To hold someone in high esteem is to respect and admire them. When we respect and admire someone we accord them value – we appreciate, cherish, hold dear. What a tragedy that so many people are unable to do this for themselves – to cherish and appreciate their own worth; to value themselves for who they are. Self-esteem is talked about and written about in great depth, but for many the ability to achieve a healthy level of self-esteem seems perpetually elusive. Since the way that a person feels about himself to a large extent determines the way he behaves, learns and relates to other people, low self-esteem can have far-reaching and debilitating effects in all arenas of life.

Fortunately, there is much that can be done to build and maintain self-esteem.

Since the feeling of worth has been learned, it can be unlearned, and
something new can be learned in its place. The possibility for this
learning lasts from birth to death, so it is never too late. At any point in
a person's life he can begin to feel better about himself. (Satir 1991,
p.27)

This book offers a variety of ways to help others to build self-esteem, primarily through facilitating the process of understanding and changing unwanted patterns of thinking and behaviour in order to create new ways of facing life's challenges. It is based on the premise that low self-esteem is not a discrete issue that can be addressed with specific 'feel good about yourself' activities alone. Rather, it is based on the strengthening of seven vital 'foundation' elements. Healthy . . .