Customer Reviews

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Mental Health Care

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This is a very thorough introduction to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It supplies the reader with an overview of the origins of the approach (as formulated by Dr Aaron T Beck) before going on to describe in detail how it might be applied in a wide variety of situations.

The book is to be commended for its clarity and detail, but unfortunately it is let down by an almost evangelical zeal for CBT. Reading this book made me think of a certain novelty song from the 1960s ("Lilly the Pink"), because CBT is effectively promoted as a "medicinal compound" which is "most efficacious in every case"! If this text is to be believed, CBT offers THE solution for people with anxiety, depression, violent tendencies, borderline personality disorder, delusions/hallucinations - and much more besides!

In fairness, some criticisms of CBT are addressed, such as the fact that the systems for assessing evidence-based approaches (like CBT) are not value-free, and therefore don't achieve the standards espoused by the scientific method. Another concern is that some individuals undergoing CBT might see it as judgmental, condemning the way they think as inadequate (as well as their behaviors), and thus contributing to a lack of self-esteem. Unfortunately, all such concerns are quickly (or not-so-quickly) minimized and swept away.

Despite some reservations, I recommend this book. It is invaluable for anyone wishing to master CBT techniques at an introductory to intermediate level - or for anyone else who just wants to learn about how the approach works. However, readers should not let the authors persuade them to "buy into" CBT unquestioningly.

(Incidentally, I studied this book while working towards a diploma qualification in CBT - I am not, however, a CBT practitioner.)