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A mental health professional for more than three decades, O'Leary positions his book as distinct from most that deal with one's past issues. His stated purpose is to present a practical, step-by-step guide, complete with applicable exercises and tangible skills, meant to empower the reader to take control of their life. Confronting one's past, he argues, is crucial to healing and becoming the "best version" of oneself. Initially, an overview of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is provided, including an analysis of related change-readiness and stages of learning. O'Leary then turns to specific diagnoses of depression, clinical anxiety, OCD, and PTSD, vis-à-vis consideration of treatment with medications and/or psychotherapy. Additional issues explored include positive thinking, the importance of exercise, healthy relationships, "real self" versus "ideal self," substance abuse, and the many forms of abuse writ large, such as child abuse and neglect, physical, emotional, sexual, and verbal abuse, and the scourge of domestic violence. Finally, multiple pages of specific hotline assistance information and additional resources are provided.
Encouraging the reader to openly and honestly confront their past, the author provides a multitude of actionable exercises and skills. It is his guided approach, grounded in decades of evidence-based science, which lends a distinctly professional gravitas to the often-complicated and delicate subject matter. Here, O'Leary delivers. The organization of the material itself serves it well, progressing in an intelligent fashion that is most congruent with accessibility for even the casual reader. This hefty volume is packed with layperson-appropriate, tangible exercises that link their application to stronger and healthier self-awareness, moving beyond past trauma. Simultaneously, the material presented reflects the author's extensive understanding and experience in treating a significant number of patients in various settings over the past thirty-plus years. As O'Leary proclaims, "Healing is indeed possible."
RECOMMENDED by the US Review