We've all felt the sting of criticism . . .

Sometimes painful barbs from friends, family, coworkers, or strangers can lodge in our minds and eat away at our core. When you allow criticism--even self-criticism--to affect you that powerfully, it can be toxic. And if you don't break the cycle, toxic criticism can make you sick, strain relationships, and prevent you from fulfilling your dreams.

But you don't have to live that way! By using the proven strategies in Toxic Criticism, you can deflect any hurtful comment that comes your way, rationally decide whether the criticism has any validity, and, if you choose, give a calculated response or use it as an opportunity to make a positive change. Once you've mastered the techniques in Toxic Criticism, you'll be able to:

• Dismiss negative comments before they make you upset
• Take away the power of criticism by believing in yourself
• Live a positive life, driven by feeling of self-worth instead of self-loathing
• Silence your inner critic, and listen to the voice of confidence

Eliminate the side effects of poisonous remarks with this antidote for harmful criticismEveryone knows what it's like to receive criticism. Those haphazard comments from coworkers, family, friends, or even complete strangers are not soon forgotten. Worse still is the unending critical voice of one's own self, picking apart each detail of a conversation, an action, a day.<P>Based on his decades of experience as a family therapist and creativity coach, author Eric Maisel shows you how to end the negative cycle of accepting criticism from others and understand its source. Toxic Criticism also explains how to stop generating self-criticism through personality work, cognitive therapy, and spiritual practices. You will discover how to silence your internalized pain and shame and transform it into a force for self-improvement and strength.

Eric Maisel, Ph.D., holds a doctorate in counseling psychology and is a licensed family therapist and creativity coach. He is the author of Fearless Creating and numerous other books. He lives in San Francisco.