Book excerpt: We've all heard the clich�: before you can love someone else, you have to love yourself. But what does that actually mean? What does it mean to truly love yourself? Why must you love yourself before you can experience a meaningful relationship? How can you recognize authentic love?Clinical Psychologist, Sepideh Irvani, Psy.D., answers these questions and more in Authentic Self-Love: A Path to Healing the Self and Relationships. Interdisciplinary in nature, Irvani draws on a range of psychological, philosophical, and theological theories and analyzes them alongside secular literary texts to show the reader what it means to authentically love one's self. Distinction is made between the self-loathing of Narcissism and authentic self-love: one is destructive and the other healing, respectively. She offers tips to the reader about how to improve relationships with one's self and others, and provides context for healing. For those struggling to accept themselves and find love in their lives, Irvani offers a fresh, new take on the same old clich�. After reading Authentic Self-Love: A Path to Healing the Self and Relationships, you'll be able to critically analyze your life and relationships and transform it to an authentic love for yourself and for others.