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Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is probably the mostly widely used evidence-based therapy to treat mental illness.
Mind Over Mood, written by two leading clinical psychologists from the US, is a workbook designed for patients to learn CBT skills to treat and manage depression, anxiety and many other mental health conditions.
The book provides step-by-step methods on how to analyse thought patterns, complete with worksheets which are user-friendly and laid out in a cohesive, simple way.
Practical questionnaires and exercises
There are also lots of useful questionnaires to guide you on how to use the CBT methods to overcome challenges in a pragmatic way. I liked the summary boxes at the end of each chapter, which also include mood and goal checks, which encourage positive, mindful habits to practise.
Aside from the nuts-and-bolts strategies in Mind Over Mood, four case studies are outlined, which demonstrate the effectiveness of CBT. These real-life accounts break up a lot of information in the book that would be hard to navigate and absorb otherwise.
Originally published in 1995, it’s widely reported that many clinicians have used Mind Over Mood, in conjunction with using the accompanying clinician’s guide.
Mind Over Mood is not what I would call an easy read, but instead provides strong tools to learn the proven methods of CBT. Used as part of a wider therapy with a trained mental health professional, this book could make a big difference in the journey to wellness.
Reviewed by Paulette Crowley, freelance health writer