Customer Reviews

The Self-Esteem Guided Journal: A 10-Week Program (New Harbinger Guided Journal)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Around this time last year I was going through a very difficult time in many areas of my life. I won't go into extreme detail, but some of these included the consistent physical and emotional abuse from my dad, a really nasty break-up from a relationship that had lasted years, and the worst relapse into anorexia that I have ever had.

Needless to say, I had pretty much no self-esteem and confidence.

During this time, I would frequently go to bookstores to calm or relax myself, and it was during one of these visits that I found this book. I had looked at a few others, but none of them really struck me as appealing as this one. But still, as a college student, did I really feel that I would have time to write in this 70 days in a row? Still, this rut was something I wanted to get out of, and I ended up buying this book.

I was both excited and scared to start writing in this, but I forced myself to write in each and every entry. Some days were easier then others, but all required some thought that would have me feel incredibly different in a refreshing way in a matter of 10 weeks.

I'm not going to say that a journal can solve all of your problems...I still had to get out of the bad situation in my house though other means, but this journal helped me incredibly in obtaining the confidence and self-esteem I needed and it really helped heal the pain from the life-long abuse and the break-up.

I'm no therapist or anything--I'm barely out of my teen years--but this journal was incredibly helpful and really did a lot more then I had expected. It helped me to really feel free inside and helped me to move on from the past. A year later (I had finished this journal around mid-June last year) I am still a happy and confident person and I still think that it was through the help of this.

My only recommendation if you get this journal is to be totally honest when you write. Write this as if no one else would ever see it. If you are nervous about someone else reading what you have written, set up something like a LiveJournal (livejournal.com) and set it so that only you can read the entries.

This journal is very thorough with its guidance in your journey from discovering how you become who you are today and what you can do to change it. Each day there is a section that ask a specific personal question you need to answer and those questions require you to step back and reflect back on your life experiences. Themes include: being aware of how your "shoulds" controls your choices in life, how you developed your current self esteem level, learning acceptance etc etc...

Very therapeutic!

In my work as a psychotherapist, I recommend this book to my clients to help them explore their self-esteem issues. I highly recommend it to both practitioners and their clients as a valuable resource --- one I've been looking for for some time. Pamela D. Blair, Ph.D., Psychotherapist and Author, The Next Fifty Years: A Guide for Women at Midlife and Beyond

I have looked at a lot of self-help books for trauma and self-esteem work and I think this one is actually a good one. It is simple and direct, and allows the reader to interact. Right away I felt it was on the right track with its exercises. The first week involves not judging while watching news and the media, then not judging strangers on the street, but then moves into not judging things like your own children and then yourself! I like that the authors differentiate between healthy and unhealthy judgments. I think this is a book that would be especially good for teens, to help them early on, but it is also very helpful for anyone who has experienced trauma and a loss of self-worth. I am 51 years old and finding it helpful and useful. I recommend this book.

This book gives relevant theory regarding self-esteem and then goes on to give practical journalling topics for each day of the week and lasts for 10 weeks. It lends itself to group work run by a therapist or alternatively can be used by an individual wanting a guided journalling program.

I am at week ten and it helped me look at myself and now I feel lucky that I worked the self-esteem out so I could look at my life in times of change. It's a bit of work but I managed to carry through the pages.

I purchased this for someone else who says it has helped him. Since I've not read the book I can't say much more. That's why only 3 stars.