Table of Contents
Top 10 Things You Should Know about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 10
Introduction 11
1 The Basics of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 13
Definition of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 14
How Can CBT Help Me? 15
Related Techniques 17
Addressing Negativity 18
Is This What You Want? 20
The Phases of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 22
2 History of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 27
How CBT Was Born 28
The Work of Albert Ellis 30
The Work of Aaron T. Beck 30
Classical Conditioning and B. R Skinner 33
Merging of Cognitive Therapy and Behavioral Therapy 35
Science or Art? 36
3 The Thought/Feeling Relationship 38
What Meanings Do You Attach to Events? 39
Mistaken Thoughts 41
Core Beliefs 43
Let It Go 46
Getting Out of Negative Cycles 48
The Perils of Black-and-White Thinking 50
Move Beliefs from Your Intellect to Your Essence 52
4 Applications for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 54
Phobias 55
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 56
Eating Disorders 60
Pain Management 65
Fibromyalgia 67
Negative Nellies and Energy Vampires 70
5 The Big D-Depression 73
Aaron T. Beck's Perspective 74
Cognitive Biases of Depressed Individuals 74
What Is Depression? 80
Catching Ruminations 82
What about Suicidal Thoughts? 85
How CBT Can Help with Depression 87
6 Managing Anxiety 90
Face Your Fears Head-On 91
Exposure to Extinction 95
Social Anxiety 97
Living with Ambiguity 99
How CBT Can Help with Anxiety 102
7 Dealing with Anger 105
What Is Healthy Anger? 106
What Is Unhealthy Anger? 106
Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Tame Anger 108
Deconstruct Attitudes Underlying Anger 108
Techniques for Communication 111
Managing Your Rage 113
8 Cooperating with a Therapist 117
How to Find a Good Cognitive Behavioral Therapist 118
Differences Between Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Conventional Therapy 120
The Dog Ate My Homework! 122
Checking Your Progress 122
Dependency and Transference 124
Breaking Up with Your Therapist 125
9 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children and Adolescents 128
Where Do They Get Those Behaviors? 129
Computer-Based Programs 130
Tracking Down Harmful Beliefs 133
Helping Children to Become Human 135
Special Stresses of Adolescence 137
When Is Therapy in Order? 141
10 Affirmations 147
Working with Negative Core Beliefs 148
Turning Negativity into Creativity 150
The Power of the Subconscious 151
Crafting Useful Affirmations 152
But They Seem Like Lies! 156
A Practice for Affirmations 156
11 Tame Your Brain 159
Moment-by-Moment Mindfulness 160
Meditation 161
Make Friends with the Enemy 165
Slow Your Thoughts 167
Welcome Serenity and Mental Peace 169
The Discipline of Focus 171
12 Visualization 174
Control the Contents of Your Mind 175
Control How You Process External Influences 177
A Visualization Practice 178
Create a Vision Board 179
But Does It Really Work? 182
Trust in Life 184
13 Use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Self-Esteem 187
Reality Check on Your Self-Esteem 188
Behaviors Toward Improved Self-Esteem 189
Identify Your Passions 191
Do What You Love! 193
Joyful Time Management 195
Claim Your Life 197
14 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy at Work 200
Crafting Your Responses 201
Difficult Boss 201
Difficult Coworkers 204
Managing Attitudes 208
Biding Your Time 211
Position Yourself Just Right 212
Use CBT to Get to the Edge 214
15 Craft Your Responses 217
A Look at Typical Fear-Driven Responses 218
How Should I Respond? 220
The Effort of Change 222
A Magnificent List of Freedom Responses 224
What Do You Deeply Desire? 227
Molding New Habits 230
16 Attention 232
Spot Check on Habitual Thoughts 233
Habitual Worry 234
Effects of Unnecessary Value Judgments 238
Awareness of Your Environment 240
Spontaneous Actions and Interactions 241
Compassion 244
17 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the Physical Body 247
Your Symptoms 248
Negative Thinking Can Actually Make You Sick! 252
Changing Thinking about the Symptoms 254
Changing Behavior in Regard to Symptoms 255
Restructure the Environment 258
Restructure Your Moods 259
18 Overhaul Your Relationships 261
Automatic Responses to Others 262
Embrace Real Love, Lose the False Love 266
Dramatic Detachment 269
Awareness and Transcendence 272
Spiritual Security 273
Profound Strength 274
19 Mind: What Is It? 276
Uh Oh, You've Lost Your Mind Once Again 277
How Your New Healthy Brain Functions 277
Forging New Synapses 278
Freedom from the Past 280
Constructing Meaning and Joy 282
Avoiding Backsliding 286
Keep Up CBT-Even If You Feel Good 287
Appendix A Helpful Websites 291
Appendix B Helpful Books 293
Index 297