Customer Reviews

Self-Coaching: How to Heal Anxiety and Depression

5 star:		(71)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This book is fantastic, not just for anxiety and depression, but for issues of self-esteem, shyness, excessive introversion, anger, perfectionism, etc. I am exploring all these things in therapy and with medication, but felt that there was something more, some common thread, common cause...and the author has found it.

This book really helps you get to the root problem that all these have in common. Deep-seated insecurity and lack of trust in oneself to handle what life throws at you. Hard to admit, but it is the beginning of healing. The author shows how this insecurity (what he calls the Insecure Child), tries to maintain control of oneself and the outside world through immature coping strategies learned in, and repeated since childhood.

If you are a self-help junkie like me who has read countless books, but the result has only been "understanding" your issues better, but never overcoming them, I urge you to give these techniques a try.

At first read, they seem too simplistic, to simple, but in simple things there is power. Give it a try! What have you got to lose, except the misery you're living in?

I purchased this book on the recommendation of a friend, and as a 'compantion of sorts to 'Undoing Depression.' This was one of those rare self-help books that genuinely seems to be centered on that premise.

Luciani give a brilliant background to what you can get from self-helping, and explains it in a way that doesn't make you feel 1.) hopelessly inacapable of accomplishing relief from depression, 2.) explains the causes in a way that don't make you feel like a failure for developing the thought patterns in the first place, and 3.) doesn't use a lot of psychobabble, (save the exception of the inner child thing, which is just a personal irritant of mine) so you actually can see where he's tryig to get you to go.

I really liked his approach to focusing your recovery more internally and on reminding you that it's not an overnight process. Another appreciation I found was that he recongized how difficult changing these patterns can be...and so you expect those hurdles, rather than get discouraged yet again.

I found this to be an excellent book for anyone suffering mild to moderate depression. (And I recommend buying this as a companion to 'Undoing Depression,' so you really get a good sense of what you are working with) If you are severely depressed, you should probably work through more of it before tackling self-coaching.

Having read many, self help books, I felt Self-Coaching stood above the rest! Although I could write pages on the benefits of this book, I will try to keep this short. I often find that it is difficult for those that have not had to deal with depression to understand or relate to what we go through, and the books out there tend to be very clinical. However, Self-Coaching gave me a new prospective on the self-help book. Dr. Luciani's methods of "coaching" have allowed me to begin taking control of my illness and my life. After years of therapists and medications that I never really thought would benefit, I truly feel I can do this! I will not be letting this book go, I have already gone back and reread several sections for motivation. I would recommend Self-Coaching to anyone, no matter how mild or severe your anxiety or depression is, it can change your life.

About five years ago I purchased a self-help book in hopes of solving some of the anxiety/phobia problems that had been restricting my life. This book not only jaded my view of self-help books in general, but also furthered my anguish. As a result of this book, I have severely doubted that self-help books could actually prove fruitful...and if you know me, you know that I am extremely stubborn when it comes to such matters. HOWEVER, following a collegue's recommendation, I glanced over Dr. Luciani's book in the local bookstore. I couldn't put it down! It spoke to me! And more importantly it taught me the most important lesson of my life: How to talk to, and really know my true self. This is a universal struggle that is seemingly a quixotic venture...but trust me, "Self Coaching" works, and works immediately! If you want to go back to living life, instead of watching it fly past you. . .first stop: "Self Coaching", Dr. Luciani. Enough said.

As someone who has suffered from chronic anxiety, depression, and OCD for the past 10 years, all I can say is that Dr. Luciani's book has changed my life. I have seen multiple psychologists, psychiatrists, and other doctors (and taken different medications), and nothing has had the profound effect of this book. I have also shared this book with friends who have similar sufferings and just reading certain passages to them has profoundly changed their lives. With a one time psychiatry session costing $175 an hour, and medication and what not over time costing thousands you deserve to spend under 20 bucks for this. To be honest I would trade in all the other support vehicles (doctors, therpists, medication) I've dealt with the past 10 years for this book. It's that profound, and entirely on the mark. I can't say enough good things about it. Don't wait to start healing. By the way I buy tons of books from Amazon and this is the first one I've done a review for -- I think it's so important to share this book.

I've just finished reading Dr. Luciani's book and after reading a recent Amazon review suggesting that Self-Coaching is essentially a book about positive affirmations, felt the need to respond. No one who has actually read this book can walk away feeling it is JUST about positive affirmations. That would not be possible. This is a powerful book of substance, simplicity, and profound depth. As Dr. Luciani says, positive thinking and affirmations are only half the solution, the other half is positively believing. He goes on to say that positive affirmations are important, but not nearly as important as getting to a point of believing what you tell yourself. And that's exactly what his technique of Self-Talk teaches you. It's not that hard, not once you realize that anxiety and depression are merely habits, habits that can be broken. I've personally tried many "positive thinking" approaches and can say without reservation that this book goes the distance where others just promise. It did for me!

I have read many books on anxiety and depression. Self Coaching was the first one that really made sense to me. It is written in such a way that you can begin to unravel the path of anxiety, and see insights that you have never seen before. Dr. Luciani shares his own experience with anxiety and depression, and then goes on to explain why so many of us get caught up in the anxiety web. And most importantly, he shows us how to unravel it and be rid of extreme anxiety for good. This is an excellent book, I highly recommend it.

Before this book, self-help books were lucky if I made it to the third chapter. But after reading "Self-Coaching" i'm astonished at the power this book has had on my severe depression and anxiety. From page one, the book will grab you, and support you through the last page of the book... I used it to beat depression and anxiety by applying the strategies, and I also used it to calm me down during "panic episodes"... His words soothe the soul and each time you turn the page you'll expect your name to be mentioned - NOW THAT's A BOOK
I find myself going back to chapters just because they leave me feeling so good. I wish everyone in my life would take the time to read this... This book has been my only effective weapon against depression and anxiety... I am very greatful for it.

I've been to three therapists, tried medication and even had my last psychologist want to put me in the hospital for my panic attacks. When I received a copy of Dr. Luciani's Self-Coaching I couldn't put it down. After all these years I've finally got answers to why my life has been such a struggle. What's really amazing is just how simple the solution is. If only I had had this book three therapists ago!

I purchased Dr. Luciani's book a month ago and found it simple and to the point. For many years I've been over-thinking my severe anxiety and panic problems. I just assumed the answer had to be more complex, more complicated. Self-Coaching taught me otherwise! I've been reading self-help for the past decade and consider myself somewhat of an authority on the subject. To be honest, I wasn't expecting this book to be the answer, but as they say, the proof is in the pudding.
Forget what you think about anxiety and expensive remedies (threapy and the many tapes on anxiety I've accumulated included), buy this book and find out the simple truth about how to start feeling better. In just weeks, Dr. Luciani's technique of Self-talk taught me how to break my anxiety habit. I wish I could tell the world how well this program really, truly works!