Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Your route out of perfectionism, self-sabotage and other everyday habits

by Avy Joseph

What happens to you in life matters less than the way you feel about that's the message of cognitive behavioural therapy. If you've ever tried to change something about yourself - your mood, your weight, your behaviour - you'll have noticed that change often hurts, so you stop trying. CBT can help you when change starts to hurt. In this book, professional CBT practitioner Avy Joseph shows you how to challenge negative thoughts and unhealthy beliefs to improve your outlook in your personal and professional life. Whether you want to break the spiral of depression, anxiety or guilt, achieve work-life balance or make an important change, this book will help you reach your goals and maintain a positive outlook - no matter what life throws at you. It's you - not your circumstance - that holds the key to change. Don't limit yourself.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help, Mental Health, Personal Development

328 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2008

About the author

Avy Joseph is an experienced Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and co-founder of the companies, CityMinds and the College of Cognitive Behavioural Therapies. He is a registered and accredited therapist with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) and a board member of The Association of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapists (AREBT).

Avy believes that an action oriented and compassionate approach to emotional problems, personal development and growth is important when working with clients. A person’s potential is often blocked by old patterns of thinking and behaviours which are learned either in childhood; or in later life, but usually maintained with or without awareness, in the present. Such beliefs and patterns are at the heart of emotions like: anxiety, depression, guilt, hurt, jealousy, anger, embarrassment and envy as well as unhelpful behaviours, thoughts and symptoms.

Avy began working as a counsellor in 1992, developing and running workshops on Relationship Problems, Phobias, Hypnosis in Dentistry, Panic Disorders as well as Goal Achievement. It was when lecturing both nationally and internationally that his interest in evidence based cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) grew. In 2001 he gained a Masters degree in rational-emotive behavioural therapy from Goldsmiths College, University of London (one of the main schools of cognitive and behavioural therapy).

After completing his Master’s degree dissertation, in combining CBT and Hypnosis, he changed his approach to Hypnotherapy, noticing the combination of CBT and Hypnosis was a very effective therapeutic intervention that resonated with his clients. This culminated in the development of cognitive behavioural therapy coursesm, hypnotherapy courses and then the launch of The College of Cognitive Behavioural Therapies.

He has recently published Confidence and Success with CBT and Visual CBT with Maggie Chapman, Co-Founder of the College. Other published works include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - your route out of perfectionism, self sabotage and other every day habits.

Reviews

[Nigeyb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up in an Audible sale. I'm interested in CBT having studied it on a part time counselling course I took a few years back.

This is a basic introduction to CBT which provides readers with practical tools to utilise some of the techniques. The writing is pedestrian and matter-of-fact.

I was hoping for something a bit more in depth, inspiring and engaging.

3/5

[Sally Flint · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked this up in a service station on the way to the airport, I was pulled in by the best sellers list, but I didn't really expect to enjoy it. It is though a clear exploration of CBT and is a real incentive to change thinking and how to do it. Linking CBT to SMART goals makes sense and the exercises the write sets are doable. I think this is well worth reading if you want to change aspects of your life.

[Phil Branigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written and easy to understand if you are already using similar material

[Nathalie Karasek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really what i was looking for. I wanted an introduction to CBT, but this is actually a self help book.

[glass.curtain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've listened to this book on my way to and back from work. So it took me quite a while to get through, and sometimes I needed to rewind a bit, simply to get back into a specific chapter.
Overall, I think I did this book a great injustice, but interrupting the flow of it every so often.

the audiobook:
The reader did a good job, but given how many examples and exercises there were, just hearing about them and not being able to re-read specific parts in an exercise was tough. Therefore, I think I'd recommend reading it for yourself instead of listening to it.

[Gordon Walker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Shallow, repetitive, pablum

[Amany Farag · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very shallow book ..
all the examples about if i made a mistake !! If the weather is rainy it will be awful !!
Who in the universe will get depressed or anxious for this kiddy reasons !!

[Rhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had a lot of constructive and effective tools and concepts that I really resonate with and will actively try to incorporate into my daily life. Nice and easy read

[Travis Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too negative of a book. If anything I find it to reinforce the negativity

[G-Raff · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s worth considering this book. If you would like to explore your thought processes and triggers need a rethink then maybe give this a go.
Easy to read

[Victoria Sigsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this from the library as I wanted to see if I might be able to help myself with an issue by reading this book. It talks about certain aspects to do with work or fitness but didn't cover my own personal issues but then it cannot cover every one. What it does is to take the reader through particular steps in order for them to put different ways of thinking and visualisations into practice in order for a certain goal to be reached.
I found I couldn't use all of the book as I felt some of it didn't relate to me. Some of it I felt I knew from what I have been taught by my hypnotherapist. However there will be many people who have not had the benefit of this and this information should be useful. However there were many helpful suggestions for me as well.
If you think this book may be of help to you it's worth a look.