Self-Coaching: How to Heal Anxiety and Depression

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.

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?

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.

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.