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Developing Resilience: A Cognitive-Behavioural Approach
Some individuals emerge from grim experiences stronger in mind and spirit than others who suffered the same fate. In this book, Michael Neenan suggests that it is the meanings that we attach to events, and not the events themselves, that determine our reactions to them; this is why different people can react to the same event in a variety of ways. Developing Resilience shows how people can find constructive ways of dealing with their difficulties by using the techniques of cognitive behaviour therapy as well as listening to the wisdom of those who have prevailed over adversity. This book provides useful guidance and advice on topics This book will be essential for anyone trying to find constructive ways forward in difficult times, as well as counsellors, coaches and therapists looking for guidance in helping their clients.
208 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2009
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175 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 26, 2018
Good information. A little dry, which isn't surprising for this type of book. The author presented things clearly and gave good examples, both hypotheticals and patient conversations. There are a lot of parallels with stoic philosophy including several direct quotes and references to philosophers. I think reading books on stoicism might more practical means to building resilience that a book about just resilience - they are more likely to inspire action and present a lot of the same material in a more engaging way.
July 22, 2020
things I really liked about this book:
- the way it framed and tackled the concept of resilience as a journey made up of moments of both weakness and strength rather than steadfast fearlessness and staunchness
- the “psychological exercises” provided for maintenance of resilience
- the presentation of case studies with real people and how the author worked through each person’s issues with them. this helped to make all of the tips and information written in the book feel more accessible and “real-world”
- the reinforcement throughout that resilience and self belief are attainable for everyone given the correct approach and focus, and how to develop oneself accordingly
things I didn’t like about this book:
- I don’t think it caters well to people who presently exist in a predominantly negative headspace or who already significantly lack self belief, which is arguably the target audience that would benefit the most from a book like this
- the lack of consideration for comorbidity of lack of resilience and associated strengths with mental illness was quite startling, though I guess mental illness isn’t what this book was about
- I don’t know if I agree with the concept of the “unrateable self” as while humans are very complex beings, after a certain point in my opinion people’s choices, mistakes and actions cannot be separated from who or what they truly are at their core. some of the tactics taught in this text are no doubt used by narcissists and genuinely bad people to justify their actions. in conjunction with this there was a lot of oversimplification of victimhood and the act of self moderation in response to trauma that I couldn’t quite get on board with
overall I found this to be an enlightening and helpful text and though many of the concepts and much of the advice presented throughout seem almost obvious, having a picture painted of it all and everything contextualised by an expert made it feel more practical and applicable to my daily life and thought patterns & I have definitely taken some lessons from what I’ve read.
- the way it framed and tackled the concept of resilience as a journey made up of moments of both weakness and strength rather than steadfast fearlessness and staunchness
- the “psychological exercises” provided for maintenance of resilience
- the presentation of case studies with real people and how the author worked through each person’s issues with them. this helped to make all of the tips and information written in the book feel more accessible and “real-world”
- the reinforcement throughout that resilience and self belief are attainable for everyone given the correct approach and focus, and how to develop oneself accordingly
things I didn’t like about this book:
- I don’t think it caters well to people who presently exist in a predominantly negative headspace or who already significantly lack self belief, which is arguably the target audience that would benefit the most from a book like this
- the lack of consideration for comorbidity of lack of resilience and associated strengths with mental illness was quite startling, though I guess mental illness isn’t what this book was about
- I don’t know if I agree with the concept of the “unrateable self” as while humans are very complex beings, after a certain point in my opinion people’s choices, mistakes and actions cannot be separated from who or what they truly are at their core. some of the tactics taught in this text are no doubt used by narcissists and genuinely bad people to justify their actions. in conjunction with this there was a lot of oversimplification of victimhood and the act of self moderation in response to trauma that I couldn’t quite get on board with
overall I found this to be an enlightening and helpful text and though many of the concepts and much of the advice presented throughout seem almost obvious, having a picture painted of it all and everything contextualised by an expert made it feel more practical and applicable to my daily life and thought patterns & I have definitely taken some lessons from what I’ve read.
September 16, 2024
A little repetitive (quite a few different vignettes that illustrate the same lessons), but overall a very useful and practical book written in clear and straightforward style. Have read a few times now and like to dig it out every few years to remind myself of some of the core features of developing resilience.
Some good lessons from this book (some more obvious than others) include:
-You can accept a situation without liking it.
-Your resilience is tested when difficult situations arise. But you can prepare for difficult times even when times are easy, by doing things outside of your comfort zone, and by building an interesting and multi-faceted life with various interests, goals for the future, active friendships, etc.
-Never rate yourself or others. This tendency is antithetical to self acceptance and every person is so complex they defy ratings anyway.
-Focus on self acceptance, not on increasing self esteem. Increasing self esteem is usually dependent on external factors which can be unreliable. What goes up can come down again!
-Change is constant and the sooner we accept this the better.
-There are always multiple solutions to any one problem, but we often fence ourselves in and fall into rigid grooves and patterns of thinking.
-Above all, flexibility is the name of the game! Rigid mindsets and beliefs make us more vulnerable when hard times arrive.
-If you have a standard reaction to adversity that is keeping you stuck (eg anger or bitterness) and you are reluctant to give that up, a good question to disrupt your thinking is, "would you teach this approach to someone else (eg a child, a class you are teaching) as a good way to deal with the situation? If not, why do you think its ok to hold this view yourself?"
Some good lessons from this book (some more obvious than others) include:
-You can accept a situation without liking it.
-Your resilience is tested when difficult situations arise. But you can prepare for difficult times even when times are easy, by doing things outside of your comfort zone, and by building an interesting and multi-faceted life with various interests, goals for the future, active friendships, etc.
-Never rate yourself or others. This tendency is antithetical to self acceptance and every person is so complex they defy ratings anyway.
-Focus on self acceptance, not on increasing self esteem. Increasing self esteem is usually dependent on external factors which can be unreliable. What goes up can come down again!
-Change is constant and the sooner we accept this the better.
-There are always multiple solutions to any one problem, but we often fence ourselves in and fall into rigid grooves and patterns of thinking.
-Above all, flexibility is the name of the game! Rigid mindsets and beliefs make us more vulnerable when hard times arrive.
-If you have a standard reaction to adversity that is keeping you stuck (eg anger or bitterness) and you are reluctant to give that up, a good question to disrupt your thinking is, "would you teach this approach to someone else (eg a child, a class you are teaching) as a good way to deal with the situation? If not, why do you think its ok to hold this view yourself?"
November 14, 2018
This is very good and recommended, both for layman and counselors/psychologists alike.
I'm drawn to Cognitive Behavior Therapy after learning it was inspired by Stoic philosophy. It emphasized that our negative emotions stem from (irrational) thinking, and this we can alter.
Much recommended. Especially if you seek better ways of managing emotions.
I'm drawn to Cognitive Behavior Therapy after learning it was inspired by Stoic philosophy. It emphasized that our negative emotions stem from (irrational) thinking, and this we can alter.
Much recommended. Especially if you seek better ways of managing emotions.
April 23, 2023
Really good read. I work in mental health and this is a lot of what I see. Unfortunately he cut out the things he would advise them to do but otherwise was pretty good.
December 19, 2014
Very useful reference point in terms of resilient thinking. The book is based on changing patterns of thinking, saying that every emotion you feel is preceded by a thought so learning to control your thoughts is key to controlling how you feel. You can control how you think no matter what circumstances you are in, and this is a very powerful concept. Another big theme in the book is not rating yourself or comparing yourself against others - treat yourself as unrateable.
There are practical suggestions in the book as well about how to take action to support resilient attitudes, it's not all about just changing mindsets but you need at some point to get out and do things.
A rewarding and revealing book based on psychological techniques rather than self-help mantras.
There are practical suggestions in the book as well about how to take action to support resilient attitudes, it's not all about just changing mindsets but you need at some point to get out and do things.
A rewarding and revealing book based on psychological techniques rather than self-help mantras.
June 28, 2011
A very practical (possibly because its author is British) on ways to build up resilience.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews