The old made new - Rated 
I always recommend books on cognitive psychology as they represent the cutting edge of psychotherapy. I also always recommend FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz-he helps us to see the roots of CBT are from the Buddhist tradition and he presents a system that combines CBT in a Buddhist orientation.
Helpful Strategies - Rated
This book offers many helpful cognitive therapy strategies to overcome mental distortions that lead to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Cognitive therapy looks at changing thought patterns that contribute to negative feelings. Once you gain an understanding of your own distortions and how they contribute to your feeling down or anxious, you can then creative positive thoughts and feel better about yourself with the helpful cognitive therapy strategies offered in this book.
I highly recommend this book as a practical hands-on book on cognitive therapy. Also try "Feeling Good" by David Burns and for a novel about Logan's struggle with depression, check out "Nexus: A Neo Novel."
12 years on, still using it... - Rated
When I had post-natal depression, OCD (cleaning...) and agoraphobia, my GP referred me to a psychologist. Who sat me down with this book. We worked through it, chapter by chapter. As a medical professional, I was familiar with the concepts, but hadn't been able to see clearly enough to put them into practice for myself. Within 18 months, I was living a full normal life and haven't had a panic attack since. 12 years on, I still refer other people to this book, use it with my own clients, and use the techniques to get me through exams, interviews and public speaking. Brilliant.
A practical guide to coping with anxiety - Rated
I read this book from two perspectives - that of a person who has suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for many years. And also as a person who is now helping others to manage their own anxiety.
This book provides a very practical way to cope with anxiety. It uses the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approach which is proven as a successful therapeutic method for treating anxiety and panic. The book is very action oriented and, through numerous worksheets, encourages the reader to try the techniques for themselves.
The exercises are deceptively simple but are very effective. I found that I had already used some of the techniques and this book helped me to develop them further and also reassured me that I was on the right path - both in how I cope with my own anxiety and how I support others who are in the same position.
This book is easy to understand and gives you the building blocks to manage anxiety and make the changes that will improve your life - highly recommended!
There is more to life than CBT - Rated 
I bought this book a while ago and, unlike other reviewers, still find it an insult to my intelligence. The CBT approach put forward by the author fails to respect the complexities of difficult mental and emotional states. Padesky reduces our experiences to the simplistic reduction of 'thoughts' and 'behaviours'. This takes no account of my life circumstances, my history or my feelings!
In this book CBT is shown in its true colours: it is an attempt to manualise client experiences and an insult to anyone suffering from any form of life difficulty.
There is no substitute for seeing a real psychotherapist. CBT fails to recognise the human complexity of relationship in everyday living and this book is a perfect example of that lack.
Save your money.
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