I Am Friends with Myself. A Practical Course on Caring for Oneself

Olesya Egorova – a clinical psychologist practicing since 2008. Over the years, she has come to the conclusion that, regardless of what issue a person brings to a psychologist, the conversation sooner or later turns to the relationship with oneself. Anxiety, burnout, work conflicts, unstable romantic relationships – the root is almost always there. Therefore, this book is about how to befriend oneself, and it is structured as a journey along a timeline. In the first part, the author introduces the reader to themselves through family myths, genograms, and exercises that help to see one’s complexes and understand which are real and which are fabricated. Next comes working with the past: reframing difficult episodes, meeting the inner child, and negotiating with the inner critic. In the third part, the psychologist suggests exploring which beliefs unconsciously govern you, which cognitive distortions you accept as facts, and most importantly, how to rewrite your own life narrative. And in the end, you will learn how to rely on what already exists and how to choose what is to come. Each chapter contains exercises to be done with pen and paper. Some examples are personal stories from the author, while others are client cases published with permission or in compliance with confidentiality.