3 comments about A "5" Could Make Me Lose Control! An activity-based method for evaluating and supporting highly anxious students.

1. This book is a great visual tool for students on the autism spectrum. It uses colors and numbers to help children understand their own emotions and begin to self regulate. I highly recommend it to parents and teachers.



2. Being the grandmother of an autistic boy and also a special education paraeducator, this item is a MUST HAVE! It is very hands on and
   a great visual tool. It can be used in so many different situations.
   You will not be disappointed.



3. As a school psychologist working with children with all types of social skills concerns, this book is a must. The children do not have to put things into words as they just put the item in the pocket they feel it belongs. The items are very short and can be read to the children, as well. It is so visual and concrete that a child can express what bothers him without the stress of trying to put it in words is no longer there to bother him. Students seem to really like it. I have had a couple ask to play that control game again. This was definitely worth the money.

4 comments about Anxiety Relief: Guided Imagery Exercises to soothe, Relax and Restore Balance (Guided Self-Healing Practices).

1. This CD was very soothing but I feel like I almost have it memorized now. I wish there were more exercises to relax to, on here I believe there is only 4. The only thing I didn't like about it was that he says the same thing at the beginning of each exercise. Also I was looking for something maybe with some soothing music this CD only has a little at the beginning and the end. Overall I think it was a good purchase though.



2. I'm sure what he actually says is helpful (it is!) but I found his voice so soothing it put me to sleep before I could focus on what he was saying!



3. Marty's way of introducing is very permissive and without expectation, allowing me to go at my own pace. I was recently diagnosed with cancer and sleep has not come easily and I have frequently felt myself overwhelmed. Listening to the whole CD or sections of it has been extremely helpful and grounding. Sometimes I fall asleep while listening to it. Marty's voice quality is soothing and calming. I've also given it to a few of my anxious patients who have found it helpful, and am in the position of having to order more for my office.



4. I tend to get wound up and stressed and while it's easy to say, just calm down, that's easier said than done! I like to listen to this cd in the morning before I even start my day or right before I go to sleep. Helps you not only calm down, but helps you then focus calmly on problem.

5 comments about The Road Less Traveled and Beyond: Spiritual Growth in an Age of Anxiety.

1. I have not read many of M. Scott Peck's books although they have all been highly reccomended. I got this one and it was a PERFECT PLACE TO JUMP IN FOR NEW READERS. He briefly summarizes the highlights of his works and then goes further to bring in his more recent insights. A great book.



2. Practical, level headed advice. Great psychological insights!
   
   This book would make a great gift for friends or relatives who may be searching for some understanding and meaning in their lives.
   
   I recommend this book!



3. Again M. Scott Peck has created a tool for discovering meaning in the complexity of life. There are answers to be found in the reading of this masterpiece.



4. It's true, this book is not an "easy" read. I have been stuck at some points in the book because what he said rang so true to my life. I've had to take his ideas seriously into account and review my thinking style. Which has been quite erroneous, not due to me, but to a bad upbringing. Also, being a human soul, I need to progress. So what do I do? I need to change the way I think to a more realistic way. "Know the truth and the truth will set you free". Thinking with God is now my #1 ambition.
   
   I like the real life case studies he presents from his practice as a shrink. I can relate to many of these people. They are like me in many ways ( neurotic). It has given me a new perspective on my past. In my opinion, that's all that therapy can do for you, e.g., give you new framework to view your life from. I've had a little therapy, but so far, the best way I've discovered is to learn a new way of thinking about everything. That's a lot of work and many will not go there.
   
   I like the quotes he makes from the wisdom of great thinkers. He stresses that life is complex, no way around it. No easy way of thinking either. It's not black vs white. The gray area is the reality.
   
   He delves into the world of psycho-therapy. It's hard work to face therapy and " the truth" . Often, people live like ostriches with their heads buried up to their necks in sand to escape the truths they ought to face up to.
   
   His view of the purpose of life as a training ground for learning is very interesting. I'm also reading Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life" and this ties into his thinking perfectly. We are a creation of God, we live here in His power for His purposes during our time here. The creation can't out think the creator, that's for certain. Maybe all this was covered in his earlier books, I don't know because I didn't read them.
   
   This book has been my therapist for a few weeks. It's a good thing.



5. Excellent book in a series or spiritually invigorating books. Particulary good in today's age of fear and rampant consumerism.

5 comments about The Instinct to Heal: Curing Depression, Anxiety and Stress Without Drugs and Without Talk Therapy.

1. Reading this book, reiterated a regimen I once used to follow. Taking fish oil, (as one of the procedures). Could not believe how effective it was. Here I am on one of the worst days of my menstrual cycle (usually) day 27, smiling, relaxed, and totally happy, without a care in the world. So unusual is that for me. This book has a few other solutions such as excercise and acupuncture, and one of them is bound to work for you as well. Thanks David Servan-Schreiber, for writing this book!



2. This is a great book on depression, stress and anxiety. I had a little "baby blues" after my first child was born, so I checked this book out from the library. I liked it so much that I bought it for reference and to lend out to my friends and family. It is full of very good information on depression, and the examples are very interesting. It reads slowly at first because it is so dense with information and new ideas, but if you can get through the first 100 pages, it moves a lot faster. It seems like we all know someone who suffers from these problems, and we all have them ourselves from time to time. I recommend this book without inhibition to anyone interested in the subject.



3. When a member of our book club picked this for our discussion, I was less than enthusiastic. Oh, another one of those, I thought. Then, as a loyal member, I started to read and was amazed. Well documented scientifically, extremely well written and eye-openning. The Instinct to Heal is an invitation to a way of looking at alternative ways of managing both physical and mental health that even nay-sayers can enagage with. Well worth a read.



4. This book gives both an excellent scientific basis (the author is an MD and a neuroscientist) for how emotions work and an excellent roadmap for how to gain emotional wellness through the physical self (attention to certain dietary aspects, exercise, and Eastern practices, along with the author's special technique of EMDR.) This book is easy to read and understand, with excellent practical advice. It is refreshing to get advice from a Western doctor that is not just about pill-pushing! The ideas and goals in the book are attainable by everyone.



5. This is a wonderful book for health practitioners and also people who experience depression. This book is full of alternative options to explore the mind and body.

5 comments about Tapping the Healer Within : Using Thought-Field Therapy to Instantly Conquer Your Fears, Anxieties, and Emotional Distress.

1. My job requires me to speak in front of large groups of people at one time and I would get so sick to my stomach that I knew I'd either have to do something about it or get a different job. I ordered this book and what a difference it made in my life. It's easy to follow, no tricks involved and it really took the edge off and I was able to talk more comfortably in front of people. I also travel for work and flying always makes me extremely nervous but when you learn how to tap, you can learn how to calm yourself down and keep your fears at bay. It basically works like this. Prior to tapping you need to be in a state of feeling whatever fear, anxiety, etc that has control over you when it's happening. You can visualize this state of emotion or the best way is if it's actually happening so you truly are in that real state of emotion. You grade that feeling on a scale of 1-10, the higher the number the greater the feeling the lesser the number the lesser the feeling. Than you use the tapping techinque's (there are a variety of tapping techinque's depending on what your issue is) and than ask yourself again after you perform the tapping on a scale of 1-10 how you feel about the issue. This is where you will see the number decrease. I performed this on my boyfriend who faints at the sight of blood and he went from 10 to 6 and than down to 3. Amazing.



2. The must-have book for healers and therapists. Forget Brief Therapy...this one gets results using cutting-edge concepts that escape many practitioners stuck in the Old Paradigm medical model. Roger Callahan's TFT approach offers genuine relief of symptoms and old issues which cause distress in a simple, but NOT simplistic manner. It is a miracle, and this book is a user-friendly manual that anyone can use effectively. As a former marriage counselor and family therapist, I appreciate jargon-free solutions that really help! Anyone with any kind of pain can benefit from using the methods offered here. A self-help book that really helps!



3. Whether this works as the author claims, or whether it's one of those "we don't know why it works, it just does" (imho the more likely explanation) sort of things, it doesn't hurt to try the program, and you are only out the price of the book.
   
   That said, this book is very repetitive (it is about 50 pages too long) and plodding. It should have come with a CD of the instructions for each tapping sequence, which would make it much easier to use.



4. Easy reading and detailed instructions. Written for emotional distress, but I use it for physical pain and it works. I first read it from the local library and followed the instructions and was surprised it alleviated the physical pain. I suffer from fibromyalgia and sometimes even Tylenol doesn't work. One treatment does not necessarily work for life but takes little time to repeat. Great book for those seeking answers in alternative medicine.



5. It's a brilliant book, very simple and easy to use technique (it actually works), which wipes the whole psychiatric establishment of the table! Do not bother going to university and study CBT, get involved in this!

2 comments about Mastery of Your Anxiety and Worry: Workbook (Treatments That Work).

1. At the request of my counselor, I purchased this workbook, and can I tell you how much it helped me master my anxiety. It's not a "block the anxiety" kind of book. Instead, the authors give you exercises to work with your anxiety - let it become part of you without tearing you apart.



2. My major HMO in Northern California uses this book for at least one of its overcoming anxiety classes. This workbook breaks down the symptoms and thinking errors that cause anxiety into simple, easy to understand chapters. Each chapter builds upon the previous one, so it is important to do the exercises in each chapter before progressing to the next chapter. It is a workbook, and it will require work. However, the work required will be worth it. This text helped me to finally understand my feelings and gave me very valuable techniques to employ to reduce the anxiety episodes I was having. I highly recommend this workbook to anyone struggling with anxiety !

5 comments about Up and Down the Worry Hill: A Children's Book about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and its Treatment.

1. As a clinician specializing in the treatment of OCD, I highly recommend this book as a resource to clinicians and families with a child with OCD. I've used in in my practice and found it to be a wonderful resource. Clinicians can buy several copies and loan them out to their clients or recommend that their clients get this book.
   
   Larina Kase, PsyD, http://www.TheSuccessfulTherapist.com



2. The book was OK but not great.
   
   It was overly simplistic and not too meaninful for a teenager or parent. It really only skimmed one aspect of OCD, compulsion, and did not address at all the cause of the compulsion, obsessions.
   
   May be more meaningful to younger children...



3. We were told by a Doctor, who hadn't even met my son, that he thought my son may have OCD. He was referred to the Child Mental Health offices in our local town and there was a 14 month waiting list! I decided to see what I could do as a Parent and I bought this book. I left it on the table and my son picked it up and read it - his initial reaction was "do you think I have OCD", I replied by telling him that I was interested in the subject as I didn't want to label his condition. Since reading the book he has come along leaps and bounds and his teachers said there has been a remarkable improvement in his confidence and his anxiety has gone!



4. We got this book the weekend my kids were going to their grandparents. I read it on the way to their house and it captivated their attention, both of them (ages 3 & 5). They listened to every single word intently and quietly. They loved the story of the boy and riding his bike up and down the worry hill. It is quite long though and my voice got a litte sore reading aloud for so long. At the end of the book, my son asked, "mommy who's book is that?" and I said "It's yours". He asked if he could write in it. The pages are black and white pictures like a coloring book. I told him he could color the pictures but not to color over the words so that I would be able to keep reading it to them. Unfortunately at Nana & Papa's house there was an accident involving water and the book so only half the book made it back. The cover was torn off and everything. I was so mad! I will probably re-order the book just because he enjoyed it so much.



5. I'm the mother of an 8-year old daughter diagnosed with OCD. This book opened up new doors for us in treating this disorder. It has been perfect for her, and she actually wants to sit down with me to read it. I believe that giving her obsessions/rituals an actual name and introducing her to a child who struggles with similar issues is a major step in our road to living triumphantly over OCD. I strongly recommend What to Do When your Child has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder to go along with it--I ordered both and, along with my Bible, they have a home right next to my bed and already have worn pages!

No comments about The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook: Proven, Step-by-Step Techniques for Overcoming Your Fear.

5 comments about Calming Your Anxious Mind: How Mindfulness & Compassion Can Free You from Anxiety, Fear, & Panic.

1. it deffinatley helped me out however I found that alot of the information and phrases are used over and over again through out the boook which made it boring to read . I baught this book because its foreworded by Jon Kinn but it did not have his style. I also did not like the cheap white paper its printed on , it feels like a cheap copy that somone made at home with a photocopy mahcine.



2. This is the Second Edition of this book; one I've been waiting for for a while. I saw the first edition of this book when it was loaned to me by a staffer at a "facility" I found myself in a while back and to say it helped me save my life would be a severe understatement. The simple concept of Mindfulness struck me like a ton of bricks. This is not a book to borrow from your friendly local library, this is a book to get and hold. A book to change your life. Very readable, almost a fun read, were it not doing so much change to my anxious mind in the process. Buy this book, read it, live it and get rid of that pesky anxious mind you've been living with all these stress laden years. It really does help make life fun again!



3. Jeffrey seems earnest in his desire to help others which makes for an inviting read. His book touches a bit on some modern trends in psychology then ties those learnings to the Buddhist concept of mindfulness gained through meditation. If you want to get the benefits of mindfulness without having to learn or agree with some of the other principles of Buddhism this is a fine book. Unlike Eckhart Tolle, who has recently put out a best seller covering much of the same ground, Jeffrey's book is for people that want less wo wo and more substance in addition to instruction on how to get on the right path. I believe the best book I have read on this subject is still, "Mindfulness in Plain English" by Gunaratana. If you could only buy and read one I suggest Gunaratana. If you have time to read both then read both. In fact read many, along with your practice of course.



4. this is a great book for the layman and it has helped me understand things about depression and already feeling better



5. This book is great. I love Brantley's style. He makes the information easy to digest and interesting to read. Best of all he shares personal stories along the way wherein HE USES HIS OWN MEDICINE: I especially liked the hot air balloon ride!
   thank you Brantley-

4 comments about Treatment Plans and Interventions for Depression and Anxiety Disorders.

1. A great many books have been written about cognitive therapy, but few are as useful to the cognitive practitioner as this book by Robert Leahy and Stephen Holland. It is a book that is remarkable for its scholarship and distilled years of clinical acumen, and clinicians, graduate students, and psychiatrists in training will find it practical beyond measure. I am a great admirer of Leahy and Holland's previous work, and this new effort has exceeded my own heightened expectations for such a volume. The book is a compendium of information that is valuable beyond measure, and makes a profound claim on the attention of all serious cognitive therapists, and those who are in training to learn cognitive therapy. The book is also likely to attract a wide audience among teachers of cognitive therapy courses in graduate and medical schools, and internship and residency programs. Among the particular glories of this excellent book are that the reader gets easy and immediate access to "state of the art" treatments for depression and anxiety disorders, detailed treatment plans, a CD that allows printable forms for patients and therapist, a detailed list of cognitive therapy interventions, and medication charts. The book is a first rate summary of knowledge about disorders and their treatments, synthesized into usable form by two master cognitive therapists, and so it is likely to be of great value to clinicians, graduate students, and psychiatrists in training. Thus, the book by Leahy and Holland is key reference work that serious cognitive practitioners will want for their libraries, and that both experienced and novice therapists can find helpful.

   John H. Riskind, Ph.D. Center for Cognitive Therapy of Northern Virginia (NOVA) Fairfax, VA and Professor of Psychology George Mason University Fairfax, VA 22030




2. I am a second year MSW student who works in a mental health clinic. I have found this book to be extremely helpful and practical in the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders. My supervisor even purchased a copy of this book after she saw my work. Clients respond well to the interventions suggested, and they feel like they are finally being understood. It also forces the worker to be thorough in their work.



3. Essential material and systematic paths of therapy by the experts' experts.
   Dr. Leahy is simply the best in his field. And it is a very important field indeed.
   Thank you for this book.



4. I wish that I had found this text years earlier. I especially liked the CD that accompanied the book.