In Anxiety and Avoidance, psychologist and anxiety disorder expert Michael Tompkins presents a universal protocol to help you cope with anxiety, panic, and fear, regardless of your particular mental health diagnosis.
Michael A. Tompkins, PhD, ABPP, is a licensed psychologist who is board certified in behavioral and cognitive psychology. He is codirector of the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy
"Anxiety and Avoidance is an excellent guide for anyone who is
anxious. Filled with self-help forms and useful tools, readers can
readily find relief by following this guide. Highly
recommended."
--Robert L. Leahy, PhD, director of the American Institute for
Cognitive Therapy, New York, and distinguished founding fellow and
diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy
"I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone who experiences
anxiety, panic, and fear to the extent that it has a detrimental
impact on their lives. Experienced psychologist Tompkins has
synthesized various approaches in an easy-to-read book, designed to
help those with anxiety learn important strategies to overcome
avoidance and feel more comfortable in anxious situations. In a
compassionate style, he shows how to deal with the heart of the
problem and how to maintain positive changes in the long term."
--Nikolaos Kazantzis, PhD, founder and director of the Cognitive
Behavior Therapy Research Unit at La Trobe University,
Australia
"In Anxiety and Avoidance, Tompkins describes tools and concepts
for overcoming anxiety that are based on the latest scientific
developments in the field, and on his many years of clinical
experience working with adults, teens, and children suffering from
anxiety's debilitating effects. Tompkins' deep understanding of
anxiety and its effective treatment shines through on every
page."
--Jacqueline B. Persons, PhD, director of the San Francisco Bay
Area Center for Cognitive Therapy and clinical professor in the
Department of Psychology at the University of California,
Berkeley
"In this user-friendly book, Tompkins helps the reader use
scientifically proven strategies to overcome problems with anxiety.
Readers will learn about how anxiety problems function, how to
select appropriate treatment targets, and how to implement
cognitive-behavioral strategies--the most effective interventions
for getting out of the anxiety cycle. Complete with lots of
worksheets and illustrative examples from beginning to end, this
book is a must for sufferers and therapists alike."
--Jonathan S. Abramowitz, PhD, professor and associate chair of
psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"Many of us have a tendency to avoid people and situations we find
unpleasant and/or emotions and bodily sensations we find
distressing. These habits of avoidance can inadvertently create
many problems for us, contributing to negative vicious cycles,
including escalations in anxiety and fluctuations in our mood. This
incredible and most practical book helps us all to develop
healthier habits and overcome avoidance, improve our motivation and
more clearly identify our goals and values. By using the skills
Tompkins provides, we can step out of the small box that many of us
live in and enjoy living the biggest and fullest versions of our
lives."
--Allison G. Harvey, PhD, professor of psychology and director of
The Golden Bear Sleep and Mood Research Clinic, University of
California
"Michael Tompkins has gathered the best of what works into a
straightforward, no-nonsense guide that will help readers to
understand why they are anxious and to develop a step-by-step plan
to beat anxiety. People with a range of anxiety-related
problems--from panic attacks to obsessive-compulsive disorder to
phobias--will get tremendous benefit from this insightful,
compassionate, and practical book."
--David F. Tolin, PhD, ABPP, author of Face Your Fears
"Research consistently shows that cognitive behavioral therapy
(CBT) is highly effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders.
With the sensibility of an experienced clinician and the clarity of
an excellent writer, Tompkins has distilled the wisdom of multiple
CBT perspectives. Anxiety and Avoidance provides therapists and
patients with a single resource that integrates empirically
validated CBT treatments. Anxiety and Avoidance synthesizes
practical and proven strategies and provides step-by-step
instructions to lead a life less impacted by fear, apprehension,
and worry."
--Dennis Greenberger, PhD, coauthor of Mind Over Mood
"This book provides a refreshingly modern perspective on anxiety,
panic, and fears. Packed with valuable exercises and drawing on
strategies from three evidence-based therapies, the book provides
readers with a variety of tools to address their difficulties in a
more effective way."
--James Bennett-Levy, associate professor at the University of
Sydney; coeditor of the Oxford Guide to Behavioral Experiments in
Cognitive Therapy and Oxford Guide to Low Intensity CBT
Interventions; and coauthor of the Oxford Guide to Imagery in
Cognitive Therapy
"Tompkins does it again! This is a wonderful book that explains the
antecedents of anxiety in clear, straightforward terms, and then
walks the reader, step-by-step, through a series of exercises aimed
at treating it. The exercises and worksheets are appropriate for
all types of anxiety symptoms, and can be personalized to fit
almost any situation. I will recommend it to all of my clients who
struggle with anxiety."
--Carol A. Mathews, MD, director at the Obsessive Compulsive
Disorders Clinic and co-director of the Anxiety Disorder Clinic in
the department of psychiatry, University of California, San
Francisco
"Tompkins has made a significant contribution to the anxiety
self-help literature. His work integrates elements from several
established cognitive and behavioral therapies and appropriately
reflects the field's growing emphasis on producing a single,
unified approach to all anxiety disorders. Most importantly,
Tompkins has translated complex terms and concepts into a language
that can be readily grasped by consumers. Individuals with a
variety of disabling fears should benefit greatly from this
user-friendly resource."
--C. Alec Pollard, PhD, director at the Center for OCD and
Anxiety-Related Disorders, Saint Louis Behavioral Medicine
Institute, and professor of family and community medicine, Saint
Louis University
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