Three Minute Therapy: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life
Author: Michael R. Edelstein, David Ramsay Steele
List Price: $21.95
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ISBN: 0944435424
Publisher: Glenbridge Pub Ltd (April, 1997)
Sales Rank: 22,765
Average Customer Rating: 4.68 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 2 out of 5
Powerful concepts, trite examples
I found Three Minute Therapy to be chockfull of examples that were not compelling to me--people having panic attacks over elevators or paying bills, or a woman having an affair who wanted an ironclad guarantee of financial security should she leave her husband.Cognitive therapy is powerful, but I think that soemone considering this book would be better off with David Burn's "Feeling Good" books, which are better written, contain more depth, and deal with more day to day problems than Three Minute Therapy does.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Don't be fooled by the cheesy title or jacket design!
I've just finished the book cover-to-cover, and despite the seemingly frivolous title (kind of like "Six Minute Abs") and cheap jacket design, the book is exceedingly well-written, well thought-out, and very instructive.Basically, the idea behind a lot of our troubles (fears/worry, procrastination, overeating, anger, etc.) stem NOT from "not thinking positive enough" (the author quickly dispels this useless adage), but because we think too negatively; rather, we cling to irrational, or at least unfounded and detrimental, ideas and beliefs and "trick" ourselves into believing them.
Three-minute therapy involves identifying these irrational beliefs, actively challenging them, and then reinforcing the rational counterparts over and over again, for, you guessed it!, 3 minutes a day.
I have to say that for me, personally, it has helped me start to overcome my procrastination and overeating habits. I have yet to fully extend the philosophy to the rest of my life, but I'm anxious to do so.
Edelstein makes a few controversial statements (among them, that AA is a bunch of hogwash for alcoholics, and so is suppressed childhood trauma as the source of present-day emotional trouble), but overall he makes a strong case for a form of therapy that seems practical and highly effective.
The book is written in an informal style, and even imparts some humor. I really liked his list of some of the more ludicrous worries that some of his patients have had!!!
Rating: 5 out of 5
FINALLY a HELPFUL self help book --!!
Three Minute Therapy is based on the tenets of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy and work by of other authors, most notably Dr. Albert Ellis. Having read many other books about CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and REBT I can say with authority that Dr. Edelstein/Dr. Steele's book offers something new to those of us who haven't quite "gotten it" until now.
Of course one has to be skeptical! Can I help myself with MY insurmountable problems in three minute increments? Well, after only a few days with his book I am buoyed and optimistic, and with good reason! Prior to ordering this book I was well on my way to becoming a recluse! After reading the book and doing only 4 three minute exercises I see my perceived "horrors" are being replaced with garden variety frustrations and strong preferences. I am working through my aforementioned "insurmountable" problems and realizing they are not insurmountable at all! Unbelievable that I am getting this much ACTUAL help from a book! What Dr. Edelstein offers that has not been offered before is the stunning news that therapy can indeed be "brief" (three minutes!!???) but totally effective! Three Minute Therapy dispells cultural myths related to therapy, myths that hold many of us back and keep the psychologist's offices cash registers clanging! If all this wasn't enough, I emailed Dr. Edelstein to thank him for writing his book. and he emailed me right back! I had included a bit of personal information about myself and he actually provided a few more specific helpful ideas for me personally! Talk about a guy who loves his work! Here is an author who is 110% committed to providing people with valuable tools for dismantling our self defeating and seemingly destructive ways. Imagine! we can make room for other things in our lives besides a steady stream of "analysis". If you are confused and don't know what to do --BUY THIS BOOK Similar Products
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