Copyright 2018 by Seth J. Gillihan
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ISBN: Print 978-1-93975-485-1 | eBook 978-1-93975-486-8
QUICK-START GUIDE
Is this book for you? Read the statements below and check the box if that statement often describes how you feel.
I dread the next anxiety attack.
I have trouble sleeping.
I worry needlessly about many things.
I feel tense and anxious and I have a hard time relaxing.
Certain objects or situations terrify me.
I avoid things I need to do because they make me anxious.
I feel extremely nervous in some social situations or avoid them if I can.
My angry responses seem overblown for the situation.
I dont understand why I feel so angry.
My anger has caused problems in my relationships.
I cant get interested in things I used to enjoy.
I feel like I have nothing to look forward to.
I struggle to concentrate and make decisions.
I dont like myself.
Its hard to find the energy and motivation I need.
If you checked several of the boxes, you can benefit from this book. Read on to learn about CBT and how you can take part of the therapeutic process into your own hands.
For Marcia, with love and gratitude for sharing this life with me.
Contents
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a powerful psychological treatment, is rooted in a coherent, comprehensive theory of emotions as well as the behaviors connected to those emotions. The theory can guide the discovery of the sources of each individual persons emotional difficulties. Just as important are the tools of CBT, derived from the theory, that practitioners have developed over the past 40 years. This great variety of techniques allows therapists to tailor their interventions to the specific needs and preferences of each patient. So how can the power of CBT, which would seem to require a skilled therapist to help patients identify their unique patterns and to select and adapt the right tools, be conveyed in book form? Enter Dr. Seth Gillihan, who in clear and plain yet elegant language is able to connect with any reader who wants to understand and address his or her own barriers to good mental health.
The soothing and confident voice behind this book is one I know very well. In 2005, Seth became the 50th PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) whom I taught and supervised in a yearlong practical course in CBT. Over the past 35 years I have been privileged to teach the principles and practice of CBT to some of the most impressive and motivated young professionals one could hope to meet. Their level of talent and knowledge, along with their commitment to learn, continues to amaze me. But Seth left a lasting impression on me for his wisdom and ability to connect to individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life. He possesses an unparalleled ability to convey the best of what I learned from my own mentors, Drs. Steven Hollon and Aaron T. Beck, and he has added extremely useful insights of his own.
I first encountered Seth's gift as a helping professional while watching video recordings of his therapy sessions, reading his case notes, and hearing his crystal-clear descriptions of the successesand hiccupshe and his clients experienced as they worked together. I now see the same Seth Gillihan, with vastly more experience, who has warmed up to the current project by authoring Retrain Your Brain: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in 7 Weeks , a fine workbook, and also coauthoring a practical and sensitive guide for individuals and the families of those who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder.
His newest book is a delightful read, which is no small accomplishment given the seriousness of the subject matter and his honest, realistic treatment of the problems he addresses. The book manages to cover a lot of ground, in detail, and yet remain simple, as its title suggests. It draws even further upon Seths strengths, including an unmatched ability to organize and structure material, which makes it easy to grasp and retain the many nuggets found within its pages. Unique to this book is the rhythm that Seth establishes at the outset and carries though each chapter, spelling out how to address unhelpful thinking, how to use behaviors to alter problematic patterns, and finally, how to attend to, and be mindful of, the important things in our lives. I was so impressed by this rhythm that I now include it in my own teaching: Think, Act, and Be. What could be simpler? And yet the ideas these words reflect are rich and powerful enough to produce seismic positive shifts in the lives of clients in therapy. They can do the same for readers of this book.
Even if a reader does not have difficulties in all the areas covered in the book (sadness, worry, fear, anger, procrastination, self-criticism), I highly recommend the sections on three topics in particular: procrastination, anger, and safety behaviors. The insights Seth provides about these often-puzzling yet all-too-common patterns are really interesting! And if nothing else, his characterizations of these patterns can help the reader understand a bit better how they trip up friends, colleagues, or family members.
