Think, Act, and Feel Better with CBT: Practical Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Tools for Life's Ups and Downs

by Gianna LaLota LMHC LPC

Simple, effective CBT skills tailored for common challenges like anxiety, perfectionism, procrastination, insomnia, and more

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a powerful, evidence-based psychotherapy for managing mental health conditions like anxiety disorders, depression, and ADHD. However, it’s also popular for coping with daily-life issues, like procrastination and insomnia, because its structured, goal-oriented approach and focus on problem-solving can offer rapid relief to anyone facing tough times. By helping people think through the connections between their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and physical reactions, CBT helps them act in ways that make them feel better.

With Think, Act, and Feel Better with CBT, you can achieve measurable relief from chronic stress, anger, overthinking, people-pleasing, and other barriers to good mental health and greater well-being

This collection of CBT guides


Accessible, beginner-friendly explanations that don’t require familiarity or prior experience with cognitive behavioral therapy.Concise, action-oriented CBT toolkits packed with therapeutic insights, CBT skills, and practical strategies customized for everyday challenges.Insightful guidance by a licensed CBT expert who has helped hundreds of clients overcome mental and emotional issues to live happier, fuller lives.Additional skills and strategies from DBT and ACT, two popular, newer approaches to therapy that build on the foundational CBT model.

186 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 9, 2025

Reviews

[Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book could be very useful/helpful to a lot of people. It is one of those books that is probably best to own in paperback format so that you can flip back and forth to the various sections (the book does not need to be read in chapter order) and also make notes, highlight especially useful parts, or fill in the work areas provided in the book.

I did jot down a few things that I think might come in handy.
From past experience, mindfulness triggers anxiety for me, so I glanced over those parts of the book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Original review posted: 9/20/25
10/8/25: updated publisher thank you.

[Jess VandenBoom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers dozens of activities or “tools” that, with intentional and repeated practice, are proven to modify behavior and support people in meeting their goals. Each tool is described with a rationale supporting its effectiveness, clear and simple steps to take in implementation, and references to other tools in the book that may offer similar benefits.

Many of the practices included in this collection are likely to be familiar to readers. They are proven to work, and so we’ve seen them online and heard about them from our therapists. But by collecting them into one place, the author has provided a sort of workbook. An empowered reader can pick up this book and intentionally seek out a tool to approach a behavior they would like to change to improve their own life experience.

“Developing their CBT skills has helped my clients think in a more balanced way, regulate their emotions, overcome their anxiety triggers, and engage in behaviors that boost their mood and allow them to navigate life more effectively. This book can help you to do the same.”

First, tools to address common symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, chronic stress, and depression are outlined. Following this, three chapters provide tens of tools to approach other behavioral goals, like lack of motivation, anger responses, procrastination, insomnia, and time blindness. The reader is encouraged to read and act on the chapters that are relevant to them, and this book will most benefit readers looking for applied support without much prior experience with CBT.

As a radical behaviorist, I have been curious about cognitive behavioral therapy. While CBT practitioners don’t share my preferred paradigm, there has been translational work showing that CBT practices are behaviorally sound in addition to their own research showing that implementing these tools effectively modifies behavior. I was pleased that a focus on diagnoses was minimal, with more emphasis on the specific behaviors those with or without disorders want to change and the specific tools they can use to support that work.

Thank you to Zeitgeist and NetGalley for sharing an advance uncorrected proof for review. All opinions are my own.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW: This was an interesting book in that it contains self-help suggestions for multiple issues such as conditions (anxiety, ADHD, stress, depression), emotions (anger, fear, guilt, sadness, shame), thought patterns (inner critic, lack of motivation, low confidence, perfectionism), and changing your behaviors (procrastination, unhealthy habits, etc.). Many people are challenged with several of these situations so this book gives them guides to more than just one. The writing is clear and easy to understand and follow. There are also appendices that give you places to go for more information. Overall, a decent book.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

@penguinrandomehouse #partner “Thanks for the free/gifted book, @penguinrandomhouse” #sponsored

[Alesa Bernat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think, Act, and Feel Better with CBT by Gianna LaLota, LMHC, LPC is truly an excellent addition to mental health self-help books. The book's design focuses on management, identifying patterns, regulating your emotions, and changing your behavior. I liked that skills were broken up into sections such as cognitive, emotional, behavioral and mindfulness. It was easy to follow along with the text and identify ways that I could use it within my own family. I have bipolar depression and my son has ADHD. The sections about those specific diagnoses had practical ideas. The action steps within each individual section were simple, short, and easy to remember. I will be referring back to this book in the future. As a professional who works in the school setting, I will also likely recommend it to psychologists and counselors with whom I work. Thank you to Zeitgeist and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

[Dr. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Think, Act, and Feel Better with CBT introduces readers to the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in a straightforward and accessible way. It’s a quick read that covers the basics of CBT, making it approachable for beginners who want a gentle introduction to the topic.

However, the content can feel overly simplistic at times, especially for readers who already have some familiarity with CBT. While the explanations are clear, there isn’t much depth or advanced insight for those seeking a comprehensive guide. It tends to repeat core ideas rather than expanding on practical exercises or real-world examples.

If you’re completely new to CBT and want a light starting point, this book could be helpful. But if you’re looking for in-depth strategies, case studies, or a more structured program, you might find it a bit underwhelming.

[Elaine Runyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for my daughter, who already works with a therapist. She is thriving, ready to embark on a new venture. So, how do we empower her to maintain control of her mental health in between her sessions? Practicing CBT techniques was recommended to us. We found Think, Act, and Feel Better with CBT after doing some research and are highly pleased with both the style (structure?) and substance of this very practical book. The information is easy to digest (with real-life scenarios). My daughter is already quite engaged with this book. Think, Act, and Feel Better with CBT is so practical that, yes, I am going to put in some work too!

[Sarah Dunmire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful, cursory overview of CBT concepts and strategies to explore on your own. Lots of good examples were given to understand the strategies. Additional CBT Tools Page links were confusing because I would lose my place of where I last left off in the e-book. I’ve done some CBT before, but even with the tidbits on each category, I still learned new things.

The breath is the only function of the nervous system we can directly control.
Physiological Sigh: two sharp nasal inhales followed by long mouth exhale (offsets carbon dioxide and regulates stress levels)
Elongating exhales signals your brain to relax.
Butterfly taps
“Experiencing rejection is a normal part of the human experience.”

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book for review purposes from Penguin Random House. It's a great book to have on hand when attempting to navigate specific instances of anxiety, shame, depression, and more. I think the various tools to deal with things can be useful to everyone. It will be a good book to keep on hand for future issues. I would like a little more in-depth practices though as I sometimes found myself wondering what to do next.

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guide manages to be pretty comprehensive and simplistic at the same time. I was worried looking at the contents that a lot of it didn't apply to me but that wasn't a problem at all. It was really easy to pick out the parts that did apply to me and I even got some good ideas from the parts that didn't.
I like the idea of CBT because I don't care why I feel a certain way; I just want to feel better and have better coping mechanisms.

[Whitney Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the author on Instagram and was impressed with how effectively she conveys healing messages with no words, so I thought I would pick up her book. So glad I did! ‘Think, Act, and Feel Better with CBT’ is a well-written, structured, relatable tool to help you challenge your cognitive distortions. This book will find a permanent place by my bedside.