UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT SELF-HELP

Understandings about Self-Help
• What is psychological self-help?
• What will this book do for you?
• Finding what you need in this book
• Finding other self-help books and Internet sites

Understandings between you, the reader, and me, the author
1. We can learn and change
2. Self-help is a relatively new, still-to-be-proven approach
3. I prefer to be honest with you about the effectiveness of self-help methods
4. Any therapist or self-help method may do you harm
5. Every self-helper should try to be his or her own researcher
6. Honestly looking at ourselves and changing may be stressful
7. Do not hesitate to work on your most serious, meaningful, and intimate problems
8. Becoming a good self-helper will probably require a lot of time and effort
9. Learn to believe you can change things
10. This book does not prepare you to be a therapist
11. If your problem(s) could be caused by physical/chemical factors, see a physician first
12. When your problems are severe and/or your self-help efforts are ineffective, seek professional help immediately
13. This book cannot meet all of your needs
14. Understandings for groups

The Psycho-social Education Approach
• The publishing business and self-help books
• Why is it so hard to find the book you need?
• The neglect of prevention by books and institutions
• Why should self-help psychology be given away?
• Advantages within the public school systems
• A brief review of the idea of self-control
• Our attitude toward "self-help" will influence the future of humanity

Summary