Guilt is the Teacher, Love is the Lesson [Paperback]

Joan Borysenko (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1991

The author of the bestselling Minding the Body, Mending the Mind, offers a compassionate, healing guide for overcoming the devastating effects of guilt.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Postulating that guilt is the root cause of many physical and emotional ailments, the author presents a mind/body system intended to eradicate guilt and promote well-being. Rejecting both formal religions and science, she develops a psycho-spiritual program that focuses inward on the human psyche; indeed, many of her good pointers for overcoming guilt are embedded in mystical and visionary experience. Borysenko affirms the reality of visions and relates instances of her patients' seeing the light--literally--and recovering from physical pain. The book is replete with New Age-type jargon: "Can you remember times when you were spontaneously centered and in touch with the Self?" The author's strange amalgam of pseudo-scientific concepts, extraneous elements of Eastern religions, and strands of mysticism will undoubtedly have great appeal to many troubled, confused people trying to "find themselves." Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/89.
- Carol R. Glatt, Northeastern Hosp. of Philadelphia
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

2 cassettes / 2 hours, 30 minutes
Read by the Author

From the bestselling author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind: an accessible guide to healing the destructive effects of guilt.

The reaction by parents, teachers and peers to our own actions often determines our sense of self - how confident we feel and how secure we are about our place in the world. When self-blame and pessimism begin to overtake self-esteem and optimism, the rest may be emotional, physical and spiritual distress.

In Guilt is the Teacher, Love is the Answer, Dr. Joan Borysenko, a Harvard Ph.D., explores this mind/body connection as she offers personal and professional advice for journeying toward recovery and self-love.

Here at last is an insightful and uplifting approach for turning the teachings of guilt into the lessons of love. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (May 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446392243
• ISBN-13: 978-0446392242
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #438,037 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., is the author of thirteen books, including A Woman's Book of Life, Saying Yes to Change, and Inner Peace for Busy People. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Balanced and very helpful, February 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Guilt is the Teacher, Love is the Lesson (Paperback)

Joan Borysenko is often dismissed as a New Age airhead, and her recent books are mostly a rehash of her earlier ones. But I think this is her strongest book, for several reasons. Guilt is a powerful component in many people's psychological makeup (especially women's). While pop psychologists tend to dismiss guilt as simply an unhealthy vestige of an overly strict religious upbringing, this does justice to neither the force of the emotion nor its positive components, compassion and responsibility. Borysenko avoids oversimplifying these issues, distinguishes the healthy from the unproductive aspects of guilt (her discussion of "New Age Guilt" is worth the price of the book), and offers positive guidance on how to learn the lessons guilt can teach us. A major contribution to Western philosophy it's not, but I found this book the most balanced, sane, and practical discussion of guilt that I've ever read.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anyone who suffers from obsessive guilt . ., July 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Guilt is the Teacher, Love is the Lesson (Paperback)

. . should read this book. Joan Borysenko, PhD., appears to be highly versed in the knowledge of guilt, as she suffered from this disease herself.

This book is rich in different forms of psychology, both past and present, but it also mixes the spiritual with that psychology. I think, with most psychologists, that is the factor that is missing. There's the physical, the mental, and the spiritual. Too often, doctors leave the latter out of their practice, and I believe, as Joan Borysenko illustrates, it is a mistake.

This is not just merely a self-help book, but a book that gives you a lot of detail and insight on unhealthy guilt. The aurthor uses examples from her own life, as well as from some of the people she has come across in her practice, to give the reader further understanding. There's exercises for the reader to try, as well as meditations.

If you've EVER suffered from obsessive, unhealty guilt and low self-esteem, this book is MUST.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Having coffee with Joan, February 8, 2000

By 

"cindysd" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guilt is the Teacher, Love is the Lesson (Paperback)

That's what this book will feel like to you: surely you must be sitting in your favorite coffeeshop across from Joan Borysenko, bending heads over a couple of Cafe Mochas! Joan tells it like it is, but with compassion, and a relation to what happened to her. I've had suspicions about the source of guilt in my life, but Joan's stories were the push to clarity. Years of talk therapy coalesced for me with this book. I had the good fortune to meet Joan once. Her energy is so friendly; you'll swear you've known her all her life. Thank the Source for inspiring this woman to teach us!