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Self Help Books

Below are a number of self help books that we regularly recommend alongside individual therapy. Most of these books are based on a new and exciting psychotherapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which is described as the third wave in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.

The Happiness Trap, (Russ Harris)

The Happiness Trap is a unique and empowering self-help book – now published in 30 countries and 22 languages – that will enrich your life and fundamentally transform the way you handle difficult thoughts and painful feelings. The title reflects a key theme in the book: popular ideas about happiness are misleading or inaccurate, and will make you miserable in the long term, if you believe them.

Get out of your Mind and into your life, (Steve Hayes)

This work features step-by step mindfulness and acceptance exercises for effective relief from emotional pain. This book develops acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a revolutionary and exciting new direction in psychotherapy, into step-by-step exercises that readers can use to get relief from emotional pain. Written by ACT’s founding theorist, it offers a self-help programme proven to be effective for coping with a range of problems, from anxiety to depression, eating disorders to poor self-esteem.

Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety, (Forsyth & Eifert)

Many have struggled too long to control the symptoms of anxiety, only to find fear, shyness and worry creeping back into their lives the minute they let down their guard. The bottom line is that most efforts to “control” or “get rid of” anxiety simply don’t work. This book focuses on finding an alternative way of relating to symptoms of anxiety; from an accepting and compassionate stance. The focus is to move towards a valuable life.

The Worry Trap (Lejeune)

This book works on creating an accepting stance with your anxiety and focusing on the unhelpful impact it is having on your life. It helps you look at ‘what works’ and how to pursue what you want in life.

The Mindful way Through Depression (Williams & Teasdale)

A workbook that follows an 8 week programme. It is designed to help individuals overcome the cycles of depression by finding new ways to approach their feelings with acceptance and compassion, whilst pursuing a life they value.