Cognitive Therapy: Principles and Practice Applied in Professional and Personal Life

Cognitive Therapy: Principles and Practice Applied in Professional and Personal Life is designed to help practicing clinicians employ cognitive therapy both with their clients and within their own lives to build self-awareness and foster happiness and emotional wellbeing. By taking ownership of the cognitive therapy model, the text posits that clinicians can better assist their patients in the treatment of severe emotional disturbances. The book is divided into two sections. In Section I, readers learn the core concepts of cognitive therapy and strategies to help them explain the cognitive paradigm to clients. Subsequent chapters address the power and functionality of human emotion, the difficulty of changing irrational beliefs, and the need to recognize and reshape different types of distorted thinking. In Section II, practitioners learn how to help clients experiencing cognitive distortions due to stress, anxiety, shame, guilt, the need for approval, anger, and depression. Each chapter includes clear and effective Directives for Practitioners, exercises to encourage self-reflection and personal application, key takeaways, and a list of additional resources. Approachable, personal, and highly applicable, Cognitive Therapy is an ideal text for courses on cognitive therapy and any clinician who wants to help clients better understand the innate power they hold over their own emotional wellbeing. Richard Parsons is a professor of counselor education at West Chester University and has over 37 years of experience in teaching counselor preparation programs. He has had a private clinical practice for over 40 years, working with those experiencing debilitating anxiety, depression, and other challenges to emotional wellbeing. Dr. Parsons also serves as a consultant to educational and mental health institutions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. He has authored or co-authored over 90 books, book chapters, and professional articles. Dr. Parsons earned his master's and doctoral degrees from Temple University.