Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Techniques for Retraining Your Brain

By: Jason M. Satterfield, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Jason M. Satterfield

Why is it so hard to lose weight, stop smoking, or establish healthy habits? Why do couples argue about the same issues over and over? Why do so many people lie awake at night, stricken with worry and anxiety? Why is it so difficult to come to terms with a loved one's death, even if it's after a long illness?

The answers to these questions - and the path to lasting change in your life - lie in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a well-tested collection of practical techniques for managing moods and modifying undesirable behaviors through self-awareness, critical analysis, and goal-oriented change. CBT illuminates the links between thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and physical health and uses those connections to develop concrete plans for self-improvement. Built on a solid foundation of neurological and behavioral research, CBT is an approach almost anyone can use for promoting greater mental health and improving quality of life.

In 24 engaging half-hour lectures, you'll build a robust and effective self-improvement toolkit with the expert guidance of Professor Satterfield of the University of California, San Francisco. You will explore CBT's roots in Socratic and stoic philosophy, build a toolkit of CBT techniques, and hear about the latest research about its outcomes. Additionally this intriguing and practical course allows you to take on the role of medical student, physician, psychologist, and patient.

Throughout the course you'll explore issues that cause people to seek out therapy. In some cases you'll get to hear Dr. Satterfield working with a patient, and in others you'll be delving into research to find what causes issues and how CBT helps to resolve them.

Everyone has something about their life that they would like to improve. With the tools in CBT and the desire to make your situation better, you can create lasting change in your life.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2015 The Teaching Company, LLC; 2015 The Great Courses

Great addition to my counseling practice

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I highly recommend this book to psychology practitioners and motivated clients. It is well organized and well read. I listen while I do my daily exercise (walking). I often end up writing emails to myself to remember to look up certain topics when I arrive home.

What did you like best about this story?

This is a difficult question to answer because I like it all so much. I think the narration was particularly outstanding. The narrator is straightforward and cites references or appropriate links when needed. I have found some audible narrator of scientific information try to be funny or cute, and it ends up distracting from the narration. This is not the case with Dr. Satterfield.

Which character – as performed by Professor Jason M. Satterfield – was your favorite?

Himself. He narrates the book based on his own research.

Very Practical

As a result of going through some difficult times in my life, and at my doctor's suggestion, I began seeing a therapist for cognitive behavioral therapy. I wasn't satisfied, so I began listening to this audio book on CBT. It helped me understand that the therapist was setting the groundwork in our first few sessions, and gave me a very thorough understanding of how CBT works and the many different varieties of treatment and strategies that are available. I strongly recommend this book.

Absolutely wonderful!

The author did an incredible job presenting this info. He was extremely clear, informative, and unbiased. He often presented CBT in a wider context in terms of what other approaches were available and what the research supported. I always felt like he was an incredibly smart honest objective teacher whose ultimate goal was simply giving people the best tools available and was open about what is yet to be fully understood.

His voice is unbelievable! It's so kind I could've listened to him reciting 100 bottles of beer on the wall! Thankfully the content was just as excellent.

The case studies were really interesting and a nice way to see CBT at work in someone else's situation.

Highly recommend.

Just not my thing

I figured the knowledge imparted would be more generally usable but unless one plans to provide therapy it's not the most interesting book.

So personable and full of grace

Professor Satterfield clearly knows his business and believes in it. He believes that people can be better. I really enjoyed the personal interviews and learned a lot from his patients. It is a hopeful course and a useful one