The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety

306 Pages·2014·1.79 MB·English

“Outstanding manual that offers a comprehensive approach to change that covers the major areas
of anxiety. Uniquely emphasizes the links between anxiety and common co- occurring conditions,
such as procrastination and indecision. The book shows how to combat anxiety cognitions, build
emotional tolerance, use imagery for relaxation, engage in problem- solving behaviors, and apply
tested techniques for solving more than one emotional problem simultaneously. It features self-
contracts at the end of each chapter to reinforce change.”
— Janet Wolfe, PhD, former executive director of the Albert Ellis Institute and staff
psychologist for thirty- five years, as well as author or coauthor of multiple books,
including What to Do When He Has a Headache
“This book is brilliant! Scientifically sound, user- friendly, compassionate, and deeply understand-
ing of the anxiety disorders— I will insist that many of my patients read it. In fact, regular use of
Knaus’s workbook may actually shorten the length of time required for some anxiety sufferers to
remain in therapy.”
— Barry Lubetkin, PhD, ABPP, director and founder of the Institute for Behavior
Therapy, New York City
“Knaus has an amazing capacity to simplify and clarify complex scientific ideas and to incorporate
them into an accessible, pragmatic text. This workbook can greatly benefit lay people afflicted
with excessive anxiety and commonly associated disturbances. He has added a section on medita-
tive practices, which greatly enhances the appeal and utility of this workbook. I recommend it
heartily.”
— Joseph Gerstein, MD, FACP, founding president of the SMART Recovery
Self- Help Network
“As we strive to navigate the waves of change, push ourselves to constantly do better, and struggle
to accomplish a sense of balance, we can fall prey to the ravages of fear, anxiety, and depression.
Knaus impresses once again by providing a highly practical, research- based methodology to tackle
these psychological demons. Readers will come away with useful tools and strategies that will allow
them to take charge of their lives, restore their well- being, and advance their health and productiv-
ity. Practitioners will also find this workbook a valuable and indispensable resource.”
— Sam Klarreich, PhD, C Psych, president of The Berkeley Center for Effectiveness
and The Center for Rational Emotive Therapy, and coauthor of Fearless Job Hunting
“One of the foundational tenets of the cognitive behavioral therapies is that personal change does
not take place in the therapist’s office. Rather, a patient can only make desired change by
practicing— yes, practicing— the insights and strategies the therapist provides in the context of his
or her daily life. Bill Knaus’s The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety is a rare gem in this
regard; it is both a reference for the therapist to guide the patient through the anxiety- defeating
change process and also a suitable resource for the layperson to independently obliterate anxiety
on his or her own. I will treasure it for my own personal use, keep copies on hand for my anxious
patients as an adjunct for their therapy, and make participants aware of it at my self- help
workshops.
— Russ Greiger, PhD, clinical psychologist in private practice in Charlottesville,
VA, and coauthor of Fearless Job Hunting
“Working through each page of The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety will empower any
reader who is truly ready to get down to the heart of the matter! In this excellent and comprehen-
sive collection of our current understandings and research- driven techniques, Knaus reveals a full
and user- friendly plan for the great defeat of anxiety- feeding beliefs and habits!”
— Pam Garcy, PhD, psychologist in Dallas, TX, and author of The REBT Super
Activity Guide
“Knaus’s step- by- step approach to conquer anxiety is written in a manner that gives the reader a
handle on the source of his or her anxiety and spells out a plethora of sensible, evidence- based
solutions. I heartily recommend The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety to anyone strug-
gling with worry, anxiety, procrastination, and depression. If getting a better handle on emotions,
giving up perfectionism, and defeating social anxiety are your goals, Knaus’s book will seem as
though he wrote it with you in mind.”
— Joel Block, PhD, assistant clinical professor, Hofstra, North- Shore/LIJ School
of Medicine
“A fantastic tool for all those who struggle with anxiety and want to learn how to reduce it once
and for all. Knaus has compiled a very practical, clear, and effective workbook, complemented by
catchy, easy- to- remember tips and a very comprehensive coverage of anti- anxiety strategies and
techniques following in the footsteps of Dr. Albert Ellis’s theory of rational emotive behavior
therapy. I will recommend this workbook to all my anxiety patients.”
— Roberta Galluccio Richardson, PhD, clinical psychologist, Sloane Medical
Practice, London
“In this recent revision, Knaus has provided the reader with an up- to- date and comprehensive
description of anxiety and the role it can play in our now all- too- complicated and demanding lives.
More importantly, he gives the reader those essential and valuable tools he or she needs to better
cope with and reduce modern day stress and anxiety. I strongly recommend this book to the lay
reader and professional alike. This book is truly a gem!”
— Allen Elkin, PhD, in private practice in New York, NY, and author of Stress
Management for Dummies
“Knaus has given us an extensive new edition of his highly successful The Cognitive Behavioral
Workbook for Anxiety. From direct observation, we know that the completion of this project has
been a labor of love. Knaus has a strong scientist- clinician’s grasp of the topics he covers in this
revised edition, and it shows! Throughout the book, he shares his clinical insights and thorough
understanding of the anxiety research. This book effectively summarizes many approaches to
coping with anxiety and offers help to those who needlessly suffer its effects. It is a goldmine of
proven ways and innovative methods to cope with the many faces of anxiety. The self- helper who
chooses to reduce or end needless anxieties and fears, regardless of the form that they take, will
find an organized approach for developing the skills needed to manage anxiety or make it go
away.”
— Leon Pomeroy, PhD, author of The New Science of Axiological Psychology and
Wendy Pomeroy, MD, US Department of Justice, retired
“Knaus’s The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety is a well- constructed, thoughtful explora-
tion of both the causes of and approaches to overcoming or minimizing anxiety and its effects. His
book clearly illustrates the principles and particular steps involved in overcoming anxiety. In addi-
tion, each chapter provides clearly delineated, practical steps to address the principle causes of
anxiety as the subject of each chapter. I have found the approach to addressing ‘double trouble’
particularly useful with clients and friends alike. Oftentimes, simply pointing out how ‘awfulizing’
about having anxiety brings almost immediate relief and allows the person to focus on the circum-
stances and causes of their anxiety. It is clear to me that fully deploying the exercises found in his
workbook will bring benefit to almost anyone struggling with the ill- effects of anxiety.”
— James W. Thompson, PhD, MBA, business psychologist
“Knaus’s excellent book on overcoming anxiety just got even more versatile with this new improved
edition. A virtual one- stop supermarket of information, techniques, case illustrations, top tips, and
exercises for overcoming debilitating anxiety and worry, this fully revised and updated resource
serves multiple purposes. From the unhappy traveler of life looking to feel and do better, to the
therapist in search of an innovative and creative cognitive behavioral approach, this book serves
them all— and incredibly well. Knaus has truly outdone himself on this one!”
— Elliot D. Cohen, PhD, author of What would Aristotle Do? Self- Control through
the Power of Reason
“Anxiety is so common that almost everyone experiences it from time to time. It can interfere with
fully living the only life you have to live. Knaus, a renowned cognitive behavioral therapist and
author, has summarized the cutting- edge knowledge and provided practical steps for you to follow
to deal with anxiety. By following this precious wisdom, you can gain relief from the suffering
caused by anxiety.”
— Sanjay Singh, MD, DNB, PhD, REBT and REE representative in India, professor,
Department of Dermatology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu
University, Varanasi, India.
“If you want to reduce and control your anxieties, worries, fears, etc., Socrates’s advice still holds:
‘Know yourself!’ But how do you do it? Even small steps can help, and this workbook by veteran
psychotherapist Knaus will guide you along the way with a variety of practical tools you can imme-
diately apply for observing and managing your thinking- feeling- acting. Alfred Korzybski, an early
pioneer in what is now called cognitive behavioral therapy, said fears and defensiveness are no
defense. You can learn how to manage yours.”
— Bruce I. Kodish, author of Korzybski: A Biography and Drive Yourself Sane: Using
the Uncommon Sense of General Semantics, coauthored with Susan Presby Kodish
“Freud distinguished between fearing what is harmful and threatening to our survival (realistic
anxiety) and all other fears (neurotic anxiety). Knaus offers systematic ways to reduce self-
handicapping unrealistic anxieties with a series of exercises and written progress reports. Building
on decades of work in cognitive behavioral therapy, he presents highly practical and creative ideas
for educating oneself against anxiety and toward a calmer, more comfortable, and productive life.
His is a valuable, no- nonsense approach to self- help.”
— Richard L. Wessler, PhD, emeritus professor of psychology and codeveloper
of cognitive appraisal therapy
“Knaus has done it again with an important update to his best- selling book The Cognitive Behavioral
Workbook for Anxiety. Not only is this a self- help manual, but it could also be used as a college
textbook in a counseling psychology course. It is astonishingly well written, and the coverage is
detailed and thorough. As a self- help manual it offers a clear, step- by- step solution to the dilemma
of depression and anxiety. It gets the reader moving and changing, because it demands that the
reader be involved enough to take active steps. This is not for the passively disengaged, but for
those who are willing to participate in their own recovery process (which is essential to the overall
healing). As a textbook it is a foundational source for a true understanding of cognitive behavioral
therapy, which has been proven to be today’s most effective therapeutic technique. And in this
case you will be reading words from the master, as Knaus himself has contributed greatly to the
creation of this important therapeutic breakthrough.”
— Richard Sprinthall, PhD, emeritus professor at American International College
“This revision of Knaus’s Cognitive Behavioral Work Book for Anxiety is no less than a milestone in
the CBT self- help movement. It is both a compassionate and scholarly reach- out to all those suf-
fering from anxieties that thwart their well- being and development. I am sure, given my personal
acquaintance with the founding fathers of CBT, such as Albert Ellis, that they also would applaud
the publication of this helpful volume.”
— René F.W. Diekstra, PhD, emeritus professor of psychology at the University
College in Roosevelt Middelburg, the Netherlands, and professor of youth and
development at the University of Applied Sciences at The Hague, the Netherlands

T h e
C o g n i t i v e
B e h a v i o r a l
Wo r k b o o k
f o r

A n x i e t y
SECOND EDITION
A S T E P - B Y- S T E P P R O G R A M
WILLIAM J. KNAUS, E D
d
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Publisher’s Note
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the
understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assis-
tance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books
Copyright © 2014 by William J. Knaus
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
Cover design by Amy Shoup
Acquired by Jess O’Brien
Edited by Brady Kahn
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Knaus, William J.
The cognitive behavioral workbook for anxiety : a step-by-step program / William J. Knaus, EdD ; foreword by Jon Carlson,
PsyD, EdD, ABPP. -- Second edition.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-62625-015-4 (paperback) -- ISBN 978-1-62625-016-1 (pdf e-book) -- ISBN 978-1-62625-017-8 (epub) 1.
Anxiety--Treatment. 2. Rational emotive behavior therapy. 3. Cognitive therapy. I. Title.
RC531.K63 2014
616.85’2206--dc23
2014017718
Printed in the United States of America
16 15 14
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First printing
Contents
Acknowledgments v
Foreword vii
Introduction 1
PART I
Basic Techniques to Defeat Anxiety and Fear
1 Welcome to the World of Anxieties and Fears 9
2 Anxieties and Fears as Friends and Foes 19
3 Your Anxiety Solution 29
4 Developing Your S elf-Observation Skills 39
5 Defusing Double Troubles 47
6 Self- Efficacy Training to Defeat Anxiety 55
7 Breaking the Anxiety- Procrastination Connection 63
PART II
Cognitive, Emotive, and Behavioral Ways to Defeat Anxiety
8 Scenes for Serenity 77
9 Relax Your Body, Relax Your Mind 85