Customer Reviews

Three Minute Therapy: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For economic reasons, I practice self help whenever I can, so self-help books appeal to me. I have lots of them, but not often do I read a book like Three Minute Therapy which began to help me from the first chapter. Reasonable thinking lies at the heart of this therapy. The simplicity of the author's technique fit right into my busy life in that I did not have to wait weeks or till midway the book to comprehend Dr. Edelstein's technique or start getting obvious results. I have compulsive shopping and anxiety, family disputes and job tensions. I started using Dr. Edelstein's simple, down to earth, rational therapy and already become aware of positive improvements in my life. I talk to my mother more affectionately now thanks to this book because I learned to accept her and not require she become my ideal. I find my work more enjoyable because of changed expectations and reduced anxiety about having to be perfect. I find play more fun, and started again on creating an office manual, now that I understand it need not be the ultimate, most perfect one. I like the new feelings I am still obtaining from this book. Socially, I feel less of a need to have absolute approval from friends, and this freedom has given me a great deal of comfort. I say feeling because my new reasonable thinking actually has benefited my emotions. These improvements I am sure came from contact with this Three Minute Therapy book. I would like to recommend it to everyone I know. Cliff Cin, San Francisco

As an author in the field of economics (a behavioral science), a lifelong student of human behavior, and after observing many friends and relatives go through months and years of psychotherapy without alleviating their psychological problems, I long ago concluded that traditional psychotherapy was an ineffective pseudoscience.

Traditional psychotherapy, popularized by Freud, is rooted in the hypothesis that psychological problems stem from early experiences. Yet months or often years of lying on a couch and dredging up the traumas and anxieties of childhood does little more than satisfy our need be heard...to have someone listen. Nor have the majority of other branches of psychotherapy been more successful. From behaviorists like Watson and Skinner to psychoanalysts like Freud, Jung, Adler and Horney, millions of hours have been invested by patients with scant evidence (at least evidence that satisfies me) that the relief of any emotional symptoms is not just a placebo effect.

Several years ago a psychologist friend introduced me to the work of Albert Ellis, the originator of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). As a cognitive-behavioral approach, REBT focuses on the here-and-now cause of your problems: your irrational thinking. Numerous studies support the efficacy of this approach for a wide range of problems: anxiety, depression, procrastination, relationship problems, and addictions.

Thanks to its clear effectiveness, cognitive-behavioral therapy is rapidly gaining favor in the field of psychology. Dr. Helen Mayberg, a senior scientist at The Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest and the Sandra A. Rotman Chair in Neuropsychiatry at the University of Toronto noted: "Anti-depressant drugs change the chemical balance in the brain through effects at very specific target sites. Cognitive behavioral therapy also changes brain activity, it's just tapping into a different component of the same depression circuit board." With CBT, patients learn to evaluate emotional provocation in their environment in a new way. They are taught cognitive strategies for reducing automatic reactivity to negative thoughts.

The Milton H. Erickson Foundation every five years since 1980 has sponsored a major conference to explore modern psychological treatments. The last one in December brought together some 9,000 psychologists along with many of the world's most celebrated living therapists. Among them, the two men who developed cognitive behavioral therapy, Dr. Albert Ellis, a psychologist in New York, and Dr. Aaron Beck, a psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania. Both speakers brought crowds to their feet.

Dr. Ellis has written a number of books on REBT, most of which I've read, but the most readable and actionable of all books on the subject is Dr. Michael Edelstein's Three-Minute Therapy: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life.

A student of Dr. Ellis, and a licensed clinical psychologist with over 25 years experience, Dr. Edelstein's book is a step-by-step guide offering the reader the practical and effective techniques of REBT for overcoming the major psychological problems of our age: addiction, depression, anxiety, anger, procrastination, and panic attacks.

As Dr. Edelstein points out on his website (www.threeminutetherapy.com), it takes significantly longer than three minutes to dislodge the many dysfunctional aspects of a troubled personality. But these clear and simple exercises will gradually eliminate psychological distress from your life.

As Dr. Ellis himself says, "Of all the books that explain REBT in simple, clear, and highly usable form, Three Minute Therapy is one of the very best." I think it is the best. If you or someone you care about is struggling with psychological distress, I strongly recommend you read one book, Three-Minute Therapy. Read it, and practice the simple, three-minute exercises. It will change your life.

John Pugsley
Founder, The Bio-Rational Institute; Chairman, The Sovereign Society.

Five stars are not enough. A book everyone should read!

I have always been suspicious of self-help books, so it was with a certain reluctance that I obtained a copy of Three Minute Therapy. I began to read it, not sure I would finish it, so strong was that initial prejudice. But I must say that I was very surprised, and my attitude gradually began to change to a staunch believer! I took the title literally, but in that too I was mistaken. Cures are not accomplished in just three minutes; only Dr. Edelstein's carefully worked out exercises take three minutes. "Practice makes perfect" is the old cliché, but using the principles of Rational, Emotive Behavioral Therapy that he presents, the exercises really do work. I read Edelstein's well-written book from cover to cover and actually tried his exercises myself. His information is worth thousands of dollars. When you read it, you'll find out for yourself!
A. J., Colorado

I ran across 3-minute therapy when I was searching the internet for a former therapist and found that he had written a favorable review of this book. Basically, the author has taken rational emotive therapy to an easy to apply formula. Unfortunately, he has left out some the important strategies for making it work; if you can figure them out on your on, as I did, you will probably appreciate what you read in this book a great deal.

Essentially, most of our problems in relationships come down to unreasonable expections and/or irrational nagative beliefs. When you find yourself in one of these stressful moments, you have to slow down and identify the erroneous thinking, change it, and then re-evaluate where you are, usually resulting in a much less emotional outcome. That's the overview of the technique. Chapters 2-9 are really just case histories that the author provides as examples. The big problem I have with all these case studies is that in every single one there is a comment like "After careful questioning, I found that Bob's fears centered around..."; the 'careful questioning' is never explained, and yet that is the most critical part of the technique! I beleive that some of these case histories should have been displaced in favor of a chapter or 2 on how to do your won 'careful questioning'.

I was surprised to see the author attacking 12-step programs. It was clear that his attack took some things way too literally and as a result it just makes the author look foolish. His book should be about his own technique and he shouldn't waste ink diminishing healing strategies that are well established as being helpful.

Three Minute Therapy is based on the tenets of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy and work by of other authors, most notably Dr. Albert Ellis. Having read many other books about CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and REBT I can say with authority that Dr. Edelstein/Dr. Steele's book offers something new to those of us who haven't quite "gotten it" until now.
Of course one has to be skeptical! Can I help myself with MY insurmountable problems in three minute increments? Well, after only a few days with his book I am buoyed and optimistic, and with good reason! Prior to ordering this book I was well on my way to becoming a recluse! After reading the book and doing only 4 three minute exercises I see my perceived "horrors" are being replaced with garden variety frustrations and strong preferences. I am working through my aforementioned "insurmountable" problems and realizing they are not insurmountable at all! Unbelievable that I am getting this much ACTUAL help from a book! What Dr. Edelstein offers that has not been offered before is the stunning news that therapy can indeed be "brief" (three minutes!!???) but totally effective! Three Minute Therapy dispells cultural myths related to therapy, myths that hold many of us back and keep the psychologist's offices cash registers clanging! If all this wasn't enough, I emailed Dr. Edelstein to thank him for writing his book. and he emailed me right back! I had included a bit of personal information about myself and he actually provided a few more specific helpful ideas for me personally! Talk about a guy who loves his work! Here is an author who is 110% committed to providing people with valuable tools for dismantling our self defeating and seemingly destructive ways. Imagine! we can make room for other things in our lives besides a steady stream of "analysis". If you are confused and don't know what to do --BUY THIS BOOK

I read this book after reading a number of Albert Ellis' book on rational emotive therapy. Three Minute Therapy goes to Ellis' basic theory on analyzing troublesome emotions and gives examples of how to determine the origin of the troublesome emotion (irrational beliefs) and change it into a useful, motivating emotion (by successfully disputing the irrational belief). Edelstein's approach to analyzing emotions is very clear, and easy to follow, and easy to do yourself. I have been able to apply his concepts to my own behavior, and to successfully defuse emotional upsetness on a regular/consistent basis. This book has given me a tool which I can use quite easily and effectively. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in understanding the emotional process, how to make emotions work for you in lieu of against you, and in learning to be critical of your behaviors without being critical of yourself. Three Minute Therapy is one of the most useful, pragmatic books I have ever read.

Dr. Edelstein has written a simple, straightforward and very helpful book here. REBT made easy. There's gold here folks! I recommend not only the book, but also Dr. Edelstein as a therapist.

One of the things I've learned from him and his wonderful book is how to get control of my unhealthy eating habits and to start exercising. I've lost 40lbs so far, and I am continuing to lose. To get help losing weight was the reason I started therapy with him, but I got so much more out of it. I only wish I had discovered this way of thinking 20 years ago. But as I have learned, it is never too late to turn your life around.

In addition to this book, I also highly recommend Albert Ellis's "A Guide To Rational Living".

Thanks Dr. E for all the help and for writing this book!

If you are truly interested in working at changing your life you will find this book outstanding.

The title should not mislead. The authors do not suggest that your anxiety, procrastination, depression, or other emotional turmoil can be resolved permanently in just three minutes. Rather, the authors Dr. Edelstein and Dr. Steele take a realistic approach and explain that human beings naturally incline toward irrational, demanding, and often self destructive thinking. If you want to feel and act significantly better and work your way out of various types of emotional pain and turmoil - you have to keep working at it. In this reviewer's opinion, most people who want to work on these things do not know how to work at it. What tool do you use to tackle common naturally occurring emotional problems like depression, anxiety, or procrastination? Enter Three Minute Therapy. The outstanding thing about this book is that the authors provide an extraordinarily useful tool - a simple three minute exercise that can be applied to vitually any area of emotional pain and turmoil that can be used time and time again throughout your life. This outstanding book provides both immediate help and long term benefits to people who take its message seriously. Once the reader understands the method and how to apply it, the analysis and correction of faulty, self-destructive thinking, requires just a few minutes as the need from time to time arises in life. This is a serious book that provides indispensible tools that will help you change your thinking and improve your life. I have twice paid out of my own pocket and purchased the book for friends.

I've just finished the book cover-to-cover, and despite the seemingly frivolous title (kind of like "Six Minute Abs") and cheap jacket design, the book is exceedingly well-written, well thought-out, and very instructive.

Basically, the idea behind a lot of our troubles (fears/worry, procrastination, overeating, anger, etc.) stem NOT from "not thinking positive enough" (the author quickly dispels this useless adage), but because we think too negatively; rather, we cling to irrational, or at least unfounded and detrimental, ideas and beliefs and "trick" ourselves into believing them.

Three-minute therapy involves identifying these irrational beliefs, actively challenging them, and then reinforcing the rational counterparts over and over again, for, you guessed it!, 3 minutes a day.

I have to say that for me, personally, it has helped me start to overcome my procrastination and overeating habits. I have yet to fully extend the philosophy to the rest of my life, but I'm anxious to do so.

Edelstein makes a few controversial statements (among them, that AA is a bunch of hogwash for alcoholics, and so is suppressed childhood trauma as the source of present-day emotional trouble), but overall he makes a strong case for a form of therapy that seems practical and highly effective.

The book is written in an informal style, and even imparts some humor. I really liked his list of some of the more ludicrous worries that some of his patients have had!!!

THREE MINUTE THERAPY is a wonderful book! It has enabled me to overcome my lifelong bouts of anxiety and depression. Two psychotherapists failed to help (although they were warm, caring people). I'm so much more confidant at work, that sometimes I feel like an entirely different person than I was before discovering this book. It's like I've emerged from the dark ages. I do the "Three Minute Exercises" regularly--a small price to pay for the deep satisfaction I'm experiencing as a result.

The concepts are explained so clearly, make much sense, and are so effective, that I wonder how my previous therapists can get away with what they're doing. THREE MINUTE THERAPY is one of those books that you're bursting to tell everyone about. It has the ring of a tract that will be useful and in demand eternally.