Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Those Who Say They Can’t

Book excerpt: Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Those Who Say They Can’t is a comprehensive aid for people who stifle their personal freedom, creativity, and autonomy by telling themselves they "can’t" do things such as: take risks; make commitments; control their anger or fear; avoid intrusive thoughts; tolerate disappointment; accept challenges, make decisions, and more. This accessible workbook concisely explains how to identify, refute, and replace "I can’t" with uplifting and liberating virtues. Worksheets include systematic exercises on coping with shame, rational–emotive imagery, reframing, mindfulness, behavioral planning, and taking risks. Each chapter tackles a particular type of self-defeating "I can’t" and is complete with an assessment inventory that helps users/clients identify which chapter/s they need to work on. This workbook provides essential self-help for those struggling with disempowering thoughts and can also be used by mental health professionals in working with their clients.