Add these CBT books to your shelf to support your clients on their mental health journeys.
If you practice cognitive behavioral therapy, then you know the impact of helping your clients recognize how their thoughts can affect their emotions and behaviors. This evidence-based treatment modality can help clients with many symptoms and presentations, and it can be applied in a variety of ways.
CBT books serve as helpful resources to support your understanding of cognitive behavioral therapy, so you can improve your therapeutic skills and support your clients on their mental health journeys. If your client is open to learning and growing outside of therapy, then you may also occasionally recommend books to them, too.
Want to grow your library of CBT books, but not sure where to start? Below, five of the best CBT books to help you better serve your clients.
"Don’t Believe Everything You Think" by Joseph Nguyen
One of the core principles of CBT is learning to question and reframe thoughts — in other words, to learn not to believe everything you think. This best-selling book highlights the relationship between thoughts and emotional suffering, providing insights that can help therapists better understand symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions.
“When we’re in a spiral of cognitive distortions, we want to gain some distance from the thought so we can challenge it and reframe it, which is the crux of CBT,” says psychotherapist Maddie Tong, Headway’s senior associate of clinical education.
"The Art of Letting Go" by Nick Trenton
When your clients are stuck in a negative thought spiral, this book can be a resource for helping them let go of unhelpful narratives that may be contributing to anxiety or depression and instead refocus on situations they have control over. “I have a few clients who love this book,” says Tong. “Along with negative spirals, it works with overthinking and releasing thought patterns and beliefs that no longer serve us.”
"Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Basics and Beyond" by Judith S. Beck
If you’re looking for a manual to improve your CBT skills, Tong recommends this popular book by clinician and researcher Judith S. Beck. A blend of case studies and skill-building tips, this manual demonstrates how to engage clients, plan treatment, structure sessions, and implement core CBT techniques. The third edition of the book has a companion website with downloadable CBT worksheets and videos of therapy sessions.
"Mind Over Mood" by Dennis Greenberger and Christine Padesky
From helping manage panic attacks and phobias to working through relationship problems, guilt, and shame, this book provides CBT-focused steps for overcoming emotional distress and feeling calmer and more confident in everyday life. “This book empowers us to work with our thoughts and not against them in a really supportive, helpful way,” says Tong. “It also includes great exercises you can do with clients or on your own.” If you’d like more information about how to implement the book’s framework with therapy clients, check out The Clinician’s Guide to CBT Using Mind Over Mood.
"Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" by David M. Burns
For many individuals living with challenging mental health symptoms, taking steps to get better can feel overwhelming. This book, first released in 1999, aims to demystify the process of developing a more positive outlook. This book has become a classic for a reason: It applies tried-and-true CBT framework in an understandable way to help readers with symptoms of common struggles ranging from anxiety and depression to low self-esteem, guilt, procrastination, and more.
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