Chip, I'm a big fan of CBT. Like you, I have no direct expertise but have studied it for years from different angles trying to implement the practices in my own life. The latest insight I picked up from a book called Chatter was to simply call myself by name to get my own attention to look at things from a distance.
There is so much classical Mahayana Buddhist and Taoist thought undergirding the approach to random thoughts and self-consciousness you shared in your piece and in the fantastic CBT worksheet you shared. Our thoughts come to us like hiccups, and are in fact most times not our own. Not taking them at face value is a bold step forward into a new level of consciousness.
Eliott, thanks. Oddly enough, I hadn't thought about this. Should have, since Buddhist (if not Taoist) ideas have been on my radar screen for a while. Pretty sure Dr. Beck did not have that kind of inspiration, but there is a lot of overlap which I'll need to think about.
If you're interested further there is a fantastic old book (1961) by Alan Watts called Psychotherapy East & West. It's all laid out there. There are more modern books to be sure, but none I've found with the wit, humour and playful approach which itself is fundamental to what we call eastern philosophy.
Chip, I'm a big fan of CBT. Like you, I have no direct expertise but have studied it for years from different angles trying to implement the practices in my own life. The latest insight I picked up from a book called Chatter was to simply call myself by name to get my own attention to look at things from a distance.
There is so much classical Mahayana Buddhist and Taoist thought undergirding the approach to random thoughts and self-consciousness you shared in your piece and in the fantastic CBT worksheet you shared. Our thoughts come to us like hiccups, and are in fact most times not our own. Not taking them at face value is a bold step forward into a new level of consciousness.
Eliott, thanks. Oddly enough, I hadn't thought about this. Should have, since Buddhist (if not Taoist) ideas have been on my radar screen for a while. Pretty sure Dr. Beck did not have that kind of inspiration, but there is a lot of overlap which I'll need to think about.
If you're interested further there is a fantastic old book (1961) by Alan Watts called Psychotherapy East & West. It's all laid out there. There are more modern books to be sure, but none I've found with the wit, humour and playful approach which itself is fundamental to what we call eastern philosophy.
Love your blog posts.