Are you, like milllions of people, caught in the happiness trap? Russ Harris explains that the way most of us go about trying to find happiness ends up making us miserable, driving the epidemics of stress, anxiety, and depression. This empowering book presents the insights and techniques of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) a revolutionary new psychotherapy based on cutting-edge research in behavioral psychology. By clarifying your values and developing mindfulness (a technique for living fully in the present moment), ACT helps you escape the happiness trap and find true satisfaction in life.

The techniques presented in The Happiness Trap will help readers to:

• Reduce stress and worry
• Handle painful feelings and thoughts more effectively
• Break self-defeating habits
• Overcome insecurity and self-doubt
• Create a rich, full, and meaningful life

The inner workings of the human brain may be a great mystery, but the mind's true purpose has been verified time and time again: your brain is secretly conspiring against you to make you crazy. How else can we account for the needless fears, dramas, tizzies, and rages that affect us on a minute-by-minute basis? The User's Guide to the Human Mind attempts to explain the seemingly inexplicable operations of the human mind, a "don't get eaten machine" better suited to helping mankind escape bears in the forest than helping us cope with the trials and travails of modern life. Written by therapist and blogger Shawn Smith, this lighthearted yet useful guide offers solutions for overcoming the most common unpleasant emotional responses, such as worry, anxiety, pessimism, jealousy, and self-criticism. Readers learn to use cognitive strategies to override unhelpful yet natural emotional responses and create better interpersonal relationships, greater confidence, and peace of mind. The book's goal-setting, prioritizing, and goal-tracking guidance helps readers notice their progress as they gradually prod their brains toward a twenty-first-century-compatible way of processing and dealing with emotions.

You don't need a book to tell you this much: Sometimes things fall apart, crack open, and miss the mark. You can plan and strategize and keep your eye on the horizon, watching for trouble. And nothing you can do will protect you from the fact that things might, when you least expect it, go terribly, horribly wrong. If you're anxious about this, it's not like you don't have a reason. If you're very anxious about this, you're certainly not alone. In fact, even if your whole life feels like it's about anxiety, your story is a lot more common that you might imagine.

If you could just get your anxiety to go away, you could get on with the business of living your life, right? Well, maybe ― or maybe not. Does anxiety need to go away in order for you to live your life fully, vitally, with richness and purpose?

This book approaches the problem of anxiety a little differently than most. Instead of trying to help you overcome or reduce feelings of anxiety, Things Might Go Terribly, Horribly Wrong will help you climb inside these feelings, sit in that place, and see what it would be like to have anxiety and still make room in your life to breathe and rest and live ― really and truly live ― in a way that matters to you.

Although it's grounded in a research-supported form of psychotherapy called acceptance and commitment therapy, also known as ACT, Things isn't especially technical or stepwise. Rather, the book starts a conversation about why we all sometimes feel anxious and what role that anxiety serves in our lives. It connects the experience of anxiety to the essential experience of human suffering. And then, in sometimes unexpected ways, Things explores some basic ways of being in the world that can change the role anxiety plays in your life.

This book has been awarded The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit ― an award bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.

Each of us has thoughts that are painful at times; sometimes the pain is sadness, sometimes worry or anger or shame or grief or some feeling that you don't even have words for.

If you are a young person struggling with your emotions, you do not want to be told that 'everyone feels like that' or that 'you will grow out of it'. You want to feel that your emotions are valid and that the person offering help truly understands how painful life can feel at times.

With a strong emphasis on validation and compassion, Stuff That Sucks encourages you to accept your emotions rather than struggling against them. It also shows how to reconnect with what is really important to you, giving you the tools to help clarify your personal values and take steps towards living a life where those values can guide you in your day-to-day behaviour.

A beautifully designed book aimed at adolescents that will help them deal with painful emotions by drawing on the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and presenting them in ways that are eye-catching and easy to understand.

Ben Sedley is a clinical psychologist and ACT therapist with experience of working with children, adolescents and families facing mental health difficulties in both primary health centres and community mental health teams in New Zealand and London.

Ben's training and practice has focused on examining children and young people's understandings of mental health, which has helped guide him on the best ways to explain mental health concepts and ACT to young people.

“Fast-paced, fun, and useful, this book shows how to deal with stuff that sucks. It’s all scientifically based, but you’ll be having too much fun to notice. This book absolutely, positively, does not suck.”
—Steven C. Hayes, PhD, codeveloper of ACT

Master your anxiety and regain your freedom to drive, travel, and do everything else that panic has taken from you, with proven techniques and modern Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) exercises.

Panic attacks trick millions of people into fearing disaster and giving up so many of the activities they used to enjoy without fear. This practical workbook full of proven strategies and helpful advice on how to master your anxiety and panic is here to help you reclaim your life.

Author and clinical psychologist David Carbonell, PhD, uses his extensive clinical experience to help you understand the true nature of your panic attacks, including the vicious cycle of habitual responses that lead to debilitating attacks, how you can halt this self-destructive process, and the many ways you can start on a step-by-step journey that promotes recovery. Inside you’ll find helpful methods from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) that will help you regain the life you want to live, including:
• Diaphragmatic breathing
• Progressive exposure
• Desensitization
• Mindfulness meditation
• Keeping a panic diary
• Quieting the voice of anticipatory worry
• Stepping out of the struggle with panic
Based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Panic Attacks Audio Workbook provides the tools you need to successfully overcome panic. It teaches you how to work effectively with your brain so you can address your panic in ways that will truly help you.

You can recover from panic attacks and phobias! If you’re ready to take back your life and live free from the cycle of panic attacks, this audiobook will show you how. These innovative techniques offer expert guidance along a proven path that promotes recovery.

Disordered: Anxiety Help
 
Disordered is the podcast that delivers real, evidence-based, actionable talk about anxiety and anxiety and anxiety recovery in a kind, compassionate, community-oriented environment.
 
Josh Fletcher is a qualified psychotherapist in the UK. Drew Linsalata is a graduate student and therapist-in-training in the US. They're both bestselling authors in the anxiety and mental health space.
 
Josh and Drew are funny, friendly, and they have a knack for combining lived experience, formal training, and professional experience in an encouraging, inspiring, and compassionate mental health message.
 
https://www.disordered.fm/
 
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May 19, 2023
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This week on Disordered, Josh and Drew discuss scary, unwanted, recurring, intrusive thoughts that can frighten us and trigger high levels of anxiety and discomfort. The guys talk about the many different themes that intrusiv...
 
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This week on Disordered, Drew and Josh tackle the topic of health anxiety. Health anxiety is an obsession with one's physical or mental health that drives a continuous series of compulsions designed to soothe the fear, uncert...
 
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Anxiety Questions From The Listeners (Episode 037)
Nov. 24, 2023
ANXIETY QUESTIONS FROM OUR LISTENERS This week Josh and Drew are answering questions sent in by the listeners. The community around this podcast is amazing! Your feedback, questions, and “did it anyway” stories are a bit pa…
 
Anxiety And Brain Fog (Episode 036)
Nov. 17, 2023
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Nov. 10, 2023
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Anxiety Recovery: Is Distraction A Good Plan?
 
This week on Disordered Josh and Drew tackle the topic of distraction. Trying to find ways to distract yourself when anxious is a common and popular strategy, but is it a good strategy? The answer is no ... and yes!
 
In this episode, we look at how distraction is almost always going to be part of the equation no matter what we do, why intent matters, and how using distraction as a way to focus on something other than how you feel teaches us important recovery lessons.
 
Bonus: Listen to Josh and Drew do an epic role-play where Josh plays the triggered amygdala and Drew plays the wise mind guiding us through acknowledgment and intentional focus. Distraction ... used in a positive way!
 

https://www.disordered.fm/anxiety-act-and-the-happiness-trap-w-dr-russ-harris-episode-88/
 
https://www.disordered.fm/anxiety-recovery-how-important-is-attention-episode-89/
 

The ACT Workbook for Kids: Fun Activities to Help You Deal with Worry, Sadness, and Anger Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Tamar D. Black, January 2024

Kids today are experiencing alarming rates of mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma. The good news is there are skills they can learn now to gain psychological flexibility, regulate emotions, and cultivate the resilience needed to navigate life's many storms. This timely and much-needed workbook can help.

In The ACT Workbook for Kids, Tamar D. Black offers fun activities grounded in evidence-based acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help kids deal with worry, sadness, and anger. The exercises in this workbook are based on the processes of the ACT Kidflex-a simplified version of the ACT Hexaflex-and help kids work through the difficult thoughts and feelings that can arise from anxiety, depression, and stress. The workbook also includes tons of kid-friendly worksheets, crossword and word search puzzles, body-based practices, and arts and crafts that kids can do by themselves or with a parent, counsellor, or clinician.

Most importantly, the skills in this workbook will help kids balance their emotions at home, at school, and in other social situations-such as going to parties, being with friends, and extracurricular activities. No matter what the situation, children can use these quick and simple strategies whenever they feel worried, sad, angry, stressed, or are struggling with self-esteem.

Reviews
"A helpful tool for youth ages eight to twelve, and their parents. The workbook uses story examples to show kids how to address difficult thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. Readers are guided through mindfulness, support building, self-compassion, and values identification as they discover they are more than their experience. This is a must-have book for prevention and intervention!"
--Amy R. Murrell, PhD, coauthor of The Joy of Parenting; To Be With Me; and The Becca Epps Series on Bending Your Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors

"The ACT Workbook for Kids is an amazing book that is fun and engaging. It is a must-have book for children and therapists."
--Ben Sedley, clinical psychologist, and author of Stuff That Sucks

"The ACT Workbook for Kids is the fun, engaging, and helpful workbook I've been waiting for in my practice and in my own family!"
--Christopher Willard, PsyD, faculty at Harvard Medical School, and author of Growing Up Mindful

"An awesome book specifically tailored for children ages eight to twelve. Through relatable stories, this workbook offers simple, practical activities that will help kids navigate their worry, sadness, anger, and other intense emotions. Whether used independently or alongside a parent or therapist, the exercises are a transformative tool to empower kids to deal with their thoughts and feelings with greater awareness, effectiveness, and self-kindness. Bravo to Tamar for providing a gift that promises to contribute throughout the course of the developmental period and beyond."
--Steven C. Hayes, PhD, co-originator of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)

"An invaluable workbook that offers engaging activities and relatable scenarios to help children better understand and manage their emotions. This essential resource for parents, educators, and therapists provides gentle and creative guidance, encouraging kids to become more resilient and self-aware. A highly recommended tool for children ages eight to twelve, and their caregivers."
--Mavis Tsai, PhD, cocreator of functional analytic psychotherapy; and founder of the Awareness, Courage & Love Global Project

"Just what clinicians who work with children need: a beautifully designed, practical, easy, and delightful romp through kid-sized ACT skills. I suspect that the activities in this workbook will be so much fun that kids will barely notice they are learning substantial skills to help them navigate life's storms and challenges mindfully--with openness to learn from their emotions, and trust in their ability to do hard things that they care about."
--Lisa W. Coyne, PhD, faculty at Harvard Medical School, and coauthor of Stuff That's Loud and Stop Avoiding Stuff

"There's no getting around it--working with strong feelings and thoughts is hard! In this wonderful book, Tamar Black translates the core processes of ACT into a delightful buffet of activities that are deep, helpful, and--dare I say it--fun. This isn't a book you read, it's a book you do. And it's a book that will benefit all children who encounter it. Highly recommended!"
--Russell Kolts, PhD, author of CFT Made Simple, An Open-Hearted Life, and Experiencing Compassion-Focused Therapy from the Inside Out

"This book is an absolute gem. It has made me realize just how much I needed it when I was a child. Heartwarming, easy to read, and incredibly helpful--it caters to kids, therapists, teachers, parent figures, and anyone seeking to connect with their inner child. Get ready to embark on a transformative journey with the assurance that you are in exceptionally capable hands."
--Rikke Kjelgaard, psychologist, author, and ACT trainer

"This book is an absolute treasure chest, full of fun and engaging exercises to help kids learn from and understand even the most challenging experiences. Like an interactive game, this book is creative, powerful, and fun."
--Janina Scarlet, PhD, award-winning author of Superhero Therapy

"This delightful workbook is filled with activities that support counseling sessions with kids. The reader will find fun, engaging, and easy-to-use experiences. Kids can practice expressing their feelings and thoughts while learning to be aware of ineffective and effective responses. If you're a busy professional, you'll find the worksheets perfect to integrate into your work."
--Louise Hayes, PhD, clinical psychologist; founder of DNA-V; and author of Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens, Your Life Your Way, and The Thriving Adolescent

"What a lovely book! The ACT Workbook for Kids is not only beautifully constructed and illustrated, but also an inviting and approachable learning experience for kids. It is a wonderful journey from front to back where children can discover and open up to their emotions, and work on what is important to them. A wonderful dash of learning self-compassion is also part of this must-have book for kids!"
--Robyn D. Walser, PhD, licensed clinical psychologist; author of The Heart of ACT; and coauthor of several books, including Learning ACT and The ACT Workbook for Anger

Book Description - A fun and engaging "coping toolkit" to help kids ages 8 to 12 face life's challenges, manage emotions, and thrive!

An ACT approach to how thoughts come and go and can get hooked on the way

Noticing thoughts coming and going

For autistic kids, feeling like foreigners in a neurotypical world