Spotlight on Beret Moyer , M.S., NCC

PC&CC counselor Beret Moyer is an avid reader who often recommends books to clients and friends alike.

One of her favorite recommendations is Reinventing Your Life by Jeffery Young, Janet Klosko and Aaron Beck. Written by two cognitive psychotherapists, this book describes 11 behavior patterns the authors call “lifetraps.” According to the authors, lifetraps are repetitive and destructive acts associated with a negative self-image. “I have recommended this book to many clients who have seen themselves through a new lens after reading it,” Moyer explains. “Once clients identify and accept their personal ‘lifetrap,’ they are on their way to real change.” The book includes a self-assessment questionnaire and programs for change based on specific, identified lifetraps.

On a more devotional note, Moyer often returns to Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging by Brennan Manning. “This is a book that can be read slowly over time,” she says. “I have offered it to clients who experience low self esteem and who are confused about who they are in God’s eyes.” Brennan describes the temptation of believing in what he calls our “imposter” or our false self. “This image strikes a chord in all of us who have experienced self-hatred, insecurity, and/or been afraid to experience our true selves,” Moyer says. “Brennan’s personal confessions and intimate stories help the reader see that we are God’s beloved, his special creation, and that he wants what is best for us. Part of this divine desire is that we love ourselves, because God tells us to love others as we love ourselves.”

Moyer works in PC&CC’s offices in Bethesda and Dupont Circle. She may be reached at 202-449-3789 x711.