Experiencing CBT from the Inside Out: A Self-Practice/Self-Reflection Workbook for Therapists

by James Bennett-Levy PhD MPhil, Richard Thwaites, Beverly Haarhoff

Engaging and authoritative, this unique workbook enables therapists and students to build technical savvy in contemporary CBT interventions while deepening their self-awareness and therapeutic relationship skills. Self-practice/self-reflection (SP/SR), an evidence-based training strategy, is presented in 12 carefully sequenced modules. Therapists are guided to enhance their skills by identifying, formulating, and addressing a professional or personal problem using CBT, and reflecting on the experience. The book's large-size format makes it easy to use the 34 reproducible worksheets and forms. Purchasers also get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials.

Genres: Psychology

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 29, 2014

Reviews

[Evan Micheals · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was required reading for as part of my master’s degree in Psychotherapy. I have done a lot of CBT training in the past and I was not looking forward to doing it again. I first came across CBT in the 90’s and loved it and earnestly attempted to apply it. Sometimes it didn’t work, and channelling Judith Beck found the problem is not with the CBT, the problem is with me. In time I began seeking other methods. CBT became another tool. My issue with CBT is that several therapists (who likely only ever have done CBT) believe it is the only tool you need. I have a more cosmopolitan approach and try a bit of everything. I believe CBT is useful, but limited.

I empathised with the character of David. He was presented as a lifelong student of Psychotherapy who was being forced to use CBT exclusively because that was the model of service of his new employer. David was troubled by this and preferred an “eclectic style of psychotherapy” (p 26). David was concerned that the CBT model is “somewhat superficial, and has doubts about short term intervention” (p 26). It could have been me and I wanted to see how the authors treated David’s narrative. I suspected he was being used to ‘see the light’ of the brilliance of CBT and was doubtful the authors would acknowledge the limited nature of CBT. Sadly, the authors avoided this by giving David a social anxiety disorder (avoid a critique of the tool itself) and he uses the tools described to treat this. Maybe they allude to the limited scope of CBT when they wrote “Experiencing CBT from the Inside Out has not been designed for in-depth psychotherapy!” (p 159).

The book itself is designed to use the tools of CBT to treat oneself via self-practice and self-reflection (SP/SR). I have to agree that it is successful in this. A strong and admirable ethos of CBT is to teach the technology to people so they can use it on themselves. As a self-confessed covert narcissist, I love SP/SR, thinking and talking about myself is my favourite subject (I am sure Jung wrote that anyone who wants to provide therapy has a bit of narcissism - guilty). When discussing therapeutic modalities with supervisees I have articulated the ‘importance of being able to apply this shit to yourself’. If you cannot use it as a tool in your own life, why would you subject another person to it? In providing the tools to do CBT on yourself, the book works, or at least it did on me.

I am becoming by the word ‘Classical’ and it becoming synonymise with old fashioned. I am a liberal in temperament in that mostly people should be able to do what they want as long as it does not harm another. Take whatever drugs you want, get any part of your body cut of pierced, have pictures drawn on you to represent your individuality. It is your right do what you want, I thought this is what being a liberal is. Not there days, to be a liberal one must hold certain ‘woke’ perspectives and politics (that is authoritarianism isn’t it). I am now described as a ‘classical liberal’. Now we have “Classical cognitive-behavioural theory” (p 158). I thought this was what CBT is or was. Now CBT steals concepts from other modalities and repacking them as part of CBT. I can see this most clearly in the attempt to incorporate concepts from mindfulness and positive psychology. The rhetorical trick underlying this feels ikky. Just acknowledge you cannot use CBT for everything.

I have not long finished re-reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Pirsig described people in the front of his class reflected his truth, whilst those at the back of the class expressed their own. He mused those at the front got better grades, those at the back got better quality. He could not pass those at the back of the class, but he liked them better. I saw this battle in myself as I read this. I want the grade or credential, but I am by nature a back of the class type of person. I am a Gadfly.

I always struggle with books that are ‘required reading’, so that colours my review. It is an OK book and does have elements of the ‘electic’ style David and I prefer. It was readable and not as opaque as a number if the book on therapy I have read. It is like CBT, clear and practical. It is a beginners guide, and like most beginners guides just a taste of what you need to get started, but not the whole toolkit.

[alybro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book, but it was repetitive and basic CBT imo