Self-Therapy Journey Review
Self Therapy
In broad terms, self therapy refers to therapeutically working on one’s own personal issues without the intervention of a therapist. We all have a tendency to consider our interpersonal interactions, how we might appear to others, how we are affected by experiences. This all involves our own reflection and consideration of what’s going on for us. When we want to look further into this, find out more about ourselves, this is call self help. Self therapy looks at how we might work through our own stuff without the intervention of a professional. Here I review the self therapy journey program and if it has the ability to help one work on their own issues.
Program Overview
An interactive online tool that helps one to work through personal issues that may have developed at some point in your life that now has an impact on your life in some way. It also allows for developing a certain healthy capacity resulting in personal growth and emotional transformation. It is not intended to replace therapy or counselling. Instead think of it as a set of sophisticated self help books, guided meditations and customized reports.
It can also be used in conjunction with professional support.
Created by
This program is created by a psychologist called Jay Earley PhD that he has also collaborated with his wife and professional partner Bonnie. Bonnie Weiss herself is an IFS therapist.
The theory that this program is based on is Pattern Systems and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS). A lot of work has gone into creating this online self therapy program with testing, feedback and tweaking to ensure it works to help people understand their deep healing and transformation.
Many years of scientific research has gone into each particular system to understand the patterns of each issue to help develop and create an effective system for working on those issues. Jay and his partner Bonnie have also written numerous books including, Freedom from Your Inner Critic and Activating Your Inner Champion Instead of Your Inner Critic. Another book he has written involves working on relationship patterns called Conflict, Care, and Love.
Program Details
This program is valuable and insightful that has self-therapy journey for a range of various issues.
You can either choose to work on improving a healthy capacity, work on a particular psychological issue or develop increased awareness around patterns that you may have developed.
The program is based on language which refers to Patterns that are common for individuals to experience. Capacities are also discussed which describes personal development such as assertiveness. It also includes relevant guided meditations.
Pattern System
The pattern system works on a systematic way of understanding the psychology behind your issues.
The self-therapy journey recognises that when we struggle with particular issues, we have created a pattern of behaviour that we continue which affects our interactions, How we feel in response to the negative patterns affects how we interact and engage in our world so the cycle continues. If we don’t interrupt this pattern, then those issues and patterns will continue to contribute to the issue continuing and having a negative impact on us. This program allows you to explore the pattern in detail to help you understand where it has come from and what you have been doing that has caused the emotional pain.
Through this program you are able to identify the issues you want to work on, recognise the pattern you have developed, then work towards your capacity to change those patterns.
The various patterns that are available to work through include:
- Procrastination
- Shyness
- Anger
- Inner Critic
- Perfectionism
- Depression
- Eating Issues
- Fear of conflict
- People-pleasing
- Fear of conflict
- Lack of Intimacy
- Lack of confidence
- Low self esteem
- Perfectionism
- Playing the victim
- Passive-Aggressive
These could even be confronting to see them as possible issues for you. If you feel you can relate to any of these, it’s okay to acknowledge that within yourself. Ask yourself how does this affect your interactions in your world? Is it something you feel you could work on and find a way to develop a new capacity to be able to overcome and conquer this issue? If you answered yes to these, then click on this link to get access to the issue that’s right for you.
By learning about your patterns, you will gain insight into your psyche and discover:
- Your strengths
- Your defenses
- What drives your behavior
- Why you feel bad about yourself
- Your underlying emotional pain
- How you compensate for that
- Your inner conflicts
- The leading edge of your growth
Capacities
The program also helps one work on improving an individual’s capacity. This means that it’s to help foster personal growth and development by working towards improvements in certain areas of your life.
Capacities include:
- Assertiveness
- Self Esteem
- Self Care
- Intimacy
- Good Communication
- Social Confidence
If you are wanting to improve any of these areas in your life, Self-Therapy can help you with this.
Quizzes
Many of us are curious about our inner workings, so it can help to find out more through doing a quiz. The Self-Therapy Journey site has a number of quizzes that you can do to find out more about yourself. Click on the link below that relates to you (if any). Always be cautious of how much information you get from doing a quiz and use only as a guide.
Program Costs
To start there is a 14 day free trial. After this, it’s $30/month subscription which is renewed after every month. This is for the Change Level. It gives you everything except the childhood origins of your patterns. If you want to work on the childhood origins of your patterns this will cost $40 per month.
The value in this is that it costs less than a monthly visit with a therapist while also having convenient, interactive online access to work through particular issues that are most relevant to you. Billing is in US Dollars.
There are also various books and bundles you can also purchase from the shop.
Who can Access
It is available internationally to anyone who is interested in working through issues listed as a pattern or capacity through the program.
Access from your own home, at your own pace, in your own timeframe.
This is also a useful program for professionals to refer to the program as a way to support their clients.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Benefits those with limited time to access face to face supports
- Do at your own pace
- Affordable compared with one on one therapist
- Can work on a number of issues if you know what they are
- Interactive online access
- No lock in contracts, can be stopped at any time you choose.
Cons:
- You may not be sure which issue you need to work on
- If you experience more intense mental health issues, this may not be for you
- Less personal interaction so unable to talk through a particular problem
- Requires fairly good personal reflection
Don’t be too Proud
When you are struggling with any particular issue in your world it’s hard to manage it on your own. Sometimes it feels like you’re getting nowhere even though you have been reflecting on it, trying to understand where it’s coming from for a long time. It’s hard to do this on your own.
So many people have so many different ideas, and ways of doing things, It can actually be helpful to look beyond yourself and get ideas from elsewhere. I know when I’m working as a therapist, even though I feel like I’m doing a good job, it’s also helpful to broaden my professional reading, transcripts etc to learn of alternatives and strategies. This goes also with personal work with the problems you face. You don’t have to do this on your own, and in fact it’s a bit arrogant to think that your way is the only way to do things.
How much experience have you had in that particular issue that you’re struggling with? Have you learnt skills in how to cope with it? Life is full of surprises and can really throw a curveball when you least expect it. It’s okay to ask for help. Even if that’s working through it on your own with guidance. That’s where doing Self-Therapy can be of value and benefit.
What’s the Verdict – Do I recommend?
Yes, I definitely do recommend this program. I think it has a very solid foundation with very professional research developed by Dr Jay Earley creating an effective transformational program. It helps an individual develop valuable insights into their patterns, while helping create new capacities from the comfort of your own home.
For anyone who wants to engage in the reading and learning and do the work. No one can fix you and make you better without you doing the work through your issues.
If you want to improve your psychological health and overcome negative patterns that are holding you back in your relationships with others or yourself, consider prioritising you.
Get started and create transformational personal growth.
Further Support
Although I am comfortable referring to this program, if you are experiencing intense mental health issues that you are struggling to manage on your own, I encourage you to either contact a relevant helpline in your country or see a therapist face to face for additional support. If you are located in the US, you have access to other online counselling therapy services through Online-Therapy. You can also visit my post on where to go for further online support.
Leave comments below if you have had any experience with Self-Therapy Journey yourself.
I’ve always wondered whether there is such a thing online. There are certain personal issues that are still lurking within me, especially from my dark childhood days. As I turned into an adult, I feel the need to discuss with someone professionally, but I am a bit shy just in case people think I might be crazy. $30 to $40 per month is not a bad deal – I will take this for a spin for 14 days and see where it leads me too.
Hi Cathy, it sounds like this kind of program might have some benefits for you for sure. It can be really hard to see a therapist, but I’m pretty sure they would not think of you as crazy. As a therapist myself, we are non judgemental and have experience with people’s issues and facilitate them to work through from where they are at. See how this goes for you as a good starting point. Take care ~kat
This is really Fabulous, at one stage or the other, everyone has actually gone through a series of mental or psychological issues. It’s great to see that there are patterns that one can use to overcome this problem. This is great because it practical through the use of self help books, guided meditations and customized reports. I’d try this programme for free and see how it can help me then decide to put my money into it when I see progress
Hi, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree, personal issues can happen to anyone at various times throughout their lives, so it’s important to be aware of that and be open to getting help with them to prevent further issues developing. All the best ~kat
Excellent review of this self therapy journey. Firstly, I have to say that what this program offers in line with the price it is being offered at, wow! It’s a golden opportunity because the time that I had to attend sessions with a therapy, the amount I was charged was up to the triple fold of this. I think this would serve as a great daily guide and follow up to maintaining the therapy sessions after seeing the therapist. I would definitely join this program. Cheers
Hi, yeah, I agree, it’s so much value for what you get in return, while saving you heaps in therapy sessions. It can also facilitate and help enhance the learning through this program at the same time for follow up. Thanks for sharing. ~kat
For those that cannot afford a therapist I think performing self therapy is the way to go. For $30 or $40 per month I think that is very reasonable pricing. I personally have made use of a therapist and they normally bill by the hour at least for the ones that I have been to. They were a huge help but the only issue I had was the money.
This is definitely a better alternative as I don’t have to spend much while I would still be able to get the help I need.
Hi Jay, it’s definitely a good option to allow a person to work on their issues especially at such an affordable price. And you can stop any time too, which means no contracts to lock you in. ~kat
Hi Kat.
This is an amazingly useful article and it has been promptly bookmarked.
While I may come across as confident and stable over the web, I do have issues with a lot of the items on the list you mentioned.
I have had little success with things like meditation for most of the issues and I can’t afford a private therapist, so who better to work with me than my self, right?
Considering the price of therapy these days, $40 isn’t a lot when you think about it.
Thanks for the info Kat,
Michael.
Hi Michael, thanks for sharing your experience with your own personal issues. No one is immune to having something to work through, as we are all humans with emotions and an active mind, so it isn’t unusual for people to experience psychological issues at various times throughout their life. It’s about accepting that we need to do something about it and then take action on working through it. I wish you all the best in being able to find a way to work through your struggles Michael. I’m glad you’ve found this helpful. ~kat
I have recently discovered during a lot of inner work on myself, that a lot of my struggles and difficulties that I have in my life today are from programs I learnt in early childhood and beyond. If a habit or behaviour is performed over and over for a period of time, it becomes a program in the subconscious mind.
This program sounds like a great way to really discover what it is that is holding me back. I will take the quizzes you have at the end of the article and may consider trying this.
Many thanks for introducing me to this program.
Hi Sara, it’s true, our early development and environments as well as family of origin can contribute to numerous habits and patterns in our adult lives. It’s great that you’ve been on your own self awareness journey thus far and you’re open to finding out more of what how you can work through what’s holding you back. Take care of you ~kat
I am really amazed that there is such an online program around. There are times when I feel so stressed up but I have no time to see a therapist. Those were the times I felt so helpless. The good thing about this program is that you can actually use it anytime and anywhere. When
I am stressed up, I feel extremely terrible at night when it is not possible to get a therapist and friends and family member are already asleep.
The thing that interest me is that this program is able to help understand myself better by recognizing the patterns. I can totally relate to my feelings towards certain issues directly affects my words and behavior, which comes with negative consequences, and this pattern repeats itself again and again. It is just like a vicious cycle! It will be great if the program can help to break this pattern and situation will start to improve.
I think give this program a try when I feel stressed up again.
Hi Lynn, thanks for sharing your experience with your awareness of your stress patterns. You have a great insight into having these patterns already, which is a positive step towards being able to continue that work and gain further insight when you are ready through the use of this program. All the best ~kat
Kat, Throughout my life I have had a bit of professional therapy myself, as well as “going it on my own” to take care of all the baggage that we all end up with after living our lives. This sounds like a great program for the “going it on my own” part. because looking back, both avenues have contributed greatly to this journey. Thanks for the great article and the heads up for this program!
Steve
Hi Steve, thanks for contributing to the conversation. It’s certainly of benefit knowing that there is something for us to work through for guidance when doing the personal work on our own. It’s to good to know that you have found both avenues beneficial and feel this program has a place for continued personal growth. ~kat
I have Suffered with Depression and Schizophrenia for 23yrs. Self Therapy has Always been One of My Coping Strategies – Thanx
I never knew of this. And this is awesome! Thank you for the detailed explanation of what is self therapy journey and its benefits. I appreciate that you also write about the cons as well as further support. You have given a very honest review. And this will help many people decide if this program is the right one for them.
I especially like the fact that this program costs less than a monthly visit with a therapist – So True! And we can work on which issues of our choice, and at the time of our choosing. Awesome!
I am sure there are many people who are unaware of this program. When I meet anyone who is willing to consider this, I will definitely point them to your review. I am sure they will learn a lot, and will find this review useful.
Hi Timotheus, thanks for the support and considering to share this with people in your network. I think it’s highly valuable and affordable for those wanting to shift patterns they have developed over time with guidance. All the best ~kat
This sounds like a really great self-therapy program. I’m all about mental improvement, healing and actually getting to know yourself and being honest with yourself. You mentioned that the con of the program might be that a person may not be sure which issue you need to work on. Would you recommend to have a couple of sessions with a therapist first so he or she can help you recognise what is your weak spot?
Thanks,
Katya
Hi Katya, self improvement and inner work is really valuable in helping one work on their issues. There are a number of quizzes on this page as well as others on the site that might help you work out which area that needs attention. It’s up to you if you see a therapist or not. I think if you start with the quizzes this would be a free option for you to consider. Then from there decide if you need to talk it through with a therapist first.
Thank you for this very interesting article about Self-Therapy Journey. There are so many people nowadays suffering from anxiety, stress and depression. I have read about many cases when the doctors prescribe more and more drugs as the only solution.
It looks that the self-therapy might help and depression is one of the problems that you wrote the Self-Therapy Journey might help. Have you heard of people with depressioin helped by Self-Therapy Journey?
Hi Sandy, anxiety, depression and stress are very common for people to experience and it’s definitely worth one’s while to consider alternatives to medication first to see if it helps first. A lot of these issues stem from the way we think in our minds. The work done through Self-Therapy often helps one to identify where those thoughts come from and how to work through the patterns associated with them. It can help one to work through depression too. It has a pattern that can be worked through. Here’s a link to the depressed pattern.
This is an eye opening program you’ve reviewed. There are so much people going through bad situations in their life and often times they do nothing to help them overcome the trauma. The Self-Therapy Journey is a great place to start and I wouldn’t mind paying $30 on something that’s proven to work and change lives. Not to mention that it has a 14 day free trial. My niece would find this program useful, so my question is, what’s the minimum age limit for this program? Cheers
Hi Brandon, since finding this program I have been referring people to this program too, as it’s highly effective and valuable for working on one’s inner journey to identify patterns and work at your own pace without the need of a therapist. The strategies are there and are an effective guide. There is also an online community for non STJ users as well as STJ users. As far as I know there is no minimum age, but I imagine each individual would need to want to engage in the work and be involved and interactive with it while having the capacity for self reflection. Can I ask, how old is your niece?
I like that you emphasized that this should not replace a therapist. But should one consult a therapist before joining this program? Because as you listed in the cons section, you may not know what issue to address. So, I think the guidance of a therapist from the start sill be of great assistance.
I think it is a great idea to help those in need with less financial means to go for a traditional therapist on a regular basis and those who just feel comfortable working on their issues from the comfort of their home. It is a good option for a therapist to follow up on a patient too.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi, as there are quizzes, this can help one identify what their pattern might be that they need to work on. It is entirely up to the individual to decide if they need to work with a therapist in conjunction with this pattern. It can be an effective way to enhance the work done if that’s preferred, but it depends on the individual and how they feel. If one is looking at working on their own personal issues and identify patterns and want to improve how they interact with others and approach things in their world, this could be effective without a therapist. There is also an online community and upcoming group phone meetings.
If there is some serious mental illness going on, then I would certainly recommend a therapist as an alternative.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts ~kat
I guess when it comes down to personal issues, hell, we all have them. Some of our issues are worse than the next person. Some folks need serious therapy, some outside source that will listen and try to identify the root of our problems. Once we look deep within ourselves and stop blaming others for our problems, then maybe we can give ourselves self therapy. Work on the things we may have some control over.
If we let our personal issues and self worth get in the way, then that will hinder connections and friendship regarding the chance of meeting new people.
Hi there, I agree, it’s when we let personal issues get in the way that it becomes a problem with our interactions with others and how we interact in our world. How we choose to interact can stem from patterns that have evolved over time that can make a difference in how we cope with life. ~kat
I love it when self therapy allows us to work on healing our own issues without the intrusion of our privacy.
This is my first time knowing about such program created by psychologist Jay Earley.
Being a self critic myself at times, I would love to read the book written by his partner Bonnie entitled Freedom from Your Inner Critic.
As a care taker for dad for almost a decade, I do get affected by the depressive mood of the sick people around me.
In your review of this course, you wrote capacities such as social confidence, assertiveness, self care and self esteem. Such qualities are indeed important to help one to work on their wholesome well being.
I will take a look at the program later on. Thank you for your review article.
Hi, thanks for sharing some of the challenges you face and how they impact on how you feel at times. It can be very draining caring for a family member. It’s quite common for us to have an inner critic, it’s important to be kind to yourself and identify when you aren’t so you can turn it around. You need to look after yourself too. Take care ~kat
Self Therapy Journey is a piece of useful piece of information for helping some with grave personal issues like one of my loved ones. She was suffering fro Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder. There was that thought that overpowered my loved one and it is for a time was a very serious personal issue indeed. The Journal as you may mention incorporated with IFS or Internal Family System Therapy was effective. It was so structured in a way that it was an effective method to track down the development of the afflicted individual with say OCD. With this scientific method of capturing the details of the personal challenges in a journal was a great basis how to calibrate solutions even by the sufferer alone., There were a solution and understanding, and later confidence to handle the situation more in control up until that the issue was fully not only addressed but was even treated completely. Thank you.
You have shared an amazing story of success with this program for your loved one who experience OCD. It sounds like it has helped your loved one immensely. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Kat, Thank you for this very relevant article which sounds great. I am glad you gave it a good review. I love the bit about finding freedom from your Inner Critic and also Activating your Inner Champion.
Both of these are problems for me especially when I am feeling down.
This doesn’t happen too often, I am pleased to say, but with my having my husband with a brain disease, now and then I do allow myself to feel down.
I have bookmarked this article so that I may go back to it when I feel I am not coping, but so far, so good.
Hi Jill, many of us experience times when we are not at our best and struggle to cope with demands on us. It sounds like you’re in a good place at the moment, but do come back here to read more about how this information can help you when you’re feeling like you need some extra help. All the best ~kat
This is a very thorough explanation of the product. I was looking to develop my influencing skills which were not mentioned on your page. Is it something they offer or is it outside the scope of this product? Most of the capacities completely resonated with me namely assertion and self-confidence. I am working on the latter and am developing it gradually. Our personalities are shaped by our upbringing, environment, and events that happened in the past. Hence this will be a perfect product to identify and overcome childhood origins of our pattern. Thanks for sharing this with us
I don’t think I have mentioned in this post all of the patterns that are offered through the program, so if you go via this link it will take you to the home page and from there you can scroll to the patterns section then click on the full list of patterns. It’s great that you’re already working on self confidence. This is something I work on regularly too. All the best ~kat
This ks actually an amazing program for someone that want to correct their grieves about their personal life. This program can be effective for someone that can easily improve themselves without motivation from outsider. This is because the training might look boring for a stubborn person that doesn’t want to go through it intentional. Many teenagers can fall into this category. Beside that, the program is cheap and can be accessed anytime we have the chance. They even offer free trial which are lacking in some other online guides. This self therapy journey will be a good recommendation for someone that so much need it.
Hi Stella, yes, it can be effective for may people, especially if it is taken on board independently instead of being told to by someone else. It does take motivation to want to change. ~kat
This is an exceptionally thorough and insightful review. Worth noting, as you did at the start, that it shouldn’t be seen a direct replacement for seeking help on a professional ‘one on one’ basis. Conversations with another offer two sides as oppose just just one when you have them with yourself. Honesty with yourself is not always as clear cut as we may think.
I have to say, I have been lucky enough to enjoy the benefits of both sides. I had a therapist help me for many months, a number of years ago. He was exceptional and gave me many gifts for my own recovery and further self development. Maybe it was because I had already had the ‘one on one’ from a professional that enabled me to look for and use other methods that I had to delve into on my own.
I am always wary of anything that offers to ‘cure’. As you quite rightly mention, being open to other avenues is a good way to be. Certainly for many of us, this course would shed light on some of our ‘Why am I like this’ scenarios. Meditation is such a great addition also. I think anything that can help us to become happier people, within ourselves and towards others, is only a good thing. I’ve always been of a mind to try things and if they work, brilliant. If they don’t, then I will look towards something else.
Well done for being able to work with an effective therapist who was able to facilitate self development and recovery for you while also continuing your self work following the face to face sessions. It’s always beneficial to being open to new ideas and strategies as they can help or if they don’t find something else 🙂 ~kat
Self Therapy Journey is surprisingly powerful and easy to use. Even though I’ve done a lot of IFS therapy, the application helped me further relax dependent patterns I experience, and made a difference in my daily relationship with my significant other, I realized the importance of addressing issues instead of withdrawing.
Thanks for sharing your experience with this program. It sounds like it has helped you improve your relationship with your partner and has helped you to work through your avoidant patterns. Well done for being able to do that, but also for sharing how you found it was effective for you. ~kat
Great article, and this is a good program if you know what your issue is. But I have to say, in which way this is better than a psychologic? I mean, my mama had the same problem, and in the end, that person helped her a lot. Of course, it is more expensive I think. My question is just if this can replace this person?
It will depend on the individual and what they prefer and how they want to work on their issues. Some people can find it easier to talk with a therapist either over the phone or face to face while others prefer to do the work themselves. This program is specifically for those who prefer to work in their own time and from their own home.