Customer Reviews

Peaceful Mind: Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Psychology to Overcome Depression

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You might think that this is yet another book on mindfulness. Or, if you are into mindfulness based therapies, you may assume that this is yet another book that covers the "Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction" (MBSR, a la Kabat-Zinn) or "Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy" (MBCT, a la Segal, Williams and Teasdale).

In fact this book is unique, and doesn't really fit in the same mold as MBSR and MBCT.

Here's what I believe are the key elements:

1) EXCELLENT INTRO TO COGNITIVE THERAPY. I believe that this book contains an excellent introduction to cognitive therapy, and it can probably be used even if you aren't interested in mindfulness per se. McQuaid is a master instructor when it comes to cognitive therapy, and it shows in this book. He has an approach that is similar to Beck and others, but he has his own unique, helpful style. So I think this is an excellent resource for clients and clinicians. (Carmona is a well-established therapist in her own right, so I imagine that she contributed to the cognitive component of the book, too).

2) CONCISE, PRACTICAL INTRO TO MINDFULNESS. The introduction to mindfulness is simple and elegant, and (if I understand correctly) informed primarily by Carmona's long-standing mindfulness practice. The style here differs noticably from the writing styles of Kabat-Zinn, Santorelli, Segal and many others. The details of the approach are laid out in a very accessible, descriptive manner, without ambiguity. (I'm a fan of these other authors and their approaches, too. I'm simply pointing out that this book's style and feel is unique.)

3) SOME INTEGRATION OF THE COGNITIVE AND MINDFULNESS-BASED APPROACHES. If you are looking for a seamless integration of the two approaches, you might be a little disappointed. The authors do discuss the combination of the two approaches, but they do not attempt an extensive integration. I'm not sure that clients need to work hard to integrate the two approaches, so this is not a complaint. Those seeking more theory, research, or spiritual training in mindfulness will need to look elsewhere.

I've been collaborating with McQuaid for a couple years since this book was released, so I'm biased! If you are thinking about pursuing a mindfulness-based approach, it is probably best to commit to spending a certain amount of time each day to the practice. It is also advisable to find a group and mentors who can guide you along your path. You don't have to pursue this path with psychotherapists, and you don't have to spend large amounts of money to pursue this. You don't need lots of books on the topic of mindfulness, either. But make sure that you find a mentor or therapist or group or spiritual leader that you trust. I suppose that it is possible to do this work on your own (as described in Lawrence LeShan's book on meditation), but it is harder.

I am finding this book quite helpful to getting to know myself better and to have greater control over my emotional responses, or mood. The authors guide you through several approaches of specific steps you should take to get to know some of your core beliefs, which they say may be causing depression. You are free to choose the approach that works best for you, but you do need to try them all to see what works. It is quite time consuming. One of the approaches requires you to record your activities and asses your mood every hour. The instructions are clear and concice and examples provided are helpful, however it does take a true commitment. I suppose it may be fair to say that true change most often does take real work.

Unlike so many other books of this type, this one resonates with the voice of experience and the sharing of fruitful inquiry. Not smarmy, not New Age, these authors have obviously spent decades researching and testing treatments for debilitating psychological problems; they have transformed their life work into a book which reflects this. It is a relief to read a book on this topic which does not require the suspension of disbelief or any exhausting exercises to achieve the goal of greater peace of mind.

I have been meditating for a number of years but had never conceptualized my practice in the context of my moods. I am finding Peaceful Mind's simple and direct writing useful in helping me understand how I can integrate mindfulness with understanding my inner patterns. I also am an art therapist and will recommend this book to my clients, many of whom suffer with depression. The authors have provided us with a down-to-earth tool that is accessible and easy to use.

Peaceful Mind is a wonderful new sourcebook for people struggling with depression. McQuaid and Carmona present mindfulness techniques with cognitive behavioral strategies in a coherent, easy-to-use guide. Their approach is as valuable in the acute phase of depression as in the recovery period. I will recommend this book to my depressed clients.

I have to say upfront that I have read and practiced numerous methods/variations of mindfulness meditation. However, none have struck just the right chord with me.
Peaceful Mind opened up a new door for me and allowed me to deal with my obsessive thoughts with the ultimately practical tools of CBT and Mindfulness.
I can honestly say that that marriage changed my life.

Peace,
Brett

I got this book out of curiosity because it's on the Beck Institute's recommended reading list.

This book is OK if you're new to mindfulness and cognitive behavior therapy. The parts about doing activities that you find enjoyable and being with people and social skills are a nice addition to a CBT book. The writing style is a bit dry although, the organization is nice: it's not just pages of text that one has to slog through to get to the point. I does have some exercises that one could do for self discovery and maybe for topics to bring up to a therapist.


I think these books are better:

A Gradual Awakening This by far has to be the best book I've ever read about meditation and examining thoughts. The train car analogy is one of the best regarding ones thoughts!


Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated Burns covers the same (CBT) material as the 'Peaceful Mind' BUT his style is very upbeat and you walk away with hope and even though it'll take work, the depression is beatable. He's like the geeky older brother you never had that helps to feel better. Unlike the reviewed book, just reading Burns puts you in a good mood.

Another book I would add and also a Beck Institute recommendation is Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice: A Revolutionary Program to Counter Negative Thoughts and Live Free from Imagined Limitations As you apply your mindfulness, you'll see a lot of negative thoughts about yourself. I think this book is good for helping to identify them and deal with them. Many times stopping them or distraction is not good enough - contrary to what CBT teaches.


Beck Institute:
[...]

I'm not a psychologist, so my background in issue is very narrow. I've appreciated very much this volume, as it explain in a very clear manner the inner meaning of CBT and mindfulness. I owned yet the seminal work of Beck and al. on depression. In 'Peaceful Mind' you find the same concepst introduced in a delightful way. It's not an handbook for therapist, so there are no much references or footnotes. It gives as granted the acceptance of the Beck's paradigm (not in Kuhn's sense, of course...) and on it the authors envisage a well made self-therapy. It any case, for everyone interested in CBT and mindfulness is a good starting point.

I am the webowner of Mental Health Today. Primarily for those who are depressed but anyone can benefit by it. The author discusses cognitive behavior therapy and mindfulness to assist the consumer in feeling better and achieving a "peaceful mind." I am familiar witht these two modes of therapy and they are both excellent. The author does an excellent job assisting one in understanding these disorders, how they can be helpful and how to use these skills. I recommend this book to anyone to improve the quality of their life.

Well written and easy to understand. I think it would be very helpful for teens to read also because of all the coaping skills it teaches you. I highly recommend it.