Yes, “mindfulness” is one of those 2020s buzzwords. But there are some things to commend it.

In Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Simply Path to Healing, Hope, and Peace, Dr. Seth Gillihan tells his personal story regarding the application of the cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques he would encourage and practice with his own clients in his own life and the benefits which he received.

The author explains what CBT and mindfulness are; he advocates for the pattern of “Think, Act, Be” in regards to one’s practice of mindful CBT. He explains and applies how think, act, and be works in terms of CBT mindfulness in various domains of life: how one looks at oneself and one’s efforts; in appreciating one’s world; in considering one’s body; in relationships; in seeking rest; in work; and in living a life of thankfulness and purpose.

This is a useful resource; a lot of what he says is what a therapist would try to guide you into recognizing for yourself in these various aspects of life. The author does speak of his faith journey from a fundamentalist Christian upbringing to “secular Buddhism” to some kind of reconciliation with at least some of the core principles of Christianity; throughout he will present various points of connection between the principles established herein and religious instruction and encouragement.

With appropriate regard for concerns about making too much of the self, most of what he has to say is in alignment with Christian principles. We should live in thankfulness and gratitude. We should not take what we have for granted. We do well to consider ourselves, our bodies, relationships, etc. in mindfulness with gratitude before God. We should resist negative self-talk while confessing the likely Satanic/demonic influences which would aggravate such negative self-talk. We do need to rest.

Thus one can gain many benefits from incorporating mindful practices and much of cognitive behavioral therapy in one’s life in faith. There are plenty of antecedents for such things in the faith. Yet it all should be done to the glory of God in Christ while conscious of how the self will often magnify itself beyond its proper station.

Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Simple Path to Healing, Hope, and Peace by Seth J. Gillihan is a very helpful tool for anyone hoping to deal with their negative thinking and anxiety. Gillihan combines mindfulness, stoicism, and Christian mysticism to form a method to help people heal. I appreciated this idea when I'm ruminating and worrying: "Is this thought completely true, or are there other ways of seeing this situation?" This book had a lot of great information, and I appreciated it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Self help books tend to fall on a spectrum of pseudoscience on one end and peer reviewed studies on the other end. This book by Seth Gillihan not only includes the science behind mindful cognitive behavioral therapy but incorporates his own experience to navigate his own anxiety and depression. The honesty allows readers a front row view of his journey and the methods used to see the other side of illness.

Some of the highlights:
Each chapter contains bolded text that poses questions to the reader. Those questions help to reinforce the concepts and act as a working guide to reveal your own tendencies and behaviors that you think are holding you back from your truest self.
Even with the support of family and friends, for himself the way out of his depression was to confront the pain and embrace what is present. It's encouraging to see him use "Think Act Be" throughout the book and the different roadblocks he navigated by turning inward.

Intended audience- most people will find something to help their daily lives. However, the people who are already looking to make a change around their approach to depression/anxiety will find the text useful as one tool in moving toward a fuller life .

Especially after the pandemic, many individuals suffer from anxiety and depression. One treatment methodology utilized to treat these conditions, is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Psychologist Dr. Seth Gillihan has developed this book intended to help readers deal with anxiety and its symptoms such as: anxiety, depression, and anger. The following skills are targeted and provided in an easy to understand format: behavioral activation, challenging maladaptive thinking patterns, and learning mindfulness. This book can used by a reader as an individual practice or it can be used on conjunction with ongoing therapy. The concepts are easily understood and clearly explained by Dr. Gillihan. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to combat symptoms of anxiety and depression. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

A solid primer to the topic at large, Gillihan ties back in personal experience to make it almost a memoir-like fashion to make it a personal narrative as well as an instructive one.

I'm an educator and therapist. I found this book interesting! I will definitely implement some the material read into my therapy practices and courses.

Seth J. Gillihan’s “Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy” is a wonderful book, chock full of psychological insights that can transform anyone’s life, leading to more meaning, purpose, and spiritual peace. I highly recommend it!

This is a good overview of what cognitive behavioral therapy is. The author does an interesting job weaving the tale of his depression and practice of CBT with an explanation of the principles of the therapy. I thought this would focus more on the actual practicing of it and how to do it on your own (more of a guidebook). While there is some guidance on how to practice it, it was a little heavy on theory and the working of therapy. If you're interested in CBT as an alternative before diving in, this a good book