Self Parenting: The Complete Guide to Your Inner Conversations

Most books like this tell you to love your inner child, but don't tell you how to go about it, or the exercises are long and involved. This book is written in a light and humorous way so is easy to read in a short time. The exercises really work and are easy to do. This book changed my life, and if you read it and do the exercises, I can practically guarantee it will change your life for the better.

I have read many books that discuss the benefits of developing a relationship with your Inner Child. This book offers you an actual method that you can put to use every day for doing just that. I have been using Dr. Pollard's technique of thirty minute sessions every day for nearly two years and have found it to be a very rewarding adventure. I promise you that it has changed my life in many ways. A great book and a very practical methodology for getting to know and understand and "listen to" your inner child.

This small and easy to read book teaches a wonderful way of reconnecting with the Inner Child. I am a self parenting practitioner since only 3 month and can only recommend this book to everyone who is willing to face their true essence and is willing to learn one of the most valuable things in life, to listen. Listening to everything your Inner Child has to say and was never allowed to or afraid of expressing. It also helped me in my daily relationships and interactions to become more aware of my listening skills. "WHEN I ASK YOU TO LISTEN TO ME AND YOU FEEL YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO SOLVE MY PROBLEM, YOU HAVE FAILED ME, STRANGE AS THAT MAY SEEM." This is the task in the beginning of Self Parenting to listen to the voice of your Inner Child and to relearn the parenting style you have been exposed to. Self Parenting is like everything else in Life. It is not a quick fix, like a tablet you swallow, it requires endurance, commitment and strength in order to feel the results. Like exercise or meditation. To do it just once or on and off will not create the change you are looking for. But the good news is, IT IS FUN!!!

I have been using this book with my clients for more than seven years. I am so disappointed that it is out of print. It is a positive life experience when practicing self-parenting--going from negative inner parenting talk (e.g., "you're stupid", "life is a bummer", "you'll never get what you want", etc.) to having the loving/nurturing parent listen to the inner child and allowing him/her to be heard (e.g., "I want you to succeed because you are worth it--what do you want to do to make that happen? The child responds "I want to go to school to make myself the best I can be". The parent agrees, the child goes to school and everyone wins!!). It is a very simple concept and a very powerful tool from changing folks shame based existence into love, kindness and success. I would recommend Self-Parenting to anyone who has grown up in guilt, fear, shame and rage.

An easy-to-read, delightfully simple book with a life-altering message presented in a format that speaks to the logical and the intuitive / emotional parts of the brain at the same time. The techniques in this book not only work in relationships with inner selves, they work with other people as well. Winning -- really winning -- involves finding win-win solutions to conflict. And this book teaches how to do just that. I've bought, given away, loaned, and recommended this book to many friends. It is especially helpful to people who were raised by less-than-nurturing (e.g. alcoholic) parents. While there are other books on this subject (I have Charles Whitfield's also), I haven't found a more effective book in teaching how to resolve the pain of inner conflict than Self Parenting by John K. Pollard. I hope this book goes back into print. In the meantime, I'm ordering three copies.