Customer Reviews

The Pathway: Follow the Road to Health and Happiness

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read both The Pathway and The Solution. First, I want to say that I think this is groundbreaking work that has had a huge impact on my life. As I read the books, I felt like I was talking to the only person who has ever understood me or my relationship to food and weight. Yes, I lost weight but more importantly, I gained an internal sense of sanctuary that I have never known in my whole life. . .my "sweetest fruit."

However. . .I think that a lot of people are likely to be turned off by the Pathway's emphasis on The Solution Kits and/or can't afford the financial cost. For those who are unable/unwilling to purchase the kits, The Solution (her first book) does provide an inexpensive way to begin.

The Solution has writing exercises, like Thinking Journals and Feeling Letters, along with some quizzes, journals and other things. I did the exercises and shared the book with my husband and some close friends. I found that was enough support for me to master the skills and deal with the "emotional trash" without shelling out $600+ dollars for the Solution Kits, etc.

That may not be true for everyone, but it was true for me. Her books have a quiz that determines what level of support - the "Pathway" that a person may need to follow - her scale did recommend that I seek external support, and I kept that door open if I needed it, but I didn't.

I know Ms. Mellin is probably struggling with how to scale her method to maximize effectiveness and safety, but I think she's fallen into the trap of trying to create an industry/brand around it. By doing so, she's necessarily limiting her services to those who can afford to spend that kind of money.

It may have been better if she could have followed more of the Twelve Step model of self-organized groups based on a rigorous structure and format, with only minimal central organization. Less control, granted, but a lot less expense and overhead to deal with, and the participants reap the benefits of feeling competent enough to help others as they grow in their ability to help themselves. I wouldn't be surprised if the Solution Circles evolve into that kind of an organization, over time.

I highly recommend this book! I have been practicing the skills - especially self-nurturing & limits setting combined with more balanced eating and mastery living (exercise, restoration, and meaningful activities) for almost 4 months and I am already a different person! I already feel much more emotional balance than I ever did before. As I become more compassionate towards myself, I find myself being more compassionate towards others, more accepting of their mistakes. Not only do I feel this way, but my husband and co-workers have noticed it too. One of my co-workers told me she thought I had set a New Year's resolution to be more patient. The best part is I'm not struggling to be patient; I am just becoming that way. My temperament is actually changing! I cannot tell you how truly amazing this is for me.

I actually started this method to lose weight and I have lost nearly 10 pounds (and I know I will continue to lose weight & keep it off as I continue making progress towards my Solution). I recommend this book and its method because of how much better my life is and how much better I know it will become from the descriptions in "The Pathway" of those who have reached their Solution. I am still somewhat incredulous at the power of this simple, but powerful method. Sometimes, it feels a little like magic, but I know it is not. I am working hard at practicing the nurturing and limits skills and it takes courage and it does take time, but it is so worth it for the rewards it brings. I encourage you to purchase this book. It may change your life in ways you cannot even imagine!

I have read the author's other book, The Solution, so I had interest to read this book as well. It was an eye opener to me!
This book offers a roadmap for how to get to the ROOT CAUSE not the SYMPTOM of why people go to excesses in their lives to deal with their emotions. As a child I did not learn the skills of self-nurturing and setting limits for myself. I have found external ways to comfort myself by overeating, and overworking. I put up walls and spent so much time over-thinking everything in my life. This book has offered me an Amazing Grace - Roadmap to learn the skills of nurturing and setting limits so I can develop a sanctuarity within myself. My over excesses are literally slowly killing me. I have tried so many things that have dealt with the SYMPTOMS not the ROOTS. This is not a quick fix but a teachable method that when practiced diligently does create permanent change over time. If you can identify with my comments, I strongly recommend you read this book.

I first found this book on Amazon and ordered it with many other diet books. I've done diets most of my adult life and always reverted back to my old ways or worse. When I started reading the "Pathway", I thought it sounded odd and even like a "cult" as another reviewer has mentioned, simply because it is so different. It's not a cult, but a diet/lifestyle program. (Also, as I learned, this book is not "commercial" because it is put out by a non-profit organization associated with a major university.) As I continued reading, I saw that this program was the answer.
I've lost 15 lbs in 4 months and am still going strong. Not only have I lost weight, I'm also using fewer external solutions such as overspending, watching tv, eating chocolate, and ignoring the clutter in my house. I have more energy, vibrancy, intimacy, and balance. I'm learing the skills to deal with emotional upheaval, everyday trials, and permanently changing my brain to replace powerless negative thoughts with positive and powerful phrases.
This program is a big commitment, but if I add up all the time spent on diets that did not last - it's worth it for the Pathway to a permanent weightloss solution. Most other people using the program have lost even more weight into their second year. Following the "Pathway" is my best Christmas gift and New Year's Resolution.

I wrote the review below "Older Book May Be Better for Some" three years ago. What a three years it has been! I went on to complete Solution Training as described in The Pathway with a person that Laurel had personally trained in the method. I cannot tell you how much this work has changed my life for the better.

I regret writing the earlier review, and reading it now is strange - I am no longer the person who wrote it. It was an accurate account of my reaction at the time, but I am so grateful that I did not heed my own advice.

I have the Solution in my life that she promised, and the world is truly a different place - a much warmer, friendlier, more intimate and more spiritual place. I no longer need to overeat compulsively, distance myself from others, hide my authentic self from the world, or drag others into my personal melodramas. Most importantly, I never feel completely lost - I always have my connection with myself, as near at hand as a moment to breathe and check in.

Just as Laurel's thinking and methods evolved between The Solution and The Pathway, Laurel has continued to evolve the work, as neuroscience has continued to advance, confirming many of her theories about how people can deeply change. I hope that she will release an updated version that shows these connections.

I am still concerned about the cost of the work, which only begins when you purchase this book. However, Laurel Mellin now has a cadre of mentors who have completed the training, and who are leading small groups to bring this method to more people. In the end, the cost ($300 or so for the Solution Kits that she mentions, plus about another $2,000 in professional support, spread over three years) seems like a bargain. The Solution Kits come with membership in a free web support community, and I found my own ways to keep the costs down while getting the support that I needed in the difficult parts of the work.

In short, I now heartily recommend this book and this work to anyone.

I've been using the method described in this book for several years in my own life and with my clients. What a difference it has made! I know of no other technique that so simply and profoundly helps people balance emotions, change unhealthy patterns of thinking and beliefs, and curb unwanted behaviors like stress eating, shopping or drinking. I strongly recommend that you try this book and this method if you're looking for tools and support to make changes in your life.

I've been struggeling with food and people pleasing my entire life. "The Pathway" is a gift. It is not just another book but THE book on how to learn the skills to finally stop overeating and have balance. It's not about having the good metabolism or deciding between proteins or carbohydrates. "The Pathway" teaches me that I have the skills! Now I'm making healthy lifestyle changes and seeing results. I'm loosing weight and my mom wants to read the book to help her with smoking. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

I have been utilizing Laurel Mellin's method, and the effectiveness of her material is simply incredible. This teaches people to retrain themselves to go INSIDE for solutions, rather than using ineffective, harmful external solutions such as overeating and drinking.

Unlike most "self-help" materials, Ms. Mellin's approach is aimed at addressing the REAL problems, rather than simply removing troublesome behaviors. Her goal is for us to learn how to nurture ourselves and effectively manage our own feelings and beliefs.

This is NOT a quick-fix book; you have to do more than read - you have to learn and use the skills. That said, they're relatively easy to learn and use, and remarkably effective in a short time if you work at it.

If you're trying to decide between this and her first book, "the Solution," which is about weight loss, I'd definitely recommend "The Pathway." It's much easier to understand, and the prinicples are exactly the same - just a broader application than in "The Solution."

If you're interested in REAL change, this is the book for you.

This review is the first review I have written in a long time, even though I have spent hundreds (thousands?) of dollars at Amazon over the past several years trying to improve myself, to lose weight, and to become a useful member of society. I can't believe how many bad reviews there are floating around about this book. The bad reviews are a dis-service to those of us who need the information in this book because we didn't have the greatest parents in the world to teach us even the basics of how to act like a grown-up, and eat like a grown-up, because they weren't grown-up themselves.
I came from a dysfunctional family where high expectations were coupled with poor support, emotional and physical abuse, and poor eating habits. I had a lot of growing up to do. I am not getting any younger. This book does away with blaming the parents and focuses on developing your physical and emotional health instead, including the drive to over eat to externally satisfy an internal need.
I am only half way through this book, but I can already tell there is an improvement in my eating habits, and my happiness. I will re-read this book when I'm done with it. It is a keeper.

This is a great book and explains the Nuturing and Limits cycle much better than "The Solution". It also touches on other "external solutions" other than over-eating that were not mentioned in "The Solution". If you buy this book, you'll find most of "The Solution" redundant. I wouldn't recomend buying both. "The Solution" just covers over-eating and doesn't cover the Nurturing and Limits cycle to the depth "The Pathway" does.
This has helped me a great deal in coping with my issues.