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Unconditional: Learning to Love Your Authentic Self
Building on the premise that self-love is the key element in breaking the stress cycle, Unconditional teaches a 21-day habit-forming program to practice self-care and create joy in our daily lives. The author expertly guides the reader through simple, daily exercises with a fresh, playful voice that makes it easy to forget these are evidence-based strategies rooted in the science of psychology. Written by a compassionate therapist drawing from the experiential nature of animal-assisted therapy, this accessible, empowering guide teaches how loving oneself unconditionally can free us from unnecessary pain.
WHY THIS BOOK IS IMPORTANT
Millions of Americans today are suffering from poor mental 17.3 million of us experience episodes of depression, and nearly 40 million have experienced anxiety. But you don’t need a formal diagnosis to feel the crush of this problem. Gallup reports that Americans are among the most stressed-out people in the world—and that was before COVID-19 shuttered our economy!
This stress impacts every aspect of our daily how we eat, sleep, move, work, and interact with the people we love. Most important, it affects how we feel about ourselves. Studies show that the worse we feel about ourselves, the more stressed we become. After a while, that sustained stress and low self-esteem crystalizes into depression and anxiety. It’s a vicious cycle. And this cycle is preventable.
HOW THIS BOOK WILL HELP
Grounded in proven therapy techniques and written by an expert, Unconditional provides a 21-day program to break the stress, depression, and anxiety cycle for good. Based on the unique healing principles of animal-assisted therapy—and informed by classic cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques—this book guides readers to living a healthier, happier life. It does this through psychological science, skills training, and playful exercises that bolster the key element at the core of every self-love. In this book, readers will learn how
Overcome the cycle of stress, even when a situation is out of their controlCreate a habit of living the unconditional love they deserveUse daily journaling to explore thoughts, emotions, and behaviorsInvalidate self-doubt and negative thinkingEngage in daily acts of self-loveIdentify their strengths and valuesMeditate and use visualization to build self-compassionIncorporate essential self-care into daily routinesDevelop greater self-awarenessSet values-based goalsIncorporate mindfulness into daily activitiesDeal with setbacksCelebrate successesFind gentle, present-centered joy in everyday life
WHY THIS BOOK IS IMPORTANT
Millions of Americans today are suffering from poor mental 17.3 million of us experience episodes of depression, and nearly 40 million have experienced anxiety. But you don’t need a formal diagnosis to feel the crush of this problem. Gallup reports that Americans are among the most stressed-out people in the world—and that was before COVID-19 shuttered our economy!
This stress impacts every aspect of our daily how we eat, sleep, move, work, and interact with the people we love. Most important, it affects how we feel about ourselves. Studies show that the worse we feel about ourselves, the more stressed we become. After a while, that sustained stress and low self-esteem crystalizes into depression and anxiety. It’s a vicious cycle. And this cycle is preventable.
HOW THIS BOOK WILL HELP
Grounded in proven therapy techniques and written by an expert, Unconditional provides a 21-day program to break the stress, depression, and anxiety cycle for good. Based on the unique healing principles of animal-assisted therapy—and informed by classic cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques—this book guides readers to living a healthier, happier life. It does this through psychological science, skills training, and playful exercises that bolster the key element at the core of every self-love. In this book, readers will learn how
Overcome the cycle of stress, even when a situation is out of their controlCreate a habit of living the unconditional love they deserveUse daily journaling to explore thoughts, emotions, and behaviorsInvalidate self-doubt and negative thinkingEngage in daily acts of self-loveIdentify their strengths and valuesMeditate and use visualization to build self-compassionIncorporate essential self-care into daily routinesDevelop greater self-awarenessSet values-based goalsIncorporate mindfulness into daily activitiesDeal with setbacksCelebrate successesFind gentle, present-centered joy in everyday life
198 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 26, 2022
16 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Annalisa Smithson
4 books4 followersAnnalisa Smithson, LPC, NCC, is a board-certified counselor, animal-assisted therapist, and business owner. She is the founder and director of Unleashed Counseling, a full-time counseling practice with a small, but passionate team (including Benji the Therapy Dog). She is licensed in Pennsylvania and holds a master’s in counseling from Lehigh University, a master’s in anthropology from the University of Sussex, and a certificate in animal-assisted therapy from Harcum College. Her peer-reviewed research has been published in Psychology in the Schools and the Journal of the PCA and she is the author of Emotional Support Animals: Clinician’s Guide to ESA Assessments and Recommendation Letters. Contact her at lisa@counselingwithdoggo.com.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 30, 2022
No patience for self-love? This is for you!
Being a multi-passionate, I'm BUSY and don't allow much time for Self-LOVE and that's why this book is PERFECT!!!!
I'm an ACTION-taker and this is loaded with actions, and with actions come RESULTS.
It's not just a ''nice-to-read'', it everything from educational, informative, interesting, practical, psychological, -and so much more content!
You think you're too busy? Well, I'm a digital nomad, entrepreneur, YouTuber, author and coach and I need to practice self-care, but I need variation.
This book offers a ton of exercises and variation and what I loved was the guided meditations that you can record yourself on your phone. How cool is that?
Also, every chapter has a nice summary, journaling prompts and with the book you receive free resources with more tools.
Seriously this book is worth 10x its value and it's not a one-time read, I take it with me around the world.
Highly recommend!!!
Rachel Smets
April 18, 2022
Unconditional by Annalisa Smithson
Reading this self-help book was a rare treat, to feel Ms. Smithson’s unconditional love for her readers.
I felt this book speak to me in a way, and I couldn’t put it down. It was certainly worth the time to read, and dog owners, you’ll love it!
She described the unconditional love of a pet as the best therapy to start loving yourself. Not having any pets of my own, I was quick to remember pets of my youth and how they stared at me with their sweet devotion. I even found myself feeling their spirits by my side through her easy steps of journaling and meditation.
She gives some great steps to bring yourself peace and self-love as well as some tips to train your sweet dog. Perhaps it was just the stories of her dog, Benji, that will keep you reading, but it is worth the read. You’ll finish it smiling.
Reading this self-help book was a rare treat, to feel Ms. Smithson’s unconditional love for her readers.
I felt this book speak to me in a way, and I couldn’t put it down. It was certainly worth the time to read, and dog owners, you’ll love it!
She described the unconditional love of a pet as the best therapy to start loving yourself. Not having any pets of my own, I was quick to remember pets of my youth and how they stared at me with their sweet devotion. I even found myself feeling their spirits by my side through her easy steps of journaling and meditation.
She gives some great steps to bring yourself peace and self-love as well as some tips to train your sweet dog. Perhaps it was just the stories of her dog, Benji, that will keep you reading, but it is worth the read. You’ll finish it smiling.
January 14, 2023
An easy to read and straightforward to digest look at how to love yourself, decrease stress, find your passion and values and name them all. As a therapist, I found this a compelling and simple to follow study, by a therapist that really truly knows what she’s doing. I’d recommend to any of my clients and on my second read through I plan to journal along with the twenty one day plan.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews