Product Description

This book presents an innovative eight-session program designed to prevent relapse in clients who have recovered from depression.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30917 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 351 pages

Review
'This is a courageous book and the kind psychology needs ... This is a story written with honesty and humility.' - Comtemporary Psychology APA Review of Books

From the Back Cover
This book presents an innovative eight-session program designed to prevent relapse in clients who have recovered from depression. Integrating cognitive therapy principles and practice into a mindfulness framework, the approach has been proven effective in controlled clinical research. The authors demonstrate how to teach clients to make a simple but radical shift in their relationship to the thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations that contribute to depressive relapse. This shift can help prevent sadness from spiraling out of control. Written in a highly readable, accessible style, the book describes the theoretical basis for the approach and details each of the structured group sessions. It offers practical information on how to duplicate the program, including session curricula, samples of participant handouts, and numerous case examples and session transcripts.

Customer Reviews

revolutionary!
A truly excellent book. Aimed at the therapist/clinician but explains the background sufficiently to be used as a self-help book by a motivated and/or educated sufferer. Merges Eastern meditative practices with traditional cognitive therapy to produce a sensible, accessible, life-changing approach to preventing depressive relapse. Others will follow in these authors' footsteps. A book that everybody involved with mental health or who has suffered depression should read.

Another Positive book from CBT Psychologist's
As this book is aimed at professionals I was very weary of buying it. There is always the fear that such books will pay too much heed to genetics and so become very depressing. Fortunately, the authors tend to believe that environment, upbringing, and the attitudes we hold are the main triggers of depression and this can be overcome using cognitive behavour therapy (CBT).

As an example of their optimism compare the two views here, one from mainstream psychiatry the other from the authors of the above book. Biopsychiatry tends to believe that everytime a depression strikes, the brain becomes more damaged and therfore more vulnerable to depression ( if this is true then a good dose of fish oil - best taken as pure EPA - will put it right, but a lot of psychiatrists won't tell you that). The authours of this book have an alternative view: when depression strikes we learn how to think depressively, and this learned behaviour, plus the memories of our previous depression, can mean we think negatively more readily when we come under stress again in the future. The authors are very enthusiastic that mindlefness cognitive therapy techniques can break these habitual detrimental thought patterns.

Mindfullnes CBT techniqes are also be used to pick up negative thoughts before they trigger a depression. It seems that although many people get well from depression using CBT, there may be a relapse when negative thoughts get through unnoticed.

I have always been interested in meditation and so this book greatly appealed to me. I have also found it to be a very optimistic book and so it has become part of my armoury to help me overcome my own chronic depression.

fantastic book on mindfulness - sold short on it's link with depression - can help with so much more.
fantastic book on mindfulness - sold short on it's link with depression - can help with so much more.
Of course this book is great for anyone suffering depression - although the emphasis is on preventing relapse as opposed to cure or even treatment during an episode. The same mechanisms operate in anxiety, discontent and all manner of frustration intolerance. I would recommend to anyone - mindfulness will give great benefits to those who aren't suffering from any malady - it's not just a retroactive treatment - it's prevention and even actualization as well. I would also recommend HOW TO LIVE IN THE HERE AND NOW by Paul Jones.
How to Live in the Here and Now: A Guide to Accelerated Enlightenment, Unlocking the Power of Mindful Awareness