Shortcut Through Therapy: Ten Principles of Growth-Oriented, Contented Living

I was amazed at how the unapologetically simple ideas changed my everyday focus in such a positive, power-filled way. Order it and improve your own life and your loved ones lives, too.

I had gone through my share of traditional therapy and this book offered me a totally new perspective. No more dwelling on the past, lets move on and deside for ourselves how we are going to feel every day, and it's ok not to be perfect. The book offered a doorway into the fact that I and only I can decide how I will look at my life and deal with whatever issues will come up. I hugely recommend it!

This is an amazing book that has helped me through many a troubled time. Occasionally, I re-read it, in full, usually once a year and consider the book to contain some of the most sound advice I've come across in learning to deal with everyday stress/problems, particularly through recognize thoughts as being no more than JUST thoughts which can be addressed then dismissed. I was saddened to hear of Carlson's passing in December and am grateful for the help he provided many.

As I have written in several book reviews of the self-help genre, nearly all such books are wordy, repetitive, and should be condensed to booklets. (That will never happen; imagine the profit margin of a booklet compared to a full-sized paperback or hardcover.)However, Shortcut Through Therapy: Ten Principles of Growth-Oriented, Contented Living by Richard Carlson is outstanding! It is concise and forthright in both its explanations and examples.I skipped most of the first section; it repeats most of what Dr. Carlson states in his other books. (All of which I have read.) I went straight to the actual principles. Boy, do the ideas Carlson teaches ever make sense!At the expense of sounding like a salesman, you really do have to read the ten principles that lead to a healthy psychological state to actually appreciate them. They are simple to understand, and virtually impossible to refute or rebut.With the growing trend toward simplicity, this book takes the lead in showing how one can achieve a happy, peaceful, simple life that results in many rewards, both tangible and intangible.I have not liked all of Dr. Carlson's books, most of them yes, not all (see my other review), but he clearly has written a winner this time. I am not sure when this book was written in relation to his other several books, but if you had to read just one of Dr. Carlson's books, let it be this one!I re-read portions of it regularly, in addition to giving copies to friends.At first the title sounded a bit like a snake oil remedy, "read this and all your problems with be solved and you'll never have to go through conventional therapy again!" Consequently, I started the book with a negative impression, primarily due to the title, but the title is precisely what the advice in the book offers: Specific principles the majority of therapists never teach their clients, principles that if practices regularly, would put a GREAT number of therapists right out of practice. (In fact, most therapists have harped on and on indoctrinating principles in their clients for decades that are the antithesis of the ten principles that Dr. Carlson teaches. Their attempts at assisting their clients usually result in needlessly prolonging one's therapy rather than curtailing it when it is time to move on to a happy, meaningful life.)As I began in this review, I am a tough sell when it comes to books, tapes, etc. in the self-help genre. In order for me to take time to write a review about a self-help book, it has to be either top-notch or utterly worthless, otherwise I don't bother reviewing the legion of mediocre books in the field. However, in this case, Shortcut Through Therapy: Ten Principles of Growth-Oriented, Contented Living by Richard Carlson is a MUST READ!

Thank you Richard Carlson for writing this book. It was a joy to read, thanks to your knowledge and your wit. I believe the answers to leading a richer and happier life are right here in the pages of this book. I liken this book to AA for alcoholics, Weight Watchers for dieters and SmokeEnders for smokers. It is also a program that is presented in a clear and simple format, using basic terminology, yet its messages are profound in their impact towards attaining true peace of mind and personal fulfillment. I've known many people throughout my life (including myself) who put their hopes, time and money into traditional psychotherapy, only to become more hindered than helped through the process of reiterating and dredging up old wounds. Practicing the principles of this book regularly is cheaper and easier than a therapist and it is almost guaranteed you will find positive results.

Carlson, best known as the author of "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff", provides an upbeat and amazingly simple set of techniques for dealing with the angers and pains we carry with us, sometimes from earliest childhood. First, he shows us how it is our thinking about a problem that causes us pain, not the problem itself. Then, he presents 10 steps for freeing ourselves from the thinking trap and along the way finding joy and pleasure in our lives. Carlson is a compassionate and cogent writer who avoids both technical jargon and psychobabble.