Overcoming the Destructive Inner Voice

October 24, 2016
Unearthing the origins of one’s inner critic is the premise of psychologist Firestone’s (The Self Under Siege, coauthor) compilation of illustrative real-life therapy sessions. Firestone, who’s practiced psychotherapy for over four decades, presents redacted accounts of his work with different patients, discussing serious matters such as depression and repressed anger and applying his “voice therapy” technique, in which one verbalizes self-criticism in the second person. The author believes unexpressed emotions often lie at the root of physical and mental discomfort, and unearthing these causes is at the center of his approach. Rounding off these 11 personal accounts is an appendix that plainly illustrates the how-tos of voice therapy, making it clear that anyone can practice it with or without a therapist. Compared to other books that use case studies, Firestone’s is unnecessarily protracted, and the reconstructed sessions brim with extraneous text resembling personal diary entries. The average reader will feel exhausted after vicariously experiencing just one of these sessions. However, professionals in the field of psychology will find the book repays the reading time with plenty of insight. Agent: Claire Gerus, Claire Gerus Literary Agency.