Michael Cohen opens his excellent self-help book on the virtue of self-acceptance by emphasising the difference between "self-acceptance" and "self-esteem", which he describes as "a rating game".
Whereas the term "self-esteem" has been widely used in modern cognitive therapy, following Fennell, Michael draws upon the work of Albert Ellis, the founder of REBT, who argued some time ago that "self-esteem" tended to be conditional and therefore vulnerable, at the mercy of events. Ellis preferred the less judgemental and demanding concept of "unconditional self-acceptance" (USA).
Michael Cohen is a hypnotherapist and, likewise, one of the leading hypnosis researchers, Steven Jay Lynn, has recently co-authored a skeptical survey of misconceptions in psychology, which targets the "self-esteem movement" for detailed criticism. As Lynn et al. point out, contrary to the popular self-help emphasis: "Most research shows that low self esteem isn't strongly associated with poor mental health" (50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology). Self-acceptance appears to be a more helpful concept.
The contents include,
1. Finding happiness through self-acceptance
2. How to change unhelpful thinking
3. Have the courage to be imperfect
4. Overcoming anxiety, fear and panic
5. Heal depression
6. How to use self-hypnosis
7. How to reach your goals
8. Staying positive in a crazy world
Many self-help books are simply far too long and boring. This little book packs a lot into a short space and is pitched just right for many therapy clients or other individuals who want to tackle problems of self-acceptance. I highly recommend it!
Donald Robertson, author of,
The Philosophy of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Stoic Philosophy as Rational and Cognitive PsychotherapyThe Discovery of Hypnosis: The Complete Writings of James Braid the Father of HypnotherapyThe Practice of Cognitive-Behavioural Hypnotherapy
