Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Managing Anxiety and Depression

Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theories and Practices #5

by Artem Kudelia

A clinically grounded and empathetic introduction to CBT across anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and panic disorder.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most extensively researched approach in modern psychotherapy — yet many introductions feel either too academic or too simplified for meaningful clinical use. Artem Kudelia, PhD, presents a comprehensive yet accessible guide to CBT across five major presentations, written with both clinical rigor and genuine empathy for the therapeutic process.

- Core CBT principles: cognitive restructuring, thought challenging, behavioral activation, and mindfulness-based grounding

- Clinical application across panic disorder, social anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and depression

- Evidence-based techniques for identifying and reframing negative beliefs and intrusive thought patterns

- Practical tools designed for both self-guided work and integration within therapeutic sessions

For psychology students, therapists in training, and mental health professionals seeking a compassionate, evidence-based introduction to cognitive behavioral therapy in clinical practice.

Genres: Self Help

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 18, 2023

About the author

I'm a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist with a PhD, writing books in two directions: evidence-based references for therapists and students, and step-by-step CBT guides for anyone navigating anxiety, OCD, or intrusive thoughts. Two series: Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theories and Practices — 16 therapeutic modalities for clinical training and academic study — and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Self-Help Guide — practical CBT for anxiety, OCD, health anxiety, and depression. psychemaster.com

Reviews

[Charlie Thyme · Rating 5 out of 5]

yeah, so... about this book. interesting. I expected something dry and clinical, the kind of book you read while nodding politely and remembering absolutely nothing five minutes later. instead, this felt oddly conversational and alive. the author writes like someone who has actually sat with anxious people for years and understands how ridiculous and exhausting the human brain can become. there were moments where I caught myself laughing at an example and then immediately realizing, “wait... that’s literally me.” not many psychology books manage to feel this personal without becoming cheesy.

what I really, really liked was how the book refuses to pretend people can become perfectly calm zen monks who never panic again. it treats anxiety like an annoying roommate instead of a demon that must be destroyed. the explanations about panic attacks, intrusive thoughts, avoidance, and depression were clear without sounding watered down. also, the random metaphors somehow worked. deer running from lions. trams carrying bad thoughts. anxious people double checking life itself. it all made complicated ideas stick in my head in a way most self help books completely fail to do.

what I didn’t like: sometimes the book repeats itself, especially when explaining anxiety cycles and behavioral patterns. there were sections where I thought, okay, yes, my nervous system gets it already. and occasionally the translation or phrasing feels slightly unusual, almost like the book exists in its own therapy flavored universe. but honestly, that weirdness became part of the charm after a while.

but who am I. I’m just another anxious person reading a book about anxiety while being anxious about whether I’m reading the anxiety book correctly. somehow this author managed to make psychology feel less cold and less intimidating. that alone made the book worth reading.

[LilysFlower · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is good if you want an introduction to psychotherapy and a basic understanding of most known and talked disorders like anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, OCD and PTSD.

It´s a good book in general, but I decided to give 4 stars instead of 5 because some passages in the book felt a little commercial and one-sided when the author mentioned the war: "It seems that I started to truly discuss this disorder only in 2024, in connection with the Russia-Ukrainian war. I was alarmed by the fact that the young men who went to war experienced terrifying events there...". I felt a little turned because there were so many wars before this one in particular. And it was not the first time he mentioned Ukraine in the book. I had to search for the author and I do now understand why he mentioned Ukraine.
Another reason is that he used the example " children dying of hunger in Africa". I wish he had used another example. There were so many other examples.

Anyway, I just thought I could sense the author and his points of view neutral.