Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological therapy. It is not a unitary approach, but instead has evolved through a range of approaches that share a common underpinning model of cognition (thought) and behaviour being important in understanding and alleviating psychological distress. While the earliest approaches focused on modifying observable behaviour, later versions emphasized cognitive processes. Most recently, the third wave approaches in CBT have moved the focus away from the content of an individual's thoughts to their relationship with their thoughts, and the processes underlying thinking. This Very Short Introduction gives an overview of what CBT is, where it came from, what it does, and when it can be used. It explores how one of the driving forces behind CBT's success and continued adaptation has been its basis in empiricism, and analyses how it must continue to evolve to meet future challenges. Looking to the future, Freda McManus also discusses how the scale of mental health problems and relative costs of traditional therapy formats have prompted investigations into alternative formats of CBT that have the potential to reach broader audiences, globally. She also considers the challenges of scale in training the workforce required to roll out such interventions, as well as those of determining the best ways of monitoring their competence and effectiveness. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Overcome fears, manage negativity and improve your life. Using the tools of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), understand your behaviour and how to change negative patterns, learn how to think differently about problematic situations, put your worries into perspective and start to feel better, achieving and exceeding your goals. Clinical psychologists Clair Pollard and Elaine Iljon Foreman offer activities to support you, stories to provide perspective and a clear framework to guide you. This Practical Guide will help you to develop effective coping strategies, so that you can think more constructively, act more calmly, and feel better about yourself. Part of the Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme.

Are we born with our fears or do we learn them? Why do our fears persist? What purpose does anxiety serve? In this Very Short Introduction we discover what anxiety is, what causes it, and how it can be treated. Looking at six major anxiety disorders, the authors introduce us to this most ubiquitous and essential of emotions.

This practical guide, based on the theory that emotional disorders are influenced by negatively biased thinking, describes how brief cognitive behaviour therapy can provide effective help to clients suffering from a wide range of disorders, including anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress, or those who are suicidal. Using illustrative case material throughout, the authors outline strategies for helping clients examine and overcome unhelpful beliefs and patterns of thought at the root of their distress. Following an explanation of brief therapy and the theory behind cognitive behaviour therapy, they describe the process of working with clients through all stages of counselling.

The rise of psychotherapy has been one of the defining features of the 20th century. In this title, Tom Burns and Eva Burns-Lundgren trace the development of psychotherapy and counselling, from its origins in Freud's psychoanalysis to the variety of different approaches on offer today.

This Very Short Introduction describes the new field of cognitive neuroscience - the study of what happens in the brain when we perceive, think, reason, remember, and act. Focusing on the human brain, Passingham looks at the most recent research in the field, the modern brain imaging technologies, and what the images can and can't tell us.

Why should modern psychotherapists be interested in philosophy, especially ancient philosophy? Why should philosophers be interested in psychotherapy? There is a sense of mutual attraction between what are today two thoroughly distinct disciplines. However, arguably it was not always the case that they were distinct. The author takes the view that by reconsidering the generally received wisdom concerning the history of these closely-related subjects, we can learn a great deal about both philosophy and psychotherapy, under which heading he includes potentially solitary pursuits such as "self-help" and "personal development".