Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: A Practical Guide to Helping People Take Control explores the premise that negative beliefs play an important role in the development and continuation of mental health problems. The book offers a new integrative model of causality for instigating change, based on giving clients control and choice over these beliefs, and therefore over their mood and behaviour.

This practical guide also focuses on the stigmas often attached to people with ''mental illness''. Danny C. K. Lam suggests that by providing both the client and the general public with a more accurate understanding of the nature and causes of mental health problems it is possible to de-stigmatise the ''mental illness'' label. This will help the client improve self-esteem and the ability to manage personal and interpersonal difficulties and take control of their problems and responsibility for recovery.

Divided into six parts, this book covers:

• stigma, prejudice and discrimination from societal perspectives
• the nature and cause of emotional upsets
• a therapeutic framework for change
• self-prejudice, personal and interpersonal issues
• good and bad methods of communication
• practical approaches to assessing problems
• methods of taking control.

This cognitive behavioural approach to mental health problems is an innovative contribution to the field. Illustrated throughout with clinical examples and practical advice, the book is essential reading for all of those involved in mental health, from nurses to counsellors, and from medical practitioners and social workers to ministers of religion.