Customer Reviews
The old made new - By: John Shaw, 07 Mar 2008 
I always recommend books on cognitive psychology as they represent the cutting edge of psychotherapy. I also always recommend FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz-he helps us to see the roots of CBT are from the Buddhist tradition & he presents a system that combines CBT in a Buddhist orientation.
Helpful Strategies - By: Alan, 04 Jul 2007 This book offers many helpful cognitive therapy strategies to overcome mental distortions that lead to mood disorders such as anxiety & depression. Cognitive therapy looks at changing thought patterns that contribute to negative feelings. Once you gain an understanding of your own distortions & how they contribute to your feeling down or anxious, you can then creative positive thoughts & feel better about yourself with the helpful cognitive therapy strategies offered in this book.
I highly recommend this book as a practical hands-on book on cognitive therapy. Also try "Feeling Good" by David Burns & for a novel about Logan's struggle with depression, check out "Nexus: A Neo Novel."
12 years on, still using it... - By: Mrs. G. M. Armstrong, 01 Jul 2007 When I had post-natal depression, OCD (cleaning...) & agoraphobia, my GP referred me to a psychologist. Who sat me down with this book. We worked through it, chapter by chapter. As a medical professional, I was familiar with the concepts, but hadn't been able to see clearly enough to put them into practice for myself. Within 18 months, I was living a full normal life & haven't had a panic attack since. 12 years on, I still refer other people to this book, use it with my own clients, & use the techniques to get me through exams, interviews & public speaking. Brilliant.
A practical guide to coping with anxiety - By: Karen Field, 08 Apr 2007 I read this book from two perspectives - that of a person who has suffered from anxiety & panic attacks for many years. And also as a person who is now helping others to manage their own anxiety.
This book provides a very practical way to cope with anxiety. It uses the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approach which is proven as a successful therapeutic method for treating anxiety & panic. The book is very action oriented and, through numerous worksheets, encourages the reader to try the techniques for themselves.
The exercises are deceptively simple but are very effective. I found that I had already used some of the techniques & this book helped me to develop them further & also reassured me that I was on the right path - both in how I cope with my own anxiety & how I support others who are in the same position.
This book is easy to understand & gives you the building blocks to manage anxiety & make the changes that will improve your life - highly recommended!
There is more to life than CBT - By: A Reader, 29 Jan 2007 
I bought this book a while ago and, unlike other reviewers, still find it an insult to my intelligence. The CBT approach put forward by the author fails to respect the complexities of difficult mental & emotional states. Padesky reduces our experiences to the simplistic reduction of 'thoughts' & 'behaviours'. This takes no account of my life circumstances, my history or my feelings!
In this book CBT is shown in its true colours: it is an attempt to manualise client experiences & an insult to anyone suffering from any form of life difficulty.
There is no substitute for seeing a real psychotherapist. CBT fails to recognise the human complexity of relationship in everyday living & this book is a perfect example of that lack.
Save your money.
