First – good name, although I spell mine with a C.

Second – I’m glad that my explanation made sense. I found that the verbiage of Solution Training took some getting used to, and cycles seem a bit confusing until you’ve done some of them. I still think The Pathway is a great book, and in some ways describes the method better than the newest book – Wired For Joy. What Wired does is rework the wording and approach based on brain states instead of below the line/above the line. In some ways I like it, in others I really like the idea of “below the line” describing a blah feeling. However, Wired does do a good job of explaining the method, now officially called Emotional Brain Training, rather than Solution Training, in terms of neuroplasticity. What I don’t think it does such a good job of is really explaining how to work the method.

So, I think that by reading them both, you get a better idea of how the brain works. The Pathway gives you the opportunity to understand more in depth how to do a cycle than Wired teaches, although there is a new step in Wired – that of repeating your new reasonable expectation 10 times after a cycle – that wasn’t part of the program back when The Pathway was written.

Overall, I think the method still has a lot of value and I do recommend it.

Thanks so much your posts, it seems like The Solution is a powerful method. I have been reading a blog Emotional Brain Training News
and I think it is the same method, but they changed the name. Are you still using the method?

I hope all is well with you.

Thanks for the reference to Ms. Roth. I checked out her website a little. From what I read, it sounds like she would agree with some of the premise behind The Solution Method. Although, she just focuses on food.

One of the great things about The Solution Method is that it shows that the cause of all kinds of excess is essentially the same. So, whether I’m craving chocolate, numbing in front of the TV, or rushing to stay so busy I’m overwhelmed, the root cause is the same – avoiding the painful feelings and the bad memories they stir up. So, as I work on processing those emotions, it helps across the board with all excesses, not just emotional eating.

I also like that The Solution Method has so much research behind it. I don’t know if this applies to Ms. Roth (I haven’t read her specifically), but I have read others in the past who seem to be just talking about their ideas, which may or may not be backed by science.

Just something else to think about.

A friend of mine who had food issues swears by the books by Geneen Roth (though some of the writing is a bit cringeful).