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darrellmccauley 's review for:
Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts: A CBT-Based Guide to Getting Over Frightening, Obsessive, or Disturbing Thoughts
by Sally M. Winston, Martin N. Seif
Personal Commentary
The best lies have just enough beef to hold the baloney together (paraphrased quote from my friend Steve Mielke).
Several years ago I learned about dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT) for a family member in crisis. With an open mind, some parts made sense while others, mainly the Buddhist parts, violated my faith. My first impression of this book on cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) leaves me feeling much the same way. While validation is important, condoning aberrant, sinful behavior is never the right thing to do.
The author acknowledges the role Christian faith plays in her readers' lives (without so many references to other faiths) but does not see the Bible as the infallible word of God. As such, there are two key issues with this book: (1) It does not acknowledge that some of the unwanted intrusive thoughts could be the Holy Spirit; and (2) it actively condones some aberrant sexual behavior (ignore those voices and warning bells in your head) while condemning others (you probably need to see a therapist if that's what you are thinking). So, while I might suggest CBT to some people in certain situations, I would not recommend this particular book to someone in crisis, especially young people without a fully-formed identity.
With that grain of salt, this book provides some introductory treatment to those who have not pondered Martin Luther’s quote:
If you have a firm grasp of the spiritual warfare tactic expressed by that analogy, then this book can help to identify some bad thinking patterns. I've seen these patterns, both in others' and my own mind.
As with many other books on therapy techniques, it provides an understanding of just enough brain theory (amygdala and flight-flight-freeze responses) so that the reader can understand when executive functioning is impaired. The author provides many examples to help the reader identify specific patterns before outlining a few tools to use. These tools require practice and reinforcement to be truly effective.
As with DBT, this CBT-based approach to retraining your brain is best consumed alongside spiritual counseling. Without the latter, you may be left with more confusion over some issues.
The best lies have just enough beef to hold the baloney together (paraphrased quote from my friend Steve Mielke).
Several years ago I learned about dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT) for a family member in crisis. With an open mind, some parts made sense while others, mainly the Buddhist parts, violated my faith. My first impression of this book on cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) leaves me feeling much the same way. While validation is important, condoning aberrant, sinful behavior is never the right thing to do.
The author acknowledges the role Christian faith plays in her readers' lives (without so many references to other faiths) but does not see the Bible as the infallible word of God. As such, there are two key issues with this book: (1) It does not acknowledge that some of the unwanted intrusive thoughts could be the Holy Spirit; and (2) it actively condones some aberrant sexual behavior (ignore those voices and warning bells in your head) while condemning others (you probably need to see a therapist if that's what you are thinking). So, while I might suggest CBT to some people in certain situations, I would not recommend this particular book to someone in crisis, especially young people without a fully-formed identity.
With that grain of salt, this book provides some introductory treatment to those who have not pondered Martin Luther’s quote:
“You cannot keep birds from flying over your head but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.”
If you have a firm grasp of the spiritual warfare tactic expressed by that analogy, then this book can help to identify some bad thinking patterns. I've seen these patterns, both in others' and my own mind.
As with many other books on therapy techniques, it provides an understanding of just enough brain theory (amygdala and flight-flight-freeze responses) so that the reader can understand when executive functioning is impaired. The author provides many examples to help the reader identify specific patterns before outlining a few tools to use. These tools require practice and reinforcement to be truly effective.
As with DBT, this CBT-based approach to retraining your brain is best consumed alongside spiritual counseling. Without the latter, you may be left with more confusion over some issues.