Manualized approaches of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE) are engineered to be effective treatments for PTSD. While post-traumatic stress disorder can have diverse presentations, there is an even greater diversity of trauma reactions one can have. Prolonged Exposure is great at treating people who have a conditioned fear response after traumatic event, but what about people who have a different type of presentation?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is inherently a case conceptualization based approach. While there are techniques in ACT, it is process-based approach that is rooted in the functional analysis of the client. The emphasis is on workability and fostering flexibility.

For the interested reader/listener, I recently did a Blog interview for Academy of Cognitive & Behavioral Therapies on the common myths and misconceptions about CBT for trauma. You can watch that here.

myths of CBT

Though it is important to note that comparing ACT for trauma with manualized therapies for PTSD such as Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolong Exposure is essentially comparing apples and oranges. It would be erroneous to think of CBT for trauma as being only Prolonged Exposure or Cognitive Processing Therapy. From its inception CBT was designed to be a case conceptualization based approach.

Manualized protocols for specific conditions do exist and are important tools, but these tools are representations of the therapy and not the therapy itself. To learn more about how to create a good case conceptualization based approach to CBT, our Socratic questioning book has and elaborated section focusing on developing a good case conceptualization. And Scott Temple and Trent Codd wrote a fantastic book on a transdiagnostic and integrative approach to holistic CBT care.

In this conversation, we talk about Robyn’s new book from Guilford You are Not Your Trauma which is a fantastic read and great clinical recommendation for anyone trying to incorporate elements of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in the treatment of the effects of trauma.

This conversation features Dr. Scott Waltman, Dr. Robyn Walser, and Dr. Carmella Tress discussing trauma, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and the nuances of clinical work.

We cover some key themes:

Trauma is often viewed through the narrow lens of PTSD criteria, which can exclude many individuals who have experienced significant life-altering events, such as racial trauma or ongoing harassment. They emphasize that trauma is not always a discrete event, and individuals can suffer significant impact without meeting traditional “Criterion A” diagnostic standards.

Dr. Walser explains that ACT is a principle-based, transdiagnostic approach that focuses on increasing psychological flexibility. Rather than attempting to “fix” specific symptoms, ACT addresses how a person’s learning history impacts their current functioning and aims to reduce rigid avoidance behaviors that restrict a meaningful life.

Dr. Tress highlights that trauma can cause individuals to fuse with their experiences, leading to a narrowed sense of identity. Both experts stress the importance of helping clients see they are not their trauma, and that they can hold painful memories while still living a life guided by their values.

We expresses concern regarding the “dilution of innovation,” where clinicians may use techniques from ACT or CBT without understanding the underlying model. We warn that in the treatment of trauma, clinicians can engage in emotional avoidance, and that this can stem from a clinician’s own avoidance of painful material, leading to the use of shallow control strategies rather than genuine, compassionate engagement with the client’s process.

Contrary to misconceptions, ACT does engage with cognitions as part of a behavioral model. Cognitions are viewed as behaviors and instead of attempting to restructure or repair thoughts, the goal is to help clients increase awareness and focus on deliberate actions. The goal is workability. ACT for trauma may also include exposure to trauma narration if there is a high level of avoidance going on. Exposure if after all highly ACT compatible, even if the way it is done might be slightly different from an ACT provider.

The heart of the work, according to Dr. Walser, is cultivating flexibility to move through life even when faced with challenges. This involves recognizing that avoidance—while sometimes temporarily useful—often leads to a “numbed” existence; by being willing to experience the full range of emotions, clients can open themselves back up to joy and meaning.

The conversation concludes with Dr. Walser sharing her new YouTube channel, which features short videos designed to complement her book, You Are Not Your Trauma.

Check out these resources:

Robyn's YouTube Channel

Media Literacy

Guilford Book Listing

Amazon Book Listing

ACT and Socratic Inquiry

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Socratic Questioning for ACT

Process-Based Dialogue that Fuels Flexibility

10 CE Hours available
October 19–November 16, 2026
Mondays, 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (US)

Scott Waltman, PsyD, ABPP

Clinician and author

R. Trent Codd, III, Ed.S., LCMHC, BCBA

Clinician and author

Socratic questioning has historically been associated with cognitive therapy, where questions are used to examine the accuracy, logic, or evidence for beliefs. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), however, adopts a different stance toward cognition. In ACT, the aim is not to determine whether thoughts are true or false, but whether responding to thoughts in particular ways is workable in the service of a meaningful life. Because ACT is taught experientially, clinicians sometimes worry that Socratic dialogue will drift into disputation or cognitive restructuring, focusing on content as opposed to process and pulling the client away from direct experience.

In practice, well-formed Socratic questions are among the most powerful tools for cultivating psychological flexibility—especially when they shift context, highlight function, and invite direct contact with experience. This course clarifies how the ACT clinician can conceptualize and implement Socratic inquiry in ways that are congruent with the model, distinguishing it from hypothesis testing oriented questioning and demonstrating how to use Socratic dialogue to support each of the six core ACT processes.

This will be a 5 week live course focused on how to use deliberate language in session to facilitate change processes. Participants will learn where, how, and when to intervene. Methods of teaching will include didactics, discussion, demonstration, and practice. Course content will also include expansion of focus to touch on themes of working with trauma and from the broader contextual behavioral sciences integrating Socratic Processes in DBT. Messages will be bolstered with lessons from post Socratic Greek and Roman philosophies like Stoicism and Skepticism.

This training offers 10 CE hours if attended live. We can only provide CE to those who are present via Zoom for the live sessions. However, the sessions will be recorded and available to watch later. Registrants may access these recordings at any time for up to three months after the live training ends.

Before registering, please review conflict of interest disclosures and complete CE information here.

Schedule

Session 1 | October 19, 2026, 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. EDT

• Who was Socrates and what is the Socratic Method

• Demonstration and Debrief

Session 2 | October 26, 2026, 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. EDT

• Acceptance and Defusion

• Demonstration and Practice

Session 3 | November 2, 2026, 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. EST

• Contact with the Present Moment and Self-as-Context

• Demonstration and Practice

Session 4 | November 9, 2026, 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. EST

• Values and Committed Action

• Demonstration and Practice

Session 5 | November 16, 2026, 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. EST

• Post-Socratic Philosophy

• Stoicism and Anger

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The episode also intersects with an important challenge facing modern psychotherapy. In their article, The Advocates of Research-Supported Treatments Are Losing in Lots of Ways: What Are We Doing Wrong?, the authors argue that despite decades of psychotherapy research, evidence-based treatments often struggle to influence clinical practice, public opinion, and professional culture. Scientific evidence alone rarely wins hearts and minds. Stories, memorable metaphors, and emotionally compelling explanations frequently spread further and faster than nuanced discussions of data.

Viewed through this lens, The Body Keeps the Score may represent both a success and a cautionary tale. The book succeeded in bringing trauma to public attention in ways that academic journals never could. Yet the podcast asks whether some of its most influential claims became widely accepted before sufficient evidence existed to support them.

This raises several important questions:

• Why do some therapeutic ideas become cultural phenomena while others with stronger evidence remain relatively unknown?

• Should effectiveness alone determine what clinicians recommend, or does a compelling narrative matter too?

• How should therapists balance clinical wisdom, client preferences, and scientific evidence?

• What responsibility do authors and clinicians have when communicating emerging or uncertain findings?

These questions are explored further in Eight Principles for a Modern CBT. Rather than promoting a particular therapeutic brand, the book offers a framework for integrating evidence, clinical expertise, client values, and functional analysis. Perhaps most importantly, it encourages clinicians to think critically about how they know what they know—a skill that seems increasingly relevant in an era where the most influential ideas are not always the most scientifically supported.

Whether you agree with the podcast’s conclusions or not, it serves as a valuable reminder: psychotherapy advances not simply through compelling stories or scientific findings alone, but through an ongoing dialogue between evidence, experience, and critical thinking.

Note: Blog guest written by R Trent Codd III EdS

Listen to the episode of the podcast here

Check out Trent’s work here or here

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(by Hank Robb, Ph.D., ABPP,
with attribution to him this article may be copied and used as a handout)

As you may have noticed, urges happen! However, individuals can also learn that they neither have to act on their urges nor continue trying to suppress them. They can lean to “surf” them.

Urge surfing is about getting “on top” of the urge rather than tumbling around inside it. The urge is still “there,” but you are using a different way of being with it.

Urge surfing begins by recognizing that YOU are not YOUR URGE. You are the person having the urge. When you can’t experience a distinction between YOU and the urge you are having, then instead of you having the urge, the urge is very likely to have you.

There is a certain physical sense in which you “are” your body. However, there is a certain psychological sense in which YOU “posses” your body. Take a moment to look at one of your little fingers. ln a sense that finger is you. But, in another sense, it is something that you have, rather than something you are. If it were to be damaged, the PERSON that is YOU would still be whole and complete even if your finger were not.

It is this second way of looking at things that can be helpful. It is a way to put some psychological distance between YOU and your thoughts, images and bodily sensations and especially that combination of thoughts, images and bodily sensations that make up your urges.

When you ARE your urge, it seems you have no choice about acting on it. Things are rather different when your urge is something you are experiencing rather than something that you are. When the urge IS YOU, then you tend to “tumble around in it.” When the urge is NOT YOU, then you have a better chance of “riding on top.”

When you experience yourself as possessing your body rather than being it, you will typically find yourself experiencing a lot more control over your hands, arms, feet and mouth even as you do not have so much control over things like urges. To say it another way, YOU find YOU can CHOOSE whether to act on the urge. The urge no longer” takes over” your hands, arms, feet and mouth. YOU, the psychological you that is the person who has a body but is somehow different from that body, can CHOOSE what is done with all those body parts. It is a lot easier to surf an urge when you realize that you won’t HAVE TO act on it. You can CHOOSE to do what is important in your life even as you “surf” the urges that come and go in your life.

Surfing an urge is not controlling it. Surfing an urge is letting it do its thing while you are doing yours. “Your thing” is to “be present” with the urge while choosing to do what’s important in your life. Like waves on the ocean, urges build, and crest, and fall. Your job is not to stop this process. Your job is live your life while it is happening. Physically speaking, you “ride” the urge. Visually speaking, you “watch” the urge. Spatially speaking, you “hover around” the urge.

This is very different than trying to control the urge or run away from it. If you have tried controlling urges, you’ve likely found that it is pretty darn difficult. If you’ve tried to run away from them, you’ve likely found that there isn’t really any place to run to because no matter where you go, there you are, and so is the urge.

Surfing an urge is like being a good host or hostess. A good host or hostess is kind, considerate and patient with a guest even if the guest is a pain in the neck. That “way of treating a guest” is what differentiates a “good” host or hostess from a “bad” one.

“Have a cookie. Would you like a soda?” That’s what a “good” host or hostess would say even it they were saying it to a “bad” guest. And, if you are a good host or hostess, you don’t turn to the other guests in the kitchen while you are pouring the soda and say, “OK, let’s be real nice to the jerk in the living room and maybe he’ll go away.” That isn’t being a good host or hostess either. You don’t draw a distinction in the way you treat your “good” guests and the way you treat your “bad” guests. They are all guests.

You also don’t serve the soda while tapping your foot and checking your watch to see how long your guest has been sticking around. The guest will leave on the guest’s own schedule; not, necessarily, on yours.

You can even “get to know” your “guest” without fear of being “contaminated” by it. Guests, even “bad” ones, come and go just as waves rise and fall. YOU are not your guest. YOU are not the wave. While your guest is present you can learn all about him or her while remaining safe in the recognition that YOU are not IT. YOU are the person hosting IT. YOU are the person “hovering around” IT. YOU are surfing IT. YOU can be WILLING to have your urge even if you don’t particularly WANT to have your urge just as, at one time or another as a student, you were WILLING to do your homework whether you WANTED to do it or not.

To paraphrase the Roman philosopher Seneca: “Those who are willingly have their urges can learn about them. Those who are unwilling are just dragged around by them.”

So, try surfing your urges. THEY are not YOU. Try hosting your urges. THEY are not YOU. Try hovering around your urges. THEY are not YOU. And, by surfing, hosting or hovering, you can avoid being dragged around by them.

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From a behavioral perspective, all anxiety disorders are maintained by avoidance. Mowrer’s Two Factor theory states that fear is acquired through classical (Pavlovian) conditioning and maintained by avoidance of feared stimuli, this being negative reinforcement from a operant conditioning perspective. This means we learn to associate inert or neutral stimuli with danger and avoid willingly facing these situations head on, so there isn’t enough opportunity for corrective learning.

Note the emphasis on willingly. For exposure to work it has to be voluntary and someone has to approach the situation with openness. If someone is “white-knuckling” an exposure, the benefits are severely limited. Keep in mind the goal is to face the feared situation and have a different emotional experience with it. Acceptance, indifference, irreverence, or even boredom are all fine options. The goal is to learn to not be afraid of being afraid.

Sometimes, people will say something like, “What about people that chronically worry, don’t they have a problem of not avoiding enough?” In fact, a number of years ago, when I was preparing a job talk for my postdoc interview (the title of which was the role of negative reinforcement in the maintenance of anxiety disorders), I had a colleague ask me that exact question. My answer then is same as it would be now.

In my clinical experience, people who tend to be chronic worriers are often people who are facing some ambiguous situations in their life and they are trying to escape the discomfort of not knowing by imagining every possible outcome. They are essentially trying to brute force their way out of uncertainty. The trouble is the more they worry, the more anxious they get. And yet the discomfort of anxious worrying, to them, is preferable to the anxiety of not knowing. Learning to tolerate uncertainty is a core step in learning to live a happy life and psychology and philosophy both have some great suggestions to pull from.

Here is how a cognitive behavioral therapist would start working with worry. The CBT approach for worry is similar to the Stoic approach of the Dichotomy of Control.

Step One: Don't tell people not to worry It's annoying and doesn't work.

Step Two: Recognize that worry isn’t inherently bad. From an evolutionary perspective, worry and rumination is probably how we learned to solve complex problems.

Chronic worriers often have difficulty tolerating uncertainty.

They over-worry/over-think as a way to try and escape the uncertainty of life.

An anxious mind tends to want to focus on the things that someone has the least control over, because that is where the most uncertainty is.

So, the goal is to shift from unproductive worry to productive problem solving. Stress and anxiety come down as productive steps are taken.

Step Three: Worry time and worry logs

• Set aside 30-60 minutes each day to focus on addressing your worries. This is not easy and often requires a lot of mental redirection. Essentially you are creating a morning huddle or staff meeting for just yourself to work on addressing your worries.

• People worry about forgetting what to worry about, so logging worries on a notepad or sticky function in your smart phone reduces the mental load.

• Having a notepad by your bed is a good way to capture stray worries that come up when you should be sleeping.

• When worries come up outside of worry time (and they will), you have to actively remind yourself that you’ll worry about that later. Write it down and focus on being mentally present in what you’re doing.

Note: Worry Time is not intended to be a cathartic exercise. The idea isn’t set aside time to worry and get it out of your system (that doesn’t work either). The idea is to learn to deal with worry in a different way that’s less exhausting and more empowering (more sustainable).

Step Four: Sort worries and plan strategies

"Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.” - Marcus Aurelius

• With you most frequent worries: Are they things that you have control over? Are they things you can do something about right now?

• Review worry logs to check for themes to sort into categories (individualized categories work best).

• Good generic categories are things I can control and things I cannot control.

• Then we want to plan a strategy for how to respond to each category. For example, we want to problem solve things we can control and deprioritize worrying about things we can’t.

Typically, people are skeptical about whether worry time will work for them AND they still often find it to be helpful.

Increasing tolerance of the discomfort of uncertainty is often a supplemental strategy.

Learning to focus on what you have control over leads to increased self-efficacy and decreased demoralization.

Of course, there is no silver bullet.

Back to Mowrer’s Two Factor Theory. The way to weaken the association between uncertainty and danger is to learn to face it head on. If people can learn to avoid avoiding (stop worrying), they’ll learn that worrying was only giving them an illusion of control. Wisdom and piece come from understanding and accepting the dichotomy of control.

Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes and not meant to be clinical recommendations.

learn more about the connection between CBT and Stoicism

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According to Greek Mythology, Delphi was considered the literal center of the world. This was determined when Zeus let loose two eagles at the opposite ends of the earth and the met in Delphi. There was constructed a most sacred temple to the god Apollo, which had inscribed on it a number of moral precepts (or maxims). These were supposedly written by the legendary Seven Sages of Greece around the 7th and 6th century BCE. The first and most famous maxim was Know Thyself (Γνῶθι σεαυτόν) which is a quote that is sometimes attributed to Socrates though these maxims predated him by quite some time. The second maxim Nothing in Excess (Μηδὲν ἄγαν) speaks to the value of moderation and living a temperate life, this went on to be one of the core virtues of Stoicism. The third maxim is one we don’t hear about as much, Give a pledge and trouble is at hand (Ἐγγύα πάρα δ' Ἄτα)—which at first read might seem confusing.

What does this third maxim mean? Well this is something that is debated even in the literature. Plutarch noted that this maxim even kept many people from getting married. Third century biographer of Greek philosophers Diogenes Laertius connected this statement with Pyrrhonian Skepticism and interpreted it as "Trouble attends him who affirms anything in strong terms and confidently." This is a core tenant of the philosophy of Skepticism. (To learn more about Skepticism check out the episode of our podcast that we recorded with Massimo Pigliucci: listen here).

Skepticism, like Stoicism, is a post-Socratic philosophy that is also highly compatible with Modern Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It is based on the attitude of questioning or doubting certainty. Just as Socrates said we don’t know what he don’t know and saw his methods as being a therapy for overcoming the conceit of knowledge (i.e., double ignorance). The Skeptics saw themselves as a continuation of his school of thinking. Similarly, to the Stoics, it was less about what you are thinking and more about whether you buy into what your mind is telling you. According to the ancient Stoics, our mind produces an involuntary first impression of the situation Phantasia (φαντασία) and we as humans make the mistake of accepting, fusing, or assenting to this impression through sunkatathesis (συγκατάθεσις). Their original CBT was based on the strategy of learning to withhold judgment to avoid accepting an erroneous impression about the situation.

But can this maxim be applied to the transdiagnostic mechanism of intolerance of uncertainty which is a major factor in maintaining anxiety disorders like OCD? What is intolerance of uncertainty? It is a common challenge where people have a hard time not knowing what is going to happen. Anxiety disorders are maintained by avoidance and often I’ll have trainees asks but where is the avoidance with anxious rumination? It might seem like a problem of not avoiding. The answer is people are trying to avoid uncertainty by trying to game the system using brute force. The idea being that if they can just think about it enough maybe they can figure it out. Or maybe if they think about every possible possibility they won’t be caught off guard. And they do this continually which only makes the anxiety worse.

At its heart, OCD is largely a doubting disease fueled by a stubborn insistence on certainty. People engage in various checking behaviors including reassurance seeking, ritualization, and repeating, often with the hope of forestalling the dread of not knowing. In this case it would seem that the need for surety is bringing ruin. So maybe the Delphic maxim is applicable.

Of course, someone could say, well you can’t really know anything, which is also perhaps a bridge too far. On our podcast, we spoke with Massimo about this and how even the Roman Skeptics used the term probabilis (probably) to convey that something is probable or plausible; it is a provisional assent. This being sort of a knowledge version of the Stoic reserve clause.

Learning to let go of a need for certainty and embracing acceptance of what is probably true (without rumination or checking) is in many ways the path out of many anxiety disorders. So could philosophy be helpful?

OCD therapists often use an analogy of someone standing at shore of a lake and trying to see the bottom through water that is somewhat murky. We’ll point out that the more you try to clear the specs away, the more agitated the water will become and this will only make it more cloudy. The lesson is simple, obsessing over an unclear situation will only make it more unclear. This is well captured by the quote of modern author Alan Watts who said “Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.”

A similar sentiment is found in the writing of Epictetus in the Discourses “The soul is like a dish full of water, and the impressions like the rays of light which strike the water. Now when the water is disturbed the light seems to be disturbed too, but it is not really disturbed. So when a man has a fit of dizziness, the arts and virtues are not put to confusion, but only the spirit in which they exist: when this is at rest, they come to rest too. (3.3.20).”

I’m very much interested in how metaphors and examples from ancient philosophy can be used to facilitate evidence-based treatments. To learn additional helpful metaphors and more about connection between ancient philosophy and modern therapy check out our workbook from New Harbinger The Stoicism Workbook: How the Wisdom of Socrates Can Help You Build Resilience and Overcome Anything Life Throws at You available from the publisher, Amazon, or wherever books are sold. If you’ve already checked the book out consider leaving us an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads.

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The Audio Book is on sale for 60% off until June 2nd, 2026. Click here for this limited offer.

Struggling with unwanted intrusive thoughts or repetitive compulsions? This definitive guide offers a compassionate and practical roadmap for Christians seeking healing from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Learn the nuts and bolts of evidence-based treatment, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), while growing your faith.

Discover why OCD is a treatable illness, not a lack of faith. Through a Christ-centered approach, this book helps you understand the OCD cycle and its subtypes, including scrupulosity, where faith concerns become obsessions. With practical exercises and biblical insights, learn to change your relationship to fear, doubt, and uncertainty.

Stop the cycle of shame and isolation. Find hope and lasting recovery by embracing a whole-person approach that addresses the mind, body, and spirit. This book is an essential resource that invites anyone with OCD—or those who love them—to embrace a life of freedom, purpose, and a deeper connection with God.

Advance Praise

Over the course of clinical practice and ministry, I’ve seen the damage that can occur when OCD in Christians is misunderstood. Well-meaning believers sometimes offer advice that unintentionally deepens shame and isolation of OCD sufferers. Likewise, therapists unfamiliar with a Christian worldview may, in the course of OCD treatment, ask clients to do things that violate their consciences, leading to spiritual distress and dropout from treatment. But, I’ve also seen the beauty and freedom that emerge when faith and evidence-based treatment work hand in hand. Justin’s book is a bridge. It’s a guide. And it’s a source of comfort for those who feel alone in their struggle.

~Ted Witzig Jr., Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist and Pastor

I’ve been waiting a lifetime for a book like The Christian’s Guide to Overcoming OCD. You will be left feeling seen, heard, and empowered.

~Valerie Andrews, IOCDF lead advocate

In The Christian’s Guide to Overcoming OCD, Justin Hughes provides a cogent integration of evidence-based strategies and Biblical principles to help believers who struggle with OCD. Romans 8:1 (NKJV) notes that ‘there is therefore now no condemnation to those who walk according to the spirit, not according to the flesh,’ and Justin does a masterful job providing hope for the believer who struggles with OCD by destigmatizing these symptoms that often leave many Christians feeling condemned. If you are a Christian who struggles with symptoms of OCD, this is a must-have treatment guide.

~Kevin Chapman, PhD, licensed psychologist, author of Mastering Our Emotions, and director of The Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders

This is more than a book—it’s a must-have resource for Christian mental health professionals and anyone on an OCD journey! Justin brilliantly weaves clinical insights and an abundance of practical tools with a rich understanding of Scripture. This is one of the best resources I’ve come across for Christians seeking to overcome anxiety with spiritual life that really makes sense—rooted and grounded in truth, freedom, and tangible grace.

~Joe Padilla, co-founder of Mental Health Grace Alliance

This book offers a rare integration of faith and evidence-based practice, giving Christians with OCD both practical tools and spiritual guidance. With clarity and compassion, it lights a path toward freedom, hope, and lasting change in ways that can improve your life.

~Jonathan S. Abramowitz, PhD, professor of psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Justin Hughes has written a thoughtful and compassionate book sure to resonate with any Christian struggling with OCD. His book provides valuable, up-to-date information on this disabling condition, all through the lens of a devout Christian. Facts about OCD and its treatment are punctuated by relevant quotes from scripture, opportunities for reflection and prayer, vignettes from his work with Christian patients, and tips for navigating through misconceptions and barriers commonly experienced by Christians with OCD. I urge any OCD sufferer, perhaps especially those who question the compatibility of medical science and Christianity, to read this book.

~C. Alec Pollard, PhD, professor emeritus of family and community medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, and founding director, Center for OCD & Anxiety-Related Disorders, Saint Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute

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Behind the Scenes

For the last six years, I’ve been trying to “practice what I preach”—but it wasn’t easy.

While writing The Christian’s Guide to Overcoming OCD, I faced some of the same “what-ifs” my clients do. What if I misrepresent God? What if I’m not good enough? What if this fails? I want to help bring hope and freedom for those who suffer deeply from fear. I had to face my own first.

Watch the story: This month’s YouTube details the ups and downs and why it was worth 6 years.

How do we hold a position of acceptance in the face of injustice? When Marcus Aurelius said, “Choose not to be harmed—and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed—and you haven’t been,” was he saying that it doesn’t matter what happens to you? What about in the face of persecution or discrimination? The challenge with a stance of nonacceptance is it keeps you stuck trying to change things that have already happened. Acceptance does not mean inaction; rather, it often means taking wise action.

Acceptance is moving the focus from “This never should have happened” to “How do we improve the situation now?” When the political activist Angela Davis said, “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept,” she was not arguing against the stance of radical acceptance; she was arguing against inaction. Even within actions such as advocacy we can see the dichotomy of control—we use what we can control to influence the larger system. The Stoic virtue of justice holds that we should strive to live a just life and by extension build a just community.

In considering advocating for change it can be helpful to understand the concept of Cosmopolitanism, or the idea that all humans live in two communities: their own local community and the larger community of humanity. Stoic philosopher Hiercoles drew out a series of concentric circles to illustrate the interconnectedness of humanity (called oikeiôsis).

The innermost circle represents the individual; the next circle stands for immediate family and friends. The third circle is extended family and the local community. The fourth circle is the regional and the outermost circle is humanity. The teachings of Hiercoles is that we should strive to bolster our interconnectedness or affiliation with each other by treating each other better. This would support the need to address systemic inequalities and biases that harm our fellow human beings (our community members).

So where do we start? First, we start with the center of the concentric circles. The place we have the most control over is ourselves. It’s important to evaluate what messages we have internalized that support systemic oppression. Ask yourself:

• What stories have I been explicitly and implicitly told?

• How have those stories affected how I think and what I do?

• In what ways do I unintentionally serve to reinforce this system that devalues human life?

We radically accept that while it might not be our fault that we were exposed to the biases, it is our responsibility to address them.

As we move out from the center of the concentric circles we individually have less and less control. So, changing a system requires participation from the system. This is challenging, as systems tend to maintain themselves. The challenge is to accept the parts of the system we can’t directly control and instead see where we might have influence. You as an individual worker might not be able to change your working conditions, but as a part of a labor/trade union you have collective bargaining power. You as a citizen can’t control what the government does but through organized political advocacy you can influence policy. Patrick Geddes, the Scottish conservationist, is credited with the now common phrase, “Think globally, act locally.” You will be able to create the most change if you start with the inner rings of the circle and build momentum toward changing the next level outward.

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Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from the bonus online materials from the New Harbinger Book The Stoicism Workbook: How the Wisdom of Socrates Can Help You Build Resilience. To learn more about the book, check out these links:

Stoicism Workbook from New Harbinger

Stoicism Workbook from Amazon

El estoicismo paso a paso: Cómo la sabiduría de Sócrates ayuda a desarrollar la resiliencia y a superar los contratiempos

Manual do Estoicismo

As someone who truly loves therapy, I often think about the evolution of CBT. The earliest success of CBT for depression resulted in its proliferation. As it spread, it matured. CBT was adapted for a multitude of diagnoses including anxiety disorders, trauma, eating disorders, personality disorders, and psychosis. It also evolved in form. Some have spoken of the waves of CBT, those characterized as behavioral, cognitive, and mindfulness and acceptance based.

Different iterations of cognitive and behavioral therapies emerged, as was the alphabet soup that followed. Treatment developers and researchers focused on how the different branches of the CBTs compared to one another. Simultaneously, many therapists learned to move from branch to branch, capturing tools and strategies to help their clients (and themselves).

Over the decades, countless brilliant and passionate people developed specialized approaches to CBT. Scientific work has shown that these approaches are effective in treating a wide variety of problems, including psychosocial stressors and resilience building. Millions of people have benefitted from these efforts.

From these conditions, many therapists developed competencies across the different related therapies like Beckian CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. As we’ve learned these different approaches, we’ve yearned to know, “How might we go about combining these tools to best help the people we work with?” Certainly, several universals exist across these therapies. How do they fit together?

This book represents an integration of these differing models. CBT evolved as it spread, and now it’s being gathered back together to represent a robust and pragmatic transdiagnostic therapy that is rooted in depth, compassion, curiosity, recovery, and empiricism. This book provides a framework for a psychological understanding of the factors that are implicated in the kind of suffering we see in our consultation rooms. And it shows how to create case formulations that allow for disciplined integration of the many techniques that have evolved across multiple models of Cognitive Behavior Therapy.

The authors wrote a book that is amazingly accessible and clinically oriented. The skills and ideas are immediately usable. This book represents the type of therapist I aspire to be. I thoroughly love this book, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

This book also heralds in a new book series for Routledge. Modern Integrative CBT is a series developed specifically for books just like this one. The series is focused on shaping the future of CBT that is focused on high quality therapy that includes a robust integration of strategies that work and a lot of heart. Keep an eye out for other great titles just like this one.

Book Description

Eight Principles for a Modern CBT is a training guide for both new and experienced clinicians who want to understand and apply the newest developments in cognitive behavioral therapy. It’s a hands-on manual that helps readers sort through competing models for addressing cognitive change, emotion processing, and behavior change. When is acceptance indicated, and how does one “do” acceptance in therapy? How can mindfulness be incorporated in ways that are brief, simple to teach, and effective? How should therapists use clients’ values and hopes as guides for setting a course in therapy, rather than focusing exclusively on medicalized diagnoses? How does one tailor treatment for varying levels of severity of impairment? In these pages, readers will find answers to and insights on these questions and much more, including perspectives on evolutionary psychology and newer, process-based models that put human suffering in a less medicalized and stigmatizing frame.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Eight Organizing Principles for CBT

Chapter 1. Introduction

Chapter 2. Principle #1: Normalizing Human Suffering

Chapter 3. Principle #2: Transdiagnostic Processes

Chapter 4. Principle #3: A Focus on Client Strengths and Values

Chapter 5. Principle #4: The Use of Guided Discovery and Validation Strategies in Fostering the Treatment Relationship

Chapter 6. Principle #5: Balancing Acceptance, Mindfulness, and Change Processes

Chapter 7. Principle #6: Balancing Cognitive and Experiential Interventions in CBT

Chapter 8. Principle #7: Self Processes

Chapter 9. Principle #8: A Contextual Account of Human Functioning

Part 2: Case Applications

Chapter 10. Introduction and Format of Presentations

Chapter 11. Case #1: A Desperate Mother

Chapter 12. Case #2: The Lone Ranger

Chapter 13. Case #3: A Case of Coke

Chapter 14. Case #4: Parents of a Self-Injuring Teen

Chapter 15. Case #5: The Case of Efran―Finding Meaning

Critics’ Reviews

“Eight Principles for a Modern CBT provides clinicians with a humane, sophisticated, realistic, flexible, and practical guide to using a wide range of CBT approaches. Written in a user-friendly style, the years of clinical wisdom gained by treating patients and training therapists comes through in every chapter. Specific case examples illustrate the real room of therapy without a rigid fidelity to a therapeutic model. What I loved about this book was the openness to other approaches, the appreciation and validation of human suffering as an inevitable part of the human condition, and the practical insights and metaphors that the authors provide throughout.”

Robert L. Leahy, PhD, director, American Institute for Cognitive Therapy and clinical professor, Weill Cornell Medical College

“Temple and Codd address a persistent challenge for training clinicians in cognitive-behavior therapy, namely, how do we give them the most effective tools in the most efficient timeframe? Eight Principles for a Modern CBT isolates the central concepts that form the foundation for clinicians to maximize the efficacy of this complex treatment model. The rich case illustrations provide readers with details on the full gamut of CBT applications with adults. The book should be seriously considered for any professional training clinicians in this approach. It is also as an excellent resource for seasoned experts who need a quick reference for problems that might not be a routine part of their everyday practice.”

Dean McKay, PhD, ABPP, professor of psychology, Fordham University, past president, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and past president, Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology

“This is a book that aspires to be the ‘big tent’ under which all the diverse forms of cognitive and behavioral therapies are described and integrated. And it succeeds. Although some may want a deeper dive into each—and ample references are provided for those readers—most will find the clinical integration of these approaches extremely useful. For teachers, this book provides the next step for students who struggle to make sense of how to navigate so many forms and waves of CBT without rigidly adhering to a specific school of thought. For clinicians, the book validates the need to do what works in complex clinical situations. I will use it with my PG4s.”

Donna M. Sudak, MD, past president, AADPRT, professor of psychiatry and vice chair for education, Drexel University, and general psychiatry residency program director, Phoenixville Hospital – Tower Health

Buy the book from the publisher

Buy the book from Amazon

note: My book review is also found as the foreword in the beginning of the book.

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ABCT Self-Help Book Recommendations

The goal of the workbook is to teach scientifically-validated principles and strategies from the perspective of Stoicism. We focus on skills related to developing and fostering resilience in the face of adversity. Themes and interventions from modern therapies such as CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy are taught with both ancient and modern examples. We poured our whole hearts into the book and it is so rewarding to see how well it has already been received. Thanks so much to everyone for their kindness!

To learn more check out these editorial reviews

Review

“This book is a brilliant synthesis of old and new. The authors have updated the powerful, life-affirming philosophy of Stoicism for a modern-day audience, keeping its ancient roots while infusing it with insights from contemporary approaches such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). It’s an excellent and easy-to-use workbook, that among other benefits, will help you to live by your values, unhook yourself from difficult thoughts, make room for difficult emotions, be compassionate to yourself, use your core values as a compass to guide you, and live mindfully. Highly recommended!”
—Russ Harris, physician, therapist, and author of ACT Made Simple and The Happiness Trap

“Thousands of years before psychotherapy existed, the practical wisdom of Stoic philosophy changed lives and shaped global civilizations! Written by internationally renowned experts in Socratic thought and evidence-based psychotherapy, this book harnesses the power of Stoic wisdom and the best that psychological science has to offer. This is a method that helps you to feel deeply and live wisely. I loved it. Highly, highly recommended!”
—Dennis Tirch, PhD, director at The Center for Compassion Focused Therapy

“This book is a scholarly, engaging, and informative journey into the philosophical origins of CBT, namely STOICISM revisited. The Stoic skills reviewed provide guidance on how to conduct modern-day psychotherapy, and ways to bolster resilience in patients. This is a journey worth taking.”
—Donald Meichenbaum, PhD, research director of the Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention in Miami, FL

“Scott Waltman, R. Trent Codd, and Kasey Pierce created a friendly, welcoming, and reflective workbook from their extensive insight and knowledge of Stoic philosophy. The Stoicism Workbook illuminates the quote from Nöel Coward, ‘Work is more fun than fun.’ The powerful exercises will guide you through the radiant wisdom of the Stoics. They feel like they are with you as wise guides on every page. The Stoicism Workbook encourages a deeper understanding of Stoicism, and can effect profound change in your life.”
—Karen Duffy, New York Times bestselling author of Wise Up, Backbone, and Model Patient; pain patient advocate and certified Hospice Chaplain; and board member of Stoicares, an organization that promotes Stoicism as a philosophy of care and well-being

“The Stoicism Workbook is a masterpiece of self-help. The authors manage to introduce Stoicism and cognitive flexibility by leading the reader on a journey of self-knowledge and self-awareness. In the end, don’t be surprised if you really have managed to embrace Stoicism as a way of thinking and living. I highly recommend that you enjoy the ride.”
—Carmem Beatriz Neufeld, PhD, associate professor at the University of São Paulo, head of the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention and Research Laboratory, and president of the Latin American Federation of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies

“A really useful workbook, combining ancient wisdom and modern psychology to enable you to become wiser and more resilient. Successfully synthesizes Stoicism and Socrates with third-wave cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approaches like ACT and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). A book I will be recommending to my therapy clients and therapist colleagues.”
—Tim LeBon, author of 365 Ways to Be More Stoic, accredited CBT therapist working in the NHS and private practice, and director of research for Modern Stoicism and the Aurelius Foundation

“This book provides a perfect guide for navigating life’s inevitable challenges. The highly esteemed authors have successfully combined the wisdom of Stoicism with that of Socrates, to present a perfect model of stability and consistency in times of crisis. If you want to embrace uncertainty and improve your resilience in times of global or personal crisis, you need to read and practice this book.”
—Mehmet Sungur, professor of psychiatry at Istanbul Kent University in Istanbul, Beck Institute International Advisory Committee member, and World Confederation of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies executive board member

“The Stoicism Workbook by Waltman, Codd, and Pierce is an excellent introduction to how we can use the classic ideas of the Greek and Roman Stoics to build resilience, acceptance, and wisdom. Highly readable and practical, the exercises and insights in this ‘smart book’ will help every reader cope better with their unrealistic expectations and unhelpful responses to the inevitable frustrations of daily life. The authors are to be commended for this important contribution. Highly recommended.”
—Robert L. Leahy, PhD, author or editor of twenty-nine books, including If Only...: Finding Freedom from Regret, The Worry Cure, and The Jealousy Cure

Stoicism Workbook from New Harbinger

Stoicism Workbook from Amazon

El estoicismo paso a paso: Cómo la sabiduría de Sócrates ayuda a desarrollar la resiliencia y a superar los contratiempos

Manual do Estoicismo

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Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them. - Epictetus

Ancient Stoicism is actually more compatible with third wave CBT than the second wave. The principles of Stoicism involve teaching people to be non-judgmental, learn acceptance to the limitations of their control, and focus on living a good life guided by values. The ancient Stoics had explicit and detailed anger management strategies and teachings.

A common example in modern CBT is try to imagine an ambiguous and possibly upsetting situation such as being cutoff in traffic. Next to soften to initial reaction, you might be asked to imagine they have a good reason for being in such a hurry, maybe they are driving someone to the hospital or picking up their sick kid from school.

Across all of the modern cognitive and behavioral therapies the goal of anger management is to learn to mentally decelerate, disengage from automatic pilot angry responses, recognize what action would be more adaptive, and engage in alternative behaviors. Though the different CBTs might take a variety of approaches, for example:

• Behavior Modification – Study the antecedents and reinforcers of angry response. Stimulus Control and Reinforcement Strategies.

• CBT – What assumptions are you making? Is it possible they have a good reason for cutting your off?

• REBT - Who cares if they have a good reason or not, what demands are you making (and are they irrational)?

• ACT – Notice the urge to get angry and choose your own behavioral response

• DBT – Check the facts. Then move into problem solving or opposite action.

• Schema Therapy – What is the modal response you are falling into?

Stoicism is focused on finding peace by accepting what you can and cannot control. To the Stoic, it does not matter if the other driver has a good reason for cutting you off, the focus is on being the kind of driver you want to be. There is wisdom in this, as we often lose control of ourselves when we try to force control over things that are outside of our circle of control.

“Some of the wisest of men have in consequence of this called anger a short madness: for it is equally devoid of self control, regardless of decorum, forgetful of kinship, obstinately engrossed in whatever it begins to do, deaf to reason and advice, excited by trifling causes, awkward at perceiving what is true and just, and very like a falling rock which breaks itself to pieces upon the very thing which it crushes.” — Seneca

This webinar will focus on discussing the common strategies for anger management across the big tent of CBT (e.g., CBT, DBT, ACT) and explore examples from Stoicism that could be used to teach these principles. In this way, Stoicism becomes a delivery model for teaching evidence-based strategies. Emphasis will be on teaching strategies which are immediately applicable and usable to attendees. Curriculum will include Seneca’s text On Anger and Marcus Aurelius’ discussion of the 10 gifts of Apollo from Meditations.

Online event

Nov 14 from 11am to 12pm CST (9AM PST/ 12PM EST)

click here to register

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/live-webinar-stoicism-for-anger-with-dr-scott-waltmantrent-codd-eds-registration-1708630061509

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learn more

Reserve your spot

Commencing at 1:00 PM EDT, Kasey Pierce and Scott Waltman PsyD ABPP will introduce the program.

• Dr. Liz Gloyn opens with an inquiry into the relevance of Stoicism: Does Seneca’s relationship advice still work in the twenty-first century?

• Helen Marie critically assesses the effect of modern therapeutic language: Is the current culture of boundaries damaging the art of connection?

• Dr. Jeff Perron, C.Psych provides a psychological lens on behavior: Understanding Schemas in Love and Relationships.

• Dr. Kore Glied and Anna White conduct a character study on The Type C Personality.

Following a break at 2:05 PM, the second segment continues at 2:10 PM with sessions on ethics, ancient guidance, and difficult dynamics:

• Dr. Scott Waltman PsyD ABPP Waltman will present Stoic Interconnectedness: Kindness and Fairness, exploring how core Stoic principles define our ethical duties within relationships.

• Dr, Gregory B. Sadler delves into the rigorous nature of ethical friendship: How Difficult Is It To Find An Aristotelian Friend?

• Prof. Mike Fontaine provides Ovid’s perspective on emotional recovery: How to Get Over a Breakup: An Ancient Guide to Moving On.

• Leah Aguirre addresses a vital subject of safety and recognition: Is This Really Love? Recognizing When You’re in a Coercive, Controlling, and Emotionally Abusive Relationship.

• Kasey Pierce presents an exploration of relationship dependency: Fix-ationship: The CB Paradox.

• Prof. Armand D’Angour concludes the conference with the Keynote address: An Ancient Guide for Modern Lovers.

The proceedings will conclude with final remarks from the hosts around 3:50 PM EDT.

This run of show is considered final but is subject to change in rare circumstances.

For those unable to attend the live sessions on the day, rest assured. A complete recording of all presentations will be made available to every registered participant.

Love and relationships are the threads that define our lives, and this conference is an invitation to examine them with the depth and seriousness they deserve. By bringing together both ancient wisdom and modern psychological rigor, we offer perspectives that are not just academic, but profoundly practical and transformative. We warmly invite you to join this essential conversation, whether live or through the recording, to gain new insights that enrich your understanding of yourself and the people you care about. Register today! We look forward to seeing you there!

Reserve your spot

For people who have learned a cognitive behavioral approach to anger management at some point you've probably been presented an ambiguous situation. Imagine you are driving in traffic and someone cuts you off. You might find yourself angry at the idea of how disrespectful that act was. You might even take it personally. From a cognitive behavioral perspective, we might say okay now imagine that person has a good reason for cutting you off, perhaps they're late for a job interview or they're driving to the hospital because their spouse is in labor.

While a cognitive behavioral approach might focus on perhaps they have a good reason for doing it. The Stoics would take it a little bit deeper, the Stoics would essentially say, it does not matter if they have a good reason or not for cutting you off, but do you really want to get upset by this? Do you want to let that driver control how you feel? While they may or may not have a good reason for being a bad driver, you can control if you want to stay a good driver. I'm excited to talk much more about this at the upcoming conference, if you're coming check it out.

link for the podcast is below.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0csiThkTLXZB8u3Ty9oOE7?si=IoSUl2ynQgyjVZTk01MarQ

https://youtu.be/ym9lbMZlcfo

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sanity/id1513773243?i=1000731691475

Check out the Stoicism Workbook from New Harbinger

https://a.co/d/1f30dZL

Less than twenty years ago, Stoicism was little more than an obscure niche subject in academic philosophy. Although millions of people owned books by famous Stoics such as Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, nobody thought of Stoicism as a movement within the modern self-improvement field. That changed quite rapidly, as the emergence of social media allowed people all over the world who had read the Stoics to form online communities. In 2008, William B. Irvine published A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy, the first bestselling modern book on Stoicism. A few years later, Ryna Holdiay’s The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, became a huge international bestseller, which confirmed Stoicism as a genre of modern self-help. Now it’s difficult to keep track of the new books and articles being published on Stoicism every year.

The foundations of this Stoic renaissance were laid much earlier, though, in the 1950s, by Albert Ellis, one of the leading pioneers of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), Ellis, having become thoroughly disillusioned with the psychoanalytic therapy in which he had trained, decided to start again from scratch. He began developing what, at that time, he called simply “rational therapy” but later became known as rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Ellis had read widely in the field of psychotherapy but also in related subjects, particularly philosophy. Ellis recalled having first encountered the writings of Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus as a young man. As he began looking for an alternative to the psychoanalytic tradition, they suddenly appeared more relevant to him than ever before. Ellis was happy to credit the Stoics with anticipating his key ideas: “Many of the principles incorporated in the theory of rational-emotive psychotherapy are not new; some of them, in fact, were originally stated several thousand years ago, especially by the Greek and Roman Stoic philosophers,” and he names Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius in particular as his influences in this regard (Ellis, 1962, p. 35). (Ellis appears to have been less interested in Seneca, the other famous Stoic whose works survive today.)

Indeed, Stoicism became one of the main philosophical inspirations for the new approach to psychotherapy that Ellis was developing. When Aaron T. Beck published his seminal Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders he likewise said that “the philosophical underpinnings [of cognitive therapy] go back thousands of years, certainly to the time of the Stoics, who considered man’s conceptions (or misconceptions) of events rather than the events themselves as the key to his emotional upsets. (Beck A. T., 1976, p. 3). In particular, the famous quote from Epictetus used by both Ellis and Beck to explain the role of cognition in their theory of emotion, and psychopathology, became almost a cliche among therapists: “People are disturbed not by events, but by their opinions about events.” This quote is found in countless subsequent books on CBT. It is, however, the only reference to Stoicism mentioned by most of them. That subsequent neglect of Stoicism is surprising for several reasons.

1. Ellis, the original pioneer of cognitive-behavioral therapy, refers to Stoicism many times throughout his writings, drawing on different passages from Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, and he employs many other concepts and practices that appear indebted to Stoicism.

2. As Stoicism and CBT share virtually the same premise about the role of cognition in emotional problems, they’re likely to arrive at similar conclusions about the best solutions, and we should therefore expect that Stoic contemplative practices might be worth investigating in order to gain new ideas for therapy strategies and techniques.

3. As Stoicism is not merely a therapy but a whole philosophy of life, it potentially offers a framework for developing CBT into a lifelong practice with a broad scope, for self-improvement and developing general emotional resilience.

4. Many individuals who are not attracted to conventional self-help or therapy literature are nevertheless drawn to Stoicism, and it may therefore provide their only exposure to beneficial psychological advice similar to that found in CBT. For instance, Stoicism is popular with prison inmates and military personnel, who sometimes (mistakenly) view using self-help or psychotherapy as a sign of weakness and therefore to be avoided.

5. With the development of a “third wave” in CBT, consisting of “mindfulness and acceptance” based approaches, emphasis has shifted on to strategies such as developing cognitive mindfulness and clarifying personal values, which bear a striking resemblance to prominent aspects of ancient Stoicism.

The Stoicism Workbook is written by two experienced CBT clinicians, and one layperson who has been applying Stoicism to everyday problems of living. I hope that it will help its readers to discover the many ways in which Stoic philosophy and cognitive psychotherapy might complement each other. In particular, by incorporating recent “third wave” ideas from CBT they help to expand the range of comparisons between Stoicism and modern psychotherapy. Moreover, by drawing attention to the value of Stoicism, and Socratic questioning, for building emotional resilience, they help to bridge the divide between clinical practice and general self-improvement, making the combination of Stoicism and CBT relevant and applicable to a much wider audience.

Stoicism Workbook from New Harbinger

Stoicism Workbook from Amazon

El estoicismo paso a paso: Cómo la sabiduría de Sócrates ayuda a desarrollar la resiliencia y a superar los contratiempos

Manual do Estoicismo

Donald J. Robertson Philosophy as a Way of Life

Author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius

Donald is a writer, cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist and trainer. He is one of the founding members of the Modern Stoicism nonprofit, and the founder and president of the Plato’s Academy Centre nonprofit in Athens, Greece.

Donald specializes in teaching evidence-based psychological skills, and known as an expert on the relationship between modern evidence-based psychotherapy and classical Greek and Roman philosophy. His work is highly interdisciplinary, combining philosophy, history, and psychology.

More Praise for the Stoicism Workbook

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This book is a scholarly, engaging, and informative journey into the philosophical origins of CBT, namely STOICISM revisited. The Stoic skills reviewed provide guidance on how to conduct modern-day psychotherapy, and ways to bolster resilience in patients. This is a journey worth taking.”
—Donald Meichenbaum, PhD, research director of the Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention in Miami, FL

“The Stoicism Workbook is a masterpiece of self-help. The authors manage to introduce Stoicism and cognitive flexibility by leading the reader on a journey of self-knowledge and self-awareness. In the end, don’t be surprised if you really have managed to embrace Stoicism as a way of thinking and living. I highly recommend that you enjoy the ride.”
—Carmem Beatriz Neufeld, PhD, associate professor at the University of São Paulo, head of the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention and Research Laboratory, and president of the Latin American Federation of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies

“A really useful workbook, combining ancient wisdom and modern psychology to enable you to become wiser and more resilient. Successfully synthesizes Stoicism and Socrates with third-wave cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approaches like ACT and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). A book I will be recommending to my therapy clients and therapist colleagues.”
—Tim LeBon, author of 365 Ways to Be More Stoic, accredited CBT therapist working in the NHS and private practice, and director of research for Modern Stoicism and the Aurelius Foundation

“Scott Waltman, R. Trent Codd, and Kasey Pierce created a friendly, welcoming, and reflective workbook from their extensive insight and knowledge of Stoic philosophy. The Stoicism Workbook illuminates the quote from Nöel Coward, ‘Work is more fun than fun.’ The powerful exercises will guide you through the radiant wisdom of the Stoics. They feel like they are with you as wise guides on every page. The Stoicism Workbook encourages a deeper understanding of Stoicism, and can effect profound change in your life.”
—Karen Duffy, New York Times bestselling author of Wise Up, Backbone, and Model Patient; pain patient advocate and certified Hospice Chaplain; and board member of Stoicares, an organization that promotes Stoicism as a philosophy of care and well-being

“This book is a brilliant synthesis of old and new. The authors have updated the powerful, life-affirming philosophy of Stoicism for a modern-day audience, keeping its ancient roots while infusing it with insights from contemporary approaches such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). It’s an excellent and easy-to-use workbook, that among other benefits, will help you to live by your values, unhook yourself from difficult thoughts, make room for difficult emotions, be compassionate to yourself, use your core values as a compass to guide you, and live mindfully. Highly recommended!”
—Russ Harris, physician, therapist, and author of ACT Made Simple and The Happiness Trap

“Thousands of years before psychotherapy existed, the practical wisdom of Stoic philosophy changed lives and shaped global civilizations! Written by internationally renowned experts in Socratic thought and evidence-based psychotherapy, this book harnesses the power of Stoic wisdom and the best that psychological science has to offer. This is a method that helps you to feel deeply and live wisely. I loved it. Highly, highly recommended!”
—Dennis Tirch, PhD, director at The Center for Compassion Focused Therapy

“This book provides a perfect guide for navigating life’s inevitable challenges. The highly esteemed authors have successfully combined the wisdom of Stoicism with that of Socrates, to present a perfect model of stability and consistency in times of crisis. If you want to embrace uncertainty and improve your resilience in times of global or personal crisis, you need to read and practice this book.”
—Mehmet Sungur, professor of psychiatry at Istanbul Kent University in Istanbul, Beck Institute International Advisory Committee member, and World Confederation of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies executive board member

“The Stoicism Workbook by Waltman, Codd, and Pierce is an excellent introduction to how we can use the classic ideas of the Greek and Roman Stoics to build resilience, acceptance, and wisdom. Highly readable and practical, the exercises and insights in this ‘smart book’ will help every reader cope better with their unrealistic expectations and unhelpful responses to the inevitable frustrations of daily life. The authors are to be commended for this important contribution. Highly recommended.”
—Robert L. Leahy, PhD, author or editor of twenty-nine books, including If Only...: Finding Freedom from Regret, The Worry Cure, and The Jealousy Cure

Stoicism Workbook from New Harbinger

Stoicism Workbook from Amazon

El estoicismo paso a paso: Cómo la sabiduría de Sócrates ayuda a desarrollar la resiliencia y a superar los contratiempos

Manual do Estoicismo

Subscribe now

It provides a ‘next generation’ look at the heart and soul of CBT, written in a way that is highly practical and teachable. And it serves all the purposes I look for in an overall CBT text. It will appeal to those who teach and supervise graduate students in psychology and social work, directors of residency training in psychiatry, trainers of community clinicians, and seasoned therapists who simply want to get better at this demanding and rapidly changing practice of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy.

The book provides a thorough description of one of the most difficult but essential skills in the CBT toolkit: Socratic Questioning and Guided Discovery (SQ/GD). The authors provide updated evidence about why SQ works, and they offer a novel framework for doing effective SQ/GD. Over the course of four chapters specifically devoted to their “4-step model”, the authors unfold the model, which despite its simplicity, has considerable power and elegance. These steps include: 1) identify and target key content 2) develop a phenomenological understanding of the cognition 3) foster a collaborative curiosity, and 4) create a summary and synthesis. In Step 1, the reader learns a model for identifying the most relevant targets for interventions from the myriad clinical data that can easily overwhelm and confuse the novice therapist. Step 2 involves validation of the patient, and helping the patient understand, nonjudgmentally, and without stigma or shame, the hidden logic of their beliefs, however maladaptive those beliefs may prove to be. Step 3 fosters a collaborative process of curiosity, as new ways of thinking and behaving are explored and cultivated. Step 4 involves cementing new learning by creating clarity and focus, and by implementing new learning in relevant adaptive contexts in the patient’s life.

Although its title suggests that Socratic Questioning and Guided Discovery is the main subject, the book has a broader focus, and provides a much more comprehensive look at doing CBT than the title indicates. For example, there is a chapter that describes why people often cannot spring free of their own mental traps without help, and a cogent overview of the Generic Cognitive Model. There is a vivid and compelling section on how to adhere to session structure in a way that preserves warmth and humanity. In terms of CBT change strategies, the authors link SQ/GD to two widely used methods in CBT: thought records and behavioral experiments. Detailed descriptions of both methods are provided, and the authors walk the reader through steps to implement both procedures.

The book’s structure effectively supports its learning objectives. The chapter selections are relevant, and they unfold in a logical sequence. After describing the model they put forth, there are chapters that tailor training to both general and specialized purposes, including psychiatry residents and self-therapy applications.

Each chapter is organized so that the reader more easily can learn and retain key principles. For example, each chapter provides lists of key questions that the therapist can use to address the material being covered in that chapter. Diagrams and tables are usefully sprinkled throughout the chapters, including innovative case formulation diagrams, forms to assess adherence to session structure, and others, all of which can be printed out for use by clinicians and trainees. Each chapter contains case descriptions, and most demonstrate how to implement techniques via sample therapy transcripts. I found the vignettes of transcripts to be especially vivid, entertaining, and compelling. Finally, each chapter ends with a summary statement.

Although rooted in Beckian Cognitive Therapy, the authors put forth an integrative model. It links Beckian CBT with emerging science and with other therapies within the CBT community, such as ACT and DBT. For example, Step 2 of the 4-step model involves helping the patient and the therapist arrive at a nonjudgmental understanding of the patient’s problematic beliefs, given their histories and their current contexts. The authors achieve this by effectively linking SQ/GD to the validation strategies that are central in DBT. The book shows how to incorporate DBT validation strategies in a way that fosters the treatment alliance and promotes emotionally evocative exploration, all without provoking shame and resistance.

There are two separate chapters that show how to incorporate SQ/GD into an ACT and a DBT model. These chapters each provide clear summary statements about ACT and DBT, including how and why they depart from traditional Beckian techniques. While acknowledging the ways that ACT and DBT deliberately depart from Beck’s model, the authors of these chapters effectively demonstrate how ACT and DBT practitioners can benefit from including SQ/GD in their therapeutic repertoire. It is rare to see this integration attempted, let alone pulled off successfully. Waltman et al pull this off admirably.

In short, Socratic Questioning for Therapists and Counselors is a worthy addition to the CBT training library. It is a model of pragmatism, simplicity, heart, soul, and comprehensiveness. It belongs not just on the trainer’s shelf, but in the library of all those who aspire to master the practice of modern Cognitive-Behavior Therapy.

Socratic Questioning for Therapists and Counselors (Routledge)

Socratic Questioning for Therapists and Counselors (Amazon)

This book has been translated to several languages including

Questionamento Socrático para Terapeutas

Cuestionamiento socrático para terapeutas y consejeros. Aprenda a pensar e intervenir como un terapeuta cognitivo-conductual

Terapistler ve Danışmanlar İçin Sokratik Sorgulama

こころの支援に携わる人のためのソクラテス式質問法

心理治疗中的苏格拉底式提问：像认知行为治疗师一样思考和干预 - 北京万千新文化传媒有限公司

Сократовские вопросы в психотерапии и консультировании

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Note: We ended up writing a New Harbinger self help workbook for people who want to learn to use these skills on themselves. Check out The Stoicism Workbook: How the Wisdom of Socrates Can Help You Build Resilience and Overcome Anything Life Throws at You

Workbook on Amazon

Workbook from New Harbinger

Scott Temple, Ph.D. is Clinical Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry & Medicine at the University of Iowa. He is a Founding Fellow in the Academy of Cognitive Behavior Therapy and is certified by the Academy as a Trainer/Consultant. He is the author of two books on CBT, most recently Eight Principles for a Modern CBT: Re-Visioning Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Clinical Training

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Stoicism Workbook on Amazon

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This fall I'm cohosting the Plato's Academy online conference on the Philosophy of Love and Relationships. In anticipation of this event, I obtained permission to reshare a clip of my talk from a talk at a previous event. It’s been lightly edited for time. I always have so much fun at these conferences. They are free to attend and open to the general public. Please consider joining us!

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“Every event has two handles – one by which it can be carried, and one by which it can’t. If your brother does you wrong, don’t grab it by his wronging, because this is the handle incapable of lifting it. Instead, use the other – that he is your brother, that you were raised together, and then you will have hold of the handle that carries”

How can we apply this to our relationship with ourselves?

Learn more with the Stoicism Workbook from New Harbinger

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I went down to Brazil for a CBT conference. My Stoicism Workbook and Socratic Questioning Manual have both been translated to Portuguese and I was speaking about both of them. When I fly in for an international conference, it can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a lot of pressure. Often there are people who recognize you and are sorta watching you, sometimes even subtly recording you throughout the week.

When I arrived in Brazil, I found out that on that last night there would be a banquet with dancing, and this is when they told me that they hoped I would be there and they hoped I would dance with them. Now, I have no training in Latin dance and I am not light on my feet at all. There was an initial hesitation that came up. I could think of a myriad of excuses. I hadn’t packed the proper attire. I am tired from training. I could even just politely decline.

I had a decision point. There was a part of me that was afraid of embarrassing myself. Then the wisdom was shared with me. What they essentially said to me was we hope you’ll dance with us and we don’t expect you to be good at it. I shifted my focus from my apprehensions to the opportunities. This could be a lot of fun.

Here was an opportunity to practice mindfulness. In the cognitive therapies we often focus on the Jon Kabat-Zinn definition of mindfulness as being paying attention, on purpose, and nonjudgmentally. This can sometimes make it seem like mindfulness is only meditation. In dialectical behavior therapy they expand this idea of mindfulness to include participation. The idea is that sometimes you have to throw yourself into the moment.

You might have heard the phrase dance like no one is watching. For four hours, I danced like no one was watching, when in reality many people were watching. I continually saw out of the corner of my eye random people recording me. I am sure there is something amusing about watching someone really go for it and simultaneously not know what they are doing.

In those moments, I could have followed my vanity and said, I’m only going to dance if I know it will go well and if I know everyone will think purely positive thoughts about me. But that isn’t how life is. Participation that is conditional or based on rigid rules (for myself and others), makes for a very small life.

Instead, I decided to lean into it. I said to myself that my intention for the night is to proverbially let my hair down. I was going to focus on being a part of the community, enjoying myself, and releasing the inhibitions that no longer served me. I danced along to dances I didn’t know. I sang along to songs I didn’t know. But the feeling of the night was very familiar. We on the dance floor were all connected with each other. It reminded me of what it was like to be young and innocent. I wasn’t weighed down by the burden of my assumptions and self narrative. Despite the language barrier and my very heavy feet, there was a beautiful feel to the night.

The lesson of the night was essentially if you live your life guided by the fears that you will make a mistake or embarrass yourself, then you will also miss out on a lot of fun. Sometimes the best way to let go of your judgments about yourself is to lose yourself in the moment. I will never forget that night. I remember being worried I would regret my decision to dance, but I think looking back I would have regretted not dancing even more.

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Check her book out!

Beyond Stoicism: A Guide to the Good Life with Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans, and Other Ancient Philosophers https://a.co/d/4estCYL

Also if you're interested check out my book The Stoicism Workbook

The Stoicism Workbook: How the Wisdom of Socrates Can Help You Build Resilience and Overcome Anything Life Throws at You https://a.co/d/aj4wjFE