The Compassionate-Mind Guide to Overcoming Anxiety: Using Compassion-Focused Therapy to Calm Worry, Panic, and Fear

Anxiety is not your fault. There are many factors that contribute to developing a mind that is prone to intense anxiety, and if you have such a mind, there are many things you can do to change the way it works. Research has shown that practicing kindness and compassion soothes experiences of fear, while self-critical thoughts tend to intensify them. If you become frustrated with your anxious reactions or consistently try to talk yourself out of your anxiety, it may be time to try a different approach.

The compassion-focused therapy (CFT) based program in The Compassionate-Mind Guide to Overcoming Anxiety will help you learn to be kinder to yourself while you soothe your anxious impulses. Complete with worksheets, exercises, and meditation practices, this book includes everything you need to learn mindfulness and compassion-focused skills for redirecting your anxious thoughts and allowing yourself to enjoy a more peaceful life.

By learning to be a compassionate witness to your own pain, you will also learn to be fully present in the moment, and develop healthier, more fluid ways of responding to life's struggles. This resourceful guide aims to help you understand the nature of your anxiety, the best ways of dealing with it, and how your mind can help you cope with it.

“Writing in an informative, highly engaging manner, Tirch shares his considerable wisdom in both compassion-based practices and behavior therapy. He gives the reader practical and powerful tools for cultivating a sense of self-compassion in the face of anxiety. A genuine pleasure to read." ”

"The Compassionate-Mind Guide to Overcoming Anxiety thoughtfully addresses the experience of anxiety and is written with obvious care for the person who suffers from anxiety. Tirch's personal style and client examples bring the book to life. This is an easy-to-understand read that paves a path to self-compassion that is engaging and wise."
--Robyn D. Walser, PhD, coauthor of The Mindful Couple

"A superb introduction to a revolutionary new way of dealing with anxiety. The reader is led on a compelling exploration of how the anxious mind works, followed by masterful exercises that tap our innate capacity for comfort and healing self-compassion. Seamlessly integrating important research and extensive clinical experience, the author speaks through the pages with the wise, gentle voice of experience. Go ahead, try it and see what happens!"
--Christopher K. Germer, PhD, clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School and author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion

"Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has led the way in creating solid science-based treatments. Traditionally, CBT has been an action-oriented treatment, and that action orientation has produced a lot of benefits. More recently, CBT has begun to include more work focused on acceptance, mindfulness, and self-compassion. Dennis Tirch is a master of where CBT has been and of where CBT is going. In this book, you will find a broad contemporary understanding of anxiety and a host of very, very practical ways to come into a more compassionate relationship with anxiety. The book offers a different way of being with anxiety that will have implications in your life that extend well beyond anxiety. You can expect changes in your relationship with anxiety that offer a path to rich and engaged living."
--Kelly G. Wilson, PhD, cofounder of acceptance and commitment therapy, associate professor at the University of Mississippi, and author of Things Might Go Terribly, Horribly Wrong

"This book is an excellent resource for individuals suffering from anxiety. Using step-by-step strategies, Tirch systematically guides people to the invaluable tools they need to overcome their suffering and build a life filled with meaning. With wisdom and clarity, he shows how one can use compassion and mindfulness to face anxiety and bring about a fundamental life change. This book is truly a pleasure to read and will be an invaluable guide for anxiety sufferers."
--Lata K. McGinn, PhD, coauthor of Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Treatment Plans and Interventions for Anxiety and Depression

"Tirch writes with warmth and wisdom, as if he is speaking directly to you. He shows how compassion, mindfulness, and facing the difficulties of anxiety can bring personal growth. Filled with specific and powerful techniques, readers will find a new path to follow with a brilliant and compassionate guide. I highly recommend this book for all who suffer from anxiety."
--Robert L. Leahy, PhD, director of The American Institute for Cognitive Therapy, clinical professor of psychology at Weill-Cornell University Medical College, and author of The Worry Cure

"Writing in an informative, highly engaging manner, Tirch shares his considerable wisdom in both compassion-based practices and behavior therapy. He gives the reader practical and powerful tools for cultivating a sense of self-compassion in the face of anxiety. A genuine pleasure to read."
--Douglas Mennin, associate professor at Hunter College of The City University of New York

"Easy to read, grounded in solid research, and filled with useful exercises, this book is a godsend for those who suffer from anxiety."
--Kristin Neff, PhD, associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin and author of Self-Compassion

"Learning to treat yourself with kindness and compassion is like learning to place your feet firmly on the ground. If you are going to walk out of your struggle with anxiety, you need to regain your psychological footing, and this book will show you how. In a gentle, wise, and step-by-step way, it will help you establish self-compassion as a habit of mind and bring that healing quality to your thoughts and actions. Highly recommended."
--Steven C. Hayes, PhD, author of Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life

Dennis D. Tirch, PhD, is associate director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy, founder and director of the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and serves as adjunct assistant clinical professor at Weill-Cornell Medical College. He is coauthor of books and articles on mindfulness, acceptance, and compassion, and maintains an active research program in these areas with Robert L. Leahy. Tirch is a fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and founding co-president of the New York City chapter of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science.

Foreword writer Paul Gilbert, PhD, is a professor at the University of Derby in the United Kingdom, director of the mental health research unit at Derbyshire Mental Health Trust, founder of compassion-focused therapy, and author of The Compassionate Mind.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.