The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety - 2nd Edition by William J Knaus (Paperback)

About the Book

In the second edition of this best-selling workbook, William J. Knaus offers a step-by-step program to help readers overcome anxiety and get back to living a rich and productive life. Readers will develop a personal plan using techniques from rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), powerful treatment methods proven to be even more effective than anxiety medication. This edition includes new evidence-based techniques such as behavioral activation and values-based action, addresses perfectionism and anxiety, and features updated, cutting-edge research.

Book Synopsis

When anxious feelings spiral out of control, they can drain your energy and prevent you from living the life you want. If you're ready to stop letting your anxiety have the upper hand, The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety, Second Edition can help you to recognize your anxiety triggers, develop skills to stop anxious thoughts before they take over, and keep needless fears from coming back.

In the second edition of this best-selling workbook, William J. Knaus offers a step-by-step program to help you overcome anxiety and get back to living a rich and productive life. With this book, you will develop a personal wellness plan using techniques from rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), powerful treatment methods proven to be even more effective than anxiety medication. This edition includes new evidence-based techniques such as behavioral activation and values-based action, addresses perfectionism and anxiety, and features updated, cutting-edge research.

Anxiety and panic are intense emotions, and in the moments that you experience them it may seem like you are powerless, but nothing could be further from the truth. This workbook offers a practical program that you can use on your own, or with a therapist, to take back that power and conquer your anxiety.

Review Quotes

"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

"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 productivity. 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

"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 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 meditative 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


"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 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 struggling 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

"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


"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 understanding 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


"Working through each page of The Cognitive Behavioral Workbookfor Anxiety will empower any reader who is truly ready to get down to the heart of the matter! In this excellent and comprehensive 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

About the Author

William J. Knaus, EdD, is a licensed psychologist with more than forty years of clinical experience in working with people suffering from anxiety and depression. He has appeared on numerous regional and national television shows including Today, and more than one hundred radio shows. His ideas have appeared in national magazines such as U.S. News and World Report and Good Housekeeping, and major newspapers such as the Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune. He is one of the original directors of training in rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Knaus is author of twenty books, including The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety, The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Depression, and The Procrastination Workbook.

Foreword writer Jon Carlson, PsyD, EdD, ABPP, is distinguished professor in the division of psychology and counseling at Governors State University, IL.