• Age: 13 to 18
• Grade: 8 to 12

Don’t let your inner critic get in the way of being confident! How to Like Yourself offers a quirky, inspiring, and practical guide to help you overcome feelings of self-criticism, improve self-esteem, and be the true star in your life.

With all the pressures of school, friends, and dating, you’re especially vulnerable to low self-esteem in your teen years. But often, the biggest threat to your confidence is your own inner critic—whose unrelenting negativity can result in feelings of inadequacy, depression, and anxiety. This must-have guide offers real ways to help you fight back, be kind to yourself, and move forward with confidence.

Inside, you’ll learn the importance of self-forgiveness, accepting your faults, and how to focus on the things that make you awesome! You’ll also learn strategies for defeating the dreaded ICK—the inner critic know-it-all who keeps knocking you down—and how to escape the common thought traps that hold you back from feeling good about yourself.

This book unlocks the mystery of the most important relationship you will ever have—the one with yourself! So, get ready to find your true inner voice. A kinder, gentler one that will support you as you reach for your goals and create the fabulous life you were meant to live!

Cheryl M. Bradshaw's profile page

Cheryl M. Bradshaw is a counselor/therapist at the University of Guelph, and a registered psychotherapist working in private practice. She has previously worked at Sheridan College as a counselor, and has a background in teaching. She has worked with, and continues to support, www.jack.org, an organization dedicated to youth mental health awareness, empowerment, and leadership in high schools and post-secondary institutions across Canada. Bradshaw resides in Hamilton, ON, Canada, with her husband, Andrew, and their dog, Darwin.

“In this addition to the Instant Help Solutions series, Bradshaw, a professional counselor, acknowledges that self-esteem doesn’t necessarily come naturally and often needs to be cultivated. Writing in an intimate and friendly tone, she discusses how negative self-images arise and how to break the thought patterns that lead to low self-esteem, without painting a too-rosy view of the world. … Exercises designed to help readers identify, disrupt, and restructure the ways they view themselves and others offer concrete tactics for those looking to make change in their lives.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Cheryl Bradshaw has written an engaging, powerful, and easy-to-read book in How to Like Yourself. To help teens combat their inner critic, she provides a step-by-step plan using proven-effective cognitive strategies. Her honest and genuine approach normalizes struggles with confidence and self-esteem, and makes it easy to work through the material. It’s as though she is in the room with you!”
—Sheri Turrell, PhD, registered psychologist in Toronto, ON, Canada, with over twenty years of experience in mental health, and coauthor of ACT for Adolescents

“An important reminder from an honest and compassionate voice! Sometimes, when I’m not feeling great, I just feel like curling up on a comfy couch, under a blanket, with sunbeams coming through the windows. If you feel the same way sometimes, this book can help. Great job, Cheryl!”
—Neil Pasricha, New York Times best-selling author of The Happiness Equation and The Book of Awesome

“This is a lively, quick read with crucial information every teen needs. Self-love is an incredible anchor through the teen years and beyond. Cheryl Bradshaw addresses the topic thoroughly with tips and ideas to help teen readers get connected in a loving way to themselves!”
—Lucie Hemmen, PhD, clinical psychologist and author of The Teen Girl’s Survival Guide

“Cheryl Bradshaw has given a voice to many thoughts, concerns, and insecurities most of us feel on a regular basis. In common language and with understanding, she helps her reader to consider different perspectives and strategies to counter negativity and patterns. She skillfully infuses humor to not only laugh at herself, but also to help us appreciate a lighter side of ourselves. This book is a must for preteens and millennium-aged adults who are considering self-reflection, improvement, or seeking insight into others.”
—Carol Nagy, MSW, executive director of Niagara Hospice in Lockport, NY, and, most importantly, mom to two millennium-aged adults

“How to Like Yourself is the book I wish I could have read in high school or after a bad breakup, but it’s just as valuable now as a young adult trying to figure life out. Just liking who you are is an underrated yet powerful skill. Cheryl Bradshaw’s writing is real. It’s relatable. And it’s practical stuff—without a lot of the cheese.”
—Kayley Reed, fashion designer, social entrepreneur, and cofounder and CEO of Wear Your Label, a clothing line designed to raise awareness about mental health

“Teens and young adults who are looking for practical, constructive tips to help them navigate life will enjoy Cheryl Bradshaw’s How to Like Yourself. It’s fun, easy to read, and upbeat—almost like having an extended conversation with your own mental health coach. The author’s unique combination of professional training and experiences working with emerging adults, together with her energy and love of life, shine through on every page.”
—Eric Windeler, father, full-time advocate for youth mental health, and founder and executive director of www.jack.org

“In How to Like Yourself, Cheryl Bradshaw offers a smart and straightforward approach for teens and young adults to build a more positive and accepting mindset in their everyday lives. We’ve all struggled with being our own worst critic, and Bradshaw delivers easy-to-learn tools that translate in the real world with the perfect amount of humor and heart. In a relatable tone and with language that is easy to understand, Bradshaw takes the reader through an uplifting approach that will appeal to young readers. I highly recommend this to both parents looking for material to help their children build healthy self-esteem, and to teens looking to understand and love their true selves more.”
—Cadence Grace, musician and member of the country music trio Runaway Angel

“Cheryl Bradshaw’s words are exactly what my younger self needed to hear. As a teenager, I was really struggling. What was going on in my mind was the total opposite of liking myself. It wasn’t until after high school that I even realized the power of my inner voice to change my own mind. It’s awesome to think of other young people like me picking up this book and stumbling across this treasured secret: that what you tell yourself inside your head—no matter what’s going on around you—makes all the difference in the world for your happiness and well-being.”
—Erin Hodgson, youth mental health advocate, motivational speaker, mental illness survivor, and champion of hope and recovery

“Bradshaw’s voice reads like the wise companion I wish I’d had when battling insecurities and figuring out how to be okay with myself in early adulthood and beyond. Her use of urban language is refreshing, down-to-earth, and funny! This book is a comprehensive guide to navigating the relationship with self. It incorporates time-tested techniques from a psychotherapist’s toolbox with real-life scenarios, and a sassy use of animated characters and images. After reading this book, you are bound to have a more insightful and compassionate relationship with yourself—a superb companion to have on this journey!”
—Kanchan Kurichh, MA, RP, psychotherapist and college counselor