The book is best suited to individuals with low-risk symptoms of stress or anxiety, those usually managed in primary care, a valuable bit of ‘homework’, and in between mental health review appointments with the GP. Rate Moods Now: Rate your moods from Step 2 again, as well as any new moods. If there hasn’t been a change for the better, review each step of your thought record and see if there are any places you could be more accurate, specific, or thorough. Tips for Success Evidence that Does Not Support the Hot Thought: Now take off your defense lawyer hat and put on your prosecutor hat. It’s time for some cross-examination. Your hot thought likely has some holes in its story, and your job now is to find them. This step tends to be harder. Your evidence against I’m always screwing up might look something like this: One exercise involves writing out new behaviours linked to the individual’s new core belief based on what the book has taught them so far. For the indifferent user this could seem quite the task, if not a waste of time, but there are gains to be had with some persistence and patience. At best, this book is an engaging journey in reflection and active problem-solving leading to a better health outcome. At worst, it is a mere distraction. Realistically, it probably lies somewhere in between, but in any case it is likely to be a constructive use of time for the depressed or anxious patient — time that may otherwise have been spent in rumination.

Be patient. Learning to do thought records probably takes about as much mental coordination as learning to ride a bike takes physical coordination. For beginners, it can be difficult just to distinguish between situations, emotions, and thoughts – much less identify automatic thoughts, figure out which is the hot thought, and collect and evaluate evidence. Be patient and keep at it. Thought records get easier as you go, and over time they become second nature. Revised and expanded to reflect significant scientific developments of the past 20 years, the second edition contains numerous new features: expanded content on anxiety; chapters on setting personal goals and maintaining progress; happiness rating scales; gratitude journals; innovative exercises focused on mindfulness, acceptance, and forgiveness; 25 new worksheets; and much more. That last one may seem out of place, but I included it because I wanted to point out that you can do thought records for positive as well as negative situations. Contrary to popular belief, CBT isn’t about “positive thinking.” It’s about finding more balanced and objective ways of seeing the world – which in some cases might actually mean seeing things less positively. For example, say you meet a new romantic prospect, and within a few days you’re thinking “This person is perfect for me!” and “I’ve finally found the love of my life!” That’s a case where a little less optimism would probably be a good thing. The CBT Handbook: A comprehensive guide to using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to overcome depression, anxiety and angerI found this book at a garage sale and thought it would be a great addition to my work resources! I went through it cover to cover and tried all of the exercises myself. Really enjoyed this workbook.

One of the most borrowed books in 2008 according to the Guardian Newspaper (United Kingdom). They listed it as #7 in their non fiction popularity poll Automatic Thoughts (and Images): List thoughts and images that pop up in relation to the situation. These thoughts can be so automatic that we don’t even know we’re thinking them. You can start by trying to remember what was going on in your mind right before your mood shifted. Here are a few typical examples of automatic thoughts:It) teaches you strategies, methods, and skills that have been shown to be helpful with mood problems such as depression, anxiety, anger, panic, jealousy, guilt, and shame.’ Dr. Dennis Greenberger is a clinical psychologist and founder and director of the Anxiety and Depression Center in Newport Beach, California. Cited as “The Most Influential Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Publication” by the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies and included in the UK National Health Service Bibliotherapy Program. There are 7 steps to completing the Mind Over Mood thought record. I’ll give you an overview, though this isn’t meant as a comprehensive guide. The workbook walks you through the process in more detail.

After you’ve identified your moods, rate each one on a scale from 0% to 100% (don’t worry about nailing down an accurate percentage – just go with your gut).Let’s say your hot thought is I’m always screwing up, and let’s say you had that thought after making a fairly minor mistake. These statements would be considered “credible evidence”: Winner (Second Place)--American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award, Consumer Health Category In 2002, the British Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapy named Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think the most influential cognitive therapy book of all time There's the book and then there's the approach. The approach is explained well, the book doesn't distract from that. Some repetition, but that's important too. For me, this is a good starting point. I'll definitely try to photocopy the sheets so I have many on hand. The Reviewers on Goodreads seem to be either users of the book or perscribers of the book. I was hoping for some more meaty theoretical info, but apparently cognitive therapy is as straightforward as can be. Next, rate how much you believe each new thought, on a scale from 0% to 100%. Often, how much you believe your alternative/balanced thoughts is related to how much your moods have changed in the next step.