Treating Stress and Anxiety

Treating Stress and Anxiety: A Practitioner's Guide to Evidence-Based Approaches provides clinicians and therapists with a practical guide to evidenced-based techniques that help reduce stress and anxiety as well as enhance quality of life. The techniques discussed are aimed at helping clinicians deliver best practice treatments to individuals and groups with anxiety and stress related issues, as well as those who would generally benefit from building up their emotional resilience.This manual will be invaluable to a wide variety of professionals including psychologists, psychiatrists, medical practitioners, mental health workers, and social workers. The language is straightforward in order to assist practitioners in passing their knowledge on to their clients easily and effectively. The chapters and exercises are provided in an easy-to-use format and include handouts and worksheets for clients for the management of stress and anxiety and the treatment of anxiety disorders. A CD accompanies the book from which these worksheets can be printed.''This is a practitioners guide that is based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques to aid therapists and clinicians provide practical and effective treatments for stress and anxiety management.It is a very direct and clear-cut manual. Every chapter deals with a specific topic, such as ‘maintaining emotional health' and ‘the impact of thoughts on stress and anxiety' amongst others. Each has very articulate and easy to read explanations, suggested treatment plans and exercises, handouts and worksheets for clients to use. In fact the book comes with a CD containing the handouts and worksheets so you don't even have to type them out – simply pop the CD into your PC and away you go!There is also a brilliant audio CD containing 15 relaxation techniques and exercises with clear and uncomplicated instructions before each track. This is a great accompaniment to the book and I would recommend that you buy both the book and the CD to get the full benefits.''Terri Bodell FNACHP''Treating Stress and Anxiety: A Practitioner's Guide to Evidence-Based Approaches is a guide for clinicians and therapists to evidence-based cognitive behavioral techniques that can help reduce patients' stress and anxiety, as well as enhance their overall quality of life. Chapters discuss basic emotional health maintenance (including watching one's diet, engaging in regular exercise, getting sufficient sleep, and properly managing time), relaxation and breathing exercises, confronting fears, tips for managing persistent harmful thoughts, preventing relapses, and much more. ''When an individual is particularly vulnerable or experiencing severe ongoing stress, they may often be in crisis. When in a crisis state, it is very difficult to maintain work towards longer term goals and to try new and challenging tasks. It can be helpful to develop a list of simple and effective strategies to alleviate distress in times of crisis, and therefore minimise the impact of ongoing crises... It is wise to consider attempting several distress management strategies when confronted with a crisis. It may also be helpful to involve supportive people and relevant agencies when planning for crisis management.'' Included with the text is a CD-ROM of useful client handouts and worksheets. A superb, easy-to-follow, highly practical manual for treatment professionals.'' The Midwest Book Review - May 2008 Issue''Treating Stress and Anxiety by Lillian Nejad and Katerina Volny is a book that should be on the desk of every practitioner who works with adults experiencing stress, anxiety, phobias, or PTSD. The book provides treatment plans and goals for the practitioner, as well as a variety of educational client handouts (in PDF file format) contained on a CD. The files are ready for the practitioner to print out for each client as needed (Adobe Reader is the software you need on your computer).''Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D., Springfield, VA.''This is a wonderfully practical book that the authors have provided on a subject that we, as therapists, encounter frequently. As such, it is not a book of hypnotherapeutic techniques but is a book of useful techniques that we all need to know and can incorporate into our ‘grab bag of skills'.The CD accompanying the book enables the printing of the handouts to be simple and accurate.The initial overview covers the discussion of confidentiality with the client, the assessment and setting of realistic treatment goals and risk assessment regarding suicidal thoughts, mood disorders and coping mechanisms. Extensive handouts and worksheets are excellent. The chapters covering the treatment for anxiety disorders provide a wealth of useful information and strategies for maintaining emotional health, the impact of thoughts on stress and anxiety and a range of relaxation exercises including using the breath to ease away the discomfort. Communication styles are discussed, substance abuse and much more.A group programme over eight weeks, complete with the handouts and worksheets, is set out clearly and there are helpful tips regarding the group structure that a therapist would find most useful.''- Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists' Newsletter, August 2008''The book is distinguished by its clear, accessible language, intuitive organization, and, best of all, client handouts that are among the best I have seen. The authors present information and techniques found mostly in cognitive-behavioral approaches, with a little mindfulness thrown in, that have been found effective in clinical trials. Readers wanting a detailed review of relevant studies, however, will not find it here. Rather, the aim of the writing is to be psycho-educational, practical, and straightforward enough that clients as well as therapists can grasp the concepts presented.''- Reviewed by Marcia McCabe in the American Psychological Association Review of Books, November 2008.“What a great book and very well written by two very experienced professionals. The inclusion of client worksheets and handouts to support the therapy is an excellent idea.- Brian Manship, Waltec Coaching