The Emotion-Based Self-Competence Method (ESM) by Susanne & Arne Salig – A New Approach to Emotional Health

Susanne and Arne Salig, pioneers in integrative psychotherapy and emotional competence development, have just released their highly anticipated professional handbook, The Emotion-Based Self-Competence Method (ESM). Available today, January 2026, and published by Shaker Verlag, this comprehensive guide presents a revolutionary therapeutic approach that bridges neuroscience, emotion theory, and practical intervention strategies. Validated with over 1,000 patients, ESM integrates the Self-Competence Model according to Salig/Theissler with the Two Basic Emotions Theory (love-fear polarity), offering mental health professionals, coaches, and organizational developers a powerful framework for facilitating lasting transformation. With applications spanning prevention, therapy, and organizational development, The Emotion-Based Self-Competence Method is now available internationally, offering practitioners a scientifically grounded yet immediately applicable methodology that addresses the root causes of emotional dysregulation and empowers clients to achieve authentic self-determination.

"This isn't just another therapeutic model, it's a paradigm shift in how we understand and work with human emotions," said the Saligs. "We wanted to provide practitioners with a method that honors the fundamental role of emotions in self-regulation while offering clear, actionable pathways for helping clients develop genuine autonomy and resilience."

Spanning 22 comprehensive chapters, The Emotion-Based Self-Competence Method guides practitioners through the theoretical foundations, diagnostic approaches, and intervention strategies of ESM. The book demonstrates how all human behavior can be understood through the polarity of two basic emotions, love and fear, and how self-competence develops through the balanced integration of these emotional forces. Through detailed case studies, practical exercises, and evidence-based protocols, practitioners learn to help clients identify emotional deficits, develop affect tolerance, and cultivate the five dimensions of self-competence: self-awareness, self-acceptance, self-empowerment, self-care, and self-esteem. Early reviews from therapeutic professionals are calling it "a masterfully integrated approach that finally connects emotional theory with clinical practice" and "an essential resource that will transform how practitioners understand and facilitate emotional development."

The Emotion-Based Self-Competence Method is available in softcover and PDF formats through Shaker Verlag and major online retailers. The authors are also offering specialized practitioner training programs beginning in April 2026, with certification tracks for therapists, coaches, and organizational development professionals. Visit this website for training schedules, practitioner resources, and access to the international ESM community.

About the authors

Susanne and Arne Salig are internationally recognized experts in emotional competence development and integrative psychotherapy. Co-developers of the Self-Competence Model by Salig/Theissler, they have worked with over 1,000 clients and trained hundreds of practitioners across multiple disciplines. Their work synthesizes insights from depth psychology, neuroscience, and body-oriented therapy into a coherent, practical methodology that has been successfully applied in clinical, coaching, and organizational contexts worldwide.

Media contact

Arne Salig

Co-Developer ESM

+49 151 50709545

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