Learning to Tell Myself the Truth (Paperback)

~ William Backus (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A 6-WEEK PROGRAM Designed to Bring Immediate and Long-lasting Results to the Way a Person Thinks, Feels, and Acts.

What Is Truth Therapy?

With over half a million copies of Telling Yourself the Truth sold, tens of thousands of people have benefited from author William Backus's life-changing principles of truth therapy. Utilizing the resources of the Christian faith the power of the truth and the Spirit of truth truth therapy has already empowered people to break from the tyranny of anger, depression, anxiety, perfectionism, and other emotional difficulties.

Why a Workbook?

Learning to Tell Myself the Truth is a stand-alone workbook designed to provide readers with the directive tools to implement truth therapy into their lives. Through self-evaluation, growth exercises, and the spiritual discipleship unique to a workbook, readers will be enabled to identify their own misbeliefs and replace them with the truth. Based on the premise that people feel and act the way they think, freedom from emotional anguish and behavioral paralysis is possible if true thoughts replace the lies a person believes.

Who Is Helped by Truth Therapy?

Anyone who has difficulty controlling inappropriate emotions and/or actions depressed people, anxious people, habitually irritated or angry people, people who want to break tough habits, and people who would like to feel better or establish better control over some aspect of their behavior.

Will It Work for Me

About the Author

Dr. William Backus offers practical help and training to those who want to learn effective and loving interpersonal communication. "It seemed to me," Backus said, "that many people were talking to one another without much concern for the truth and love in what they were saying, and thus weakening the power of communication in the home, the Church, and other communities.

He received a B.A. and a Bachelor of Divinity degree at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri. After receiving the degree of Master of Sacred Theology, he was called to serve as pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, St. Louis. In 1956, he began serving a Lutheran Parish in Pleasant Hill, California.

In 1963, Backus was awarded the generous Wheat Ridge Scholarship for psychological studies, and in 1969 received the Ph.D. degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

After five years on the staff of Hennepin County General Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he directed a program of training for clergymen of the area, Backus founded the Center for Christian Psychological Services.

Dr. Backus has conducted follow-up studies of his clients that show a 95% improvement rate, compared to a 67% success rate for other methods of therapy. The difference, Dr. Backus says, is "discovering our misbelief and replacing it with truth."

In addition, he serves as an assistant pastor on the staff of North Heights Lutheran Church, Roseville, Minnesota, where he has founded and directed a lay-staffed free counseling clinic.

Dr. Backus has authored several books, including Telling Yourself the Truth and Why Do I Do What I Don't Want to Do? with Marie Chapian, Telling the Truth to Troubled People, and Finding the Freedom of Self-Control. His latest book, Untwisting Twisted Relationships, offers help to those who would like to mend relationships that have been damaged or broken.

Backus lives with his wife, Candy, in Minnesota. The four Backus children have established homes in various parts of the midwest.

size : 7.0 x 10

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House (November 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556612907
• ISBN-13: 978-1556612909
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #57,982 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Devotional Style Book (30 - One months Worth), June 9, 1998

By A Customer

OUTSTANDING! This book should be required reading for anyone who can read and is even of modest maturity. Written with simplicity, yet wisdom, even a 14 year old would get tremendous value out of reading this book, and a 50 year old, even more. Backus, by taking the reader through simply exercises, helps the reader to better understand the cause and affect of their emotions. (Yes, the mind can mistake the cause of unpleasantries, as Backus so vividy explains; and why this is so.) By gaining a better understanding of his/her emotions, and their causes, the reader is equipped with tools to respond, not react, in a healthier, more positive way to outside/past circumstances. PLUS, with the new "emotional handling tools", the reader quickly find herself/himself becoming much less frustrated and emotionally exasperated with the realities of life, past, and relationships. William Backus does it again, producing a full scale, level 10, class 1, five star devotional tool. I would recommend it to EVERY ONE.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, May 18, 2007

By	Mom of 4 (Illinois) - See all my reviews

I would highly recommend this book if you suffer from mild or severe depression, anxiety, anger, or perfectionism, and are looking for help from a Christian perspective. I have never been diagnosed with any of these, but know I have some tendencies in a couple areas, as probably do most people. I admit I did not take 6 weeks to work through the book, but read pretty much straight through, taking more time in certain chapters. It's been a great help to me!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Eye Opener !, November 9, 2006

By	D. Miller "Window Shopper" (Southeast USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I consider myself a perceptive, intelligent Christian with a balanced perspective of my life...but I was somewhat humbled (understatement!) by the author's techniques that truly put the spotlight on MY life. I began to acknowledge the mistruths, defined as core ideas I acted on and made decisions on that were actually false ideas, even lies...formed by my own foolishness and misinterpretations of life's experiences. I then saw how those lies led me to act in ways that were not in alignment with God's will or with general basic moral standards. But this book gave me the tools to rebuild these inner beliefs and change my thoughts and actions for the better. All of this was done without any complicated or far-fetched philosophical exercises; just some basic reflection and "diagramming" on paper my beliefs and their characteristics. "Learning to Tell Myself the Truth" is a must read (or a "must do") for anyone struggling with self-esteem, addiction, a sense of having no real purpose, or just trying to understand your role in this world...I think that covers us all! Five stars in my opinion.