You've probably heard it said, and have maybe spoken the words yourself, "I am my own worst critic." A negative internal commentary contributes to a lack of confidence and low self-worth in many people.

Well-known mindfulness meditation teacher and author Thérèse Jacobs-Stewart offers one of the most effective approaches to calming a self-critical mind: the ancient Buddhist practice of using compassion slogans. Combining thought-awareness, loving-kindness practice, and mindfulness meditation, this simple, time-tested method can be used throughout the day to quiet your critical voices and ease the mind. Through short, accessible phrases, you will learn to reorient your thinking when your inner critic shows up. Instead of making a negative thought stronger by fighting it, you will learn to let thoughts dissipate through lack of attention. When you remember to "begin kindness with yourself," you will find that keeping a compassionate perspective on all that you do and say will allow you to give your inner critic a kinder voice.

Thérèse Jacobs-Stewart, a licensed psychotherapist for more than thirty-five years, was among the pioneers in recognizing the similarity between Twelve Step recovery programs and the ancient Buddhist path of mindfulness. Her books integrate meditative practices with the latest research in psychology and neuroscience, offering new insights into what it means to live fully—body, mind, and spirit—in the here and now. A noted lecturer and retreat leader, Thérèse is a recognized expert in contemplative meditation techniques and compassion-based cognitive psychotherapy and is the author of Paths Are Made by Walking: Practical Steps for Attaining Serenity (2003) and Mindfulness and the 12 Steps (2010).

"A Kinder Voice is a wise and compassionate book you'll you want to go back to again and again for its steady, practical, healing instructions. In it you'll find inspiration from wisdom traditions, meditations both ancient and contemporary, and scientific information that will convince you of the down to earth efficacy of the teachings here contained.

Thérèse Jacobs-Stewart is a ground-breaking master therapist and teacher with a clear gentle voice. I learned so much from this marvelous book."
--Zoketsu Norman Fischer, poet and Zen priest, author of What Is Zen? Plain Talk for a Beginner's Mind and Experience: Thinking, Writing, Language, and Religion

"In A Kinder Voice Thérèse Jacobs-Stewart marshals her remarkable breadth of knowledge and depth of experience to give us practical tools for implementing mindfulness insights. Few teachings have appeared that give such clear and explicit instruction on how to transform the inner critic and make peace with your own mind."
--Kevin Griffin, author of One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps and Recovering Joy: A Mindful Life after Addiction

"This is a mind-changing book. And, because our culture of anger and exploitation changes when our minds change--this is a culture-changing book."
--Bill Alexander, writer, teacher and storyteller, author of the recovery classic, Cool Water: Alcoholism, Mindfulness, and Ordinary Recovery