Summary
Mathew Mckay, Martha Davis, and Patrick Fanning in Thoughts & Feelings: Taking Control of Your Moods and Your Life present an easy-to-read book that gives direction on the areas of life interests. It also gives a number of suggestions on the tools, techniques, and resources to shape ones thoughts and emotions.
The book advances to assist readers discover new approaches to dealing with depression and anxiety. It offers new skills to assist the reader to rout out anxiety and other problems related to ones thoughts and feelings. The explanation on perfectionism touches on self-criticism written on paper and subsequent analysis of the figures. In essence, one is always unable to understand himself without involving other people.
Although the exercise may lead to uncovering automatic thoughts, and controlling worry, it lacks stress inoculation. One requires strong communication skills to endure all circumstances in life. The communication enables one to establish a better relationship that keeps one happy and more successful in life. The authors concentrate on addressing the problem of failing to listen keenly.
As such, one has to learn to have accomplished listen abilities and skills, make information known in ways that express the main idea clearly. Ability to pass information from one person to another with poise, tact, and assertiveness is covered in a systematic format. The book offers a thorough guide to cognitive behavioural therapy. It presents a way of handling depression through analysis of human behaviour and then gives ways of restructuring their thinking.
Introduction
Personal development through a self-guided improvement is not an easy task. Improvement in oneself involves the development in economic, intellectual, and emotional. Many people have an interest in understanding self-esteem issues, learning to handle anger, overcoming anxiety, building long lasting friendships, and handling depression.
Mathew Mckay, Martha Davis, and Patrick Fanning in Thoughts & Feelings: Taking Control of Your Moods and Your Life present an easy-to-read book that gives direction on the areas of interests in self-development. It also gives a number of suggestions on the tools, techniques, and resources to shape ones thoughts and emotions. The authors reveal pertinent information that act as future reference for practitioners and clients.
The book advances to assist readers discover new approaches to dealing with depression and anxiety. It offers new skills that assist the reader to rout out anxiety and other problems related to thoughts and feelings. The book proves to be useful in dealing with restlessness, fatigue, difficulty in concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance. Again, people having therapeutic problems can get essential guidance from this book.
Shortcomings
Mathew Mckay, Martha Davis, and Patrick Fanning in Thoughts & Feelings: Taking Control of Your Moods and Your Life present their approach, which makes me conclude they have some inadequacies. They approach perfectionisms in the way that no human being may find it possible to achieve, not to mention of its difficulty.
The explanation on perfectionism touches on self-criticism written on paper and subsequent analysis of the figures. In essence, one is always unable to understand himself without involving other people. Although the exercise may lead to uncovering automatic thoughts, and controlling worry, it lacks stress inoculation.
For instance, a person with panic disorder may find it impossible to use this approach to gain courage. On the other hand, the procedures given are long and involve many tasks before achieving the desired goal. This is because each chapter involves reading, reviewing, and practicing which seems impractical. As such, to be effective, one requires having a therapist to follow up the patient’s progress from one chapter to another.
Criteria
One requires strong communication skills to endure all circumstances in life. The communication enables one to establish a better relationship that keeps one happy and more successful in life. Rewarding and lucrative jobs, strong and lasting relationships, worthwhile and satisfying romance are beneficial in enhancing human ability to live successfully.
Self-help initiatives are enhanced under a mutual understanding that is enabled through communication. Communication helps one develop remarkable information and practice as a skill and propulsion to success in social interactions as well as the intellectual. The authors have presented a realistic approaching in defining the results earned.
However, possibilities of not attaining the expected results are not excluded. Thus, the authors exercise professionalism and truthfulness as they give the fundamental skills and the original messages. The tools offered are extensive and intensive to help in expressing ones idea clearly and associate with others effectively.
The book advances to illustrate the tools of communication when dealing with different age groups like children, teens to adults. Furthermore, they enhance partner comprehension and exploring gender communication variances. Systematic worksheets and case study analysis and information will facilitate understanding the techniques while reducing communication pitfalls. The authors present the guidelines in a fundamental manner that handles the challenging communication situations.
As such, the individual gains experience in handling a conversation with a senior staff or a subordinate or someone of an older age. As such, one has to learn to have devoted listen abilities and skills, make information known in ways that express the main idea clearly. Ability to pass information from one person to another with poise, tact, and assertiveness is covered in a systematic format.
Opinion
The book proved to be intriguing with the best combination of description, cohesion, and topic coverage. The systematic techniques he used to tackle the problems portrayed expertise and professionalism in the area of study. Again, the book is easily accessible and comprehensible making the techniques and tools provided easier to apply in the real life.
Today I count much success for I have known to approach different individuals in different circumstances in a way that yields a fruitful conversation. In essence, not only have I gained the skill and ability to speak out, but rather, I have a deep understanding that excellent listening skills are essential in any communication.
Conclusion
Mathew Mckay, Martha Davis, and Patrick Fanning have written an extensive and intensive book giving tips on using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to handle serious problems associated with feelings, panic disorder, phobias, and stress.
The book offers a through guide to CBT to depression through analysis of people behaviour and gives ways of how readers can restructure their thinking. Again, the authors present their a strategic approach to improve relationships and personal efficiency by understanding body language, self-esteem, sexual communication, social interaction, aggressiveness, negotiation, and active listening.
The authors also offer a thoroughly researched book as a guide for any individual wishing to communicate more effectively. As such, I would prefer if my classmates, and other friends yearning for an effective guide on self-help to use this book. For therapists, the book is of the immense contribution as a guide in structuring and training clients to have excellent communication skills.
Reference
McKay M, Martha D, & Fanning P (2007). Thoughts & Feelings: Taking Control of Your Moods and Your Life. London: New Harbinger Publications.