The Self-Esteem Companion: Simple Exercises to Help You Challenge Your Inner Critic and Celebrate Your Personal Strengths

Self-esteem is an important part of leading a happy, fulfilling life. How we feel about ourselves affects every aspect of our lives, from the way we function at work, in love, and in sex, to the way we parent, to what we strive to achieve.

The Self-Esteem Companion is a step-by-step guide filled with straightforward and effective techniques to help you dramatically improve the way you think and feel about yourself. From the authors of the best-selling Self-Esteem, which has sold more than 700,000 copies, this collection of simple exercises will help you talk back to your inner critic, realistically assess yourself, and begin to celebrate your personal strengths.

With this step-by-step advice, learn to:

•Break free from negative self-concepts and self-defeating behavior
•Deal with mistakes, “shoulds,” and criticism
•Gain self-acceptance and a sense of competence and belonging
•Understand and overcome your limitations from the past
•Feel more confident in personal and professional relationships

Matthew McKay, Ph.D., is the codirector of Families in Transition and the Haight Ashbury Psychological Services in San Francisco. He is coauthor of The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook, Thoughts and Feelings, Messages, The Divorce Book, and Self-Esteem. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and serves on the faculty of the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA.. In private practice, he specializes in the cognitive behavioral treatment of anxiety, anger, and depression.

Patrick Fanning is a professional writer in the mental health field and the founder of a men’s support group in Northern California.She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Catharine Sutker is a freelance writer living in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the coauthor of The Self-Esteem Companion and The Self-Nourishment Companion.