader put the book's ideas to immediate use, and they include guidelines for therapists who may want to use the book in their work with patients in psychotherapy.
—Charles Bonner, Ph.D., clinical psychologist in private practice, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

As a psychologist, spouse, and parent, I have been influenced by the wisdom inherent in the work of Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice. The authors convey to the reader in simple terms the relevancy of their profound psychology. I am inspired by their commitment to help readers liberate themselves from a legacy that undermines their essential well being and right to a life.
—Richard Vogel, Ph.D., coauthor of Brief Psychotherapy Methods, associate of Weiss-Sampson Control Mastery Theory Group, San Francisco

I am very pleased that this book is being published because it contains information invaluable to individuals and families. We tend to express our deepest self-feelings in an interior voice that is at times heavily infused with self-critical messages. For many, these negative messages inhibit productive activity and success in relationships. The authors provide a series of self-help exercises to aid in overcoming the painful distances in relationships with those they love and care about.
—Gail McCracken Price, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Radcliffe Seminars Adjunct Faculty

This landmark book reveals an age-old truth, namely: that the sworn enemy of mental health is our own silent voice! The authors depict the problem and then introduce the reader to a proven innovative strategy known as voice therapy that has helped countless clients take charge of their lives.
—Dr. Howard Rosenthal, author of The Encyclopedia of Counseling and editor, FavoriteCounseling and Therapy Techniques

This highly engaging book is filled with informative real life cases and insightful exercises to help free oneself from the tyranny of a critical inner voice. The sooner people recognize and challenge this 'enemy within' the greater the opportunity they will have for a full, rich, and happy life. Highly recommended to psychologists, counseling therapists, and other helping professionals across the globe.>
—Yasmin Farooqi, professor of applied psychology and private practitioner, University of the Punjab, New Campus, Lahore, Pakistan

Robert Firestone and his associates have again provided readers with incisive and insightful views into the minds and personalities of those that suffer from negative self-images, depression and destructive impulses. This book will enlighten and guide therapists who can use the concept of the inner voice to better understand their clients and use the techniques presented in counseling sessions.
—Donald K. Freedheim, Ph.D., professor emeritus of psychology, Case Western Reserve University, and former editor of Psychotherapy Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: New Harbinger Publications; 1 edition (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572242876
• ISBN-13: 978-1572242876
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.5 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,273 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars straightforward yet effective April 4, 2007

By loquacious d

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is simple, but it doesn't talk down to the reader. In the chapter, "How the critical inner voice interferes with your career", the section about playing the victim begins:

Playing the victim is often a sign that a person is refusing to be an adult at work.

How could you not embrace a book that is so direct and honest? I've been through tons and tons of crap lately, and have skimmed tons and tons of pop psychology and self help books. They all seem to fall into 4 categories: touchy-feely, new age, overly academic, and the worst, condescending superficially academic.

This one is a practical workbook for people who don't necessarily want or need to delve into their pasts, or rewrite their lives in a symbolic (new age) narrative, but just want to get through another day!

This book helps me look at my reality (which is created by my thoughts, feelings and attitudes) a little more rationally and objectively. There is no magic bullet for feeling better about oneself, so it's good to have the toolkit provided here to deal with that oh so critical inner voice.

I recommend this book, of the dozens of self-help books that I've reviewed, it's the only one I would recommend to anyone.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Restore balance and contentment to one's way of life November 10, 2002

By Midwest Book Review

Format:Paperback

Collaboratively written by clinical psychologists Robert W. Firestone and Lisa Firestone, with the assistance of author/lecturer Joyce Catlett, Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice is an impressively "user friendly" self-help guide to learning how to overcome negative thoughts and self-imposed limitations. Individual chapters address how excessive self-criticism can interfere with intimacy, career, and general quality of life, and how it can co-opt oneself into addictive and unhealthily dependent behaviors. Strategies for learning how to restore balance and contentment to one's way of life, and also for choosing an effective therapist, offer a way out of the endless downward spiral of self-depreciating negativity. Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice is a highly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library self-improvement, self-help reference collections.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Effective solutions if you will work at it November 17, 2002

By Harold McFarland HALL OF FAMEVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

"Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice: A Revolutionary Program to Counter Negative Thoughts and Live Free from Imagined Limitations" is a powerful therapeutic work for dealing with the inner voice that holds us back. It is both an explanatory text that describes how we acquire a critical inner voice and its purpose in our lives and a workbook that walks the reader through exercises, questionaires and other activities to get it under control.

If you find that no matter what you do you don't seem to get what you want in life or you are often engaged in self-talk that is not positive in nature then this workbook could be the path to changing your life. A highly recommended read.