The Intrusive Thoughts Toolkit: Quick Relief for Obsessive, Unwanted, or Disturbing Thoughts

Quiet your noisy mind—and find peace of mind—with fast-acting, on-the-spot relief for persistent, painful, and intrusive thoughts.

Do you have unwanted, repetitive, negative, or intrusive thoughts that are getting in the way of your life, keeping you up at night, or making you downright miserable? If so, you need quick tools you can use right now—whenever and wherever you are—to soothe the disruption of intrusive thoughts. This emergency toolkit has you covered.

Written by a team of mental health experts and grounded in evidence-based therapy, Intrusive Thoughts Toolkit provides fast-acting tools for soothing distressing thoughts in the moments when you need it most. With this take-anywhere guide, you’ll learn proven techniques to get unstuck from negative thoughts and feelings, adopt healthier thinking habits, and increase overall well-being. You’ll also find easy and doable ways to help you press pause on spiraling thinking, and in-the-moment interventions to help you quiet your mind before your thoughts get out of control.

If you’re looking for quick solutions to help you move beyond intrusive thoughts and improve your mental health, this powerfully effective pocket guide has everything you need to find lasting peace of mind.

Jon Hershfield, MFT, is director of The Center for OCD and Anxiety at Sheppard Pratt in Towson, MD. He specializes in the use of mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders. He is author of Overcoming Harm OCD, When a Family Member Has OCD, and The OCD Workbook for Teens; and coauthor of The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD and Everyday Mindfulness for OCD.

Tom Corboy, MFT, is executive director of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, which he founded in 1999. He is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (MBCBT) for the treatment of OCD and related anxiety-based conditions. In addition to his work with individual clients, he has trained and mentored many postgraduate interns, has presented at numerous conferences held by the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), and has facilitated weekly therapy groups for adults with OCD since 1997.

Sally M. Winston, PsyD, is founder and codirector of the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland in Towson, MD. She served as first chair of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) Clinical Advisory Board, and received their prestigious Jerilyn Ross Clinician Advocate Award. She is a master clinician who has given sought-after workshops for therapists for decades. She is coauthor of What Every Therapist Needs to Know About Anxiety Disorders and Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts.

Martin N. Seif, PhD, is cofounder of the ADAA, and was a member of its board of directors from 1977 through 1991. Seif is former associate director of the Anxiety and Phobia Treatment Center at White Plains Hospital, a faculty member of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and is board certified in cognitive behavioral psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology. He maintains a private practice in New York, NY; and Greenwich, CT; and is coauthor of What Every Therapist Needs to Know About Anxiety Disorders and Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts.

Catherine M. Pittman, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders and brain injuries. She is professor of psychology at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, IN; where she has taught for more than thirty years.

Elizabeth M. Karle, MLIS, is collection management supervisor at the Cushwa-Leighton Library at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, IN. In addition to supplying research for this book, she has personal experience with anxiety disorders—providing a firsthand perspective that focuses the book on what is most useful for the anxiety sufferer. Originally from Illinois, she currently resides in South Bend, IN; and holds degrees or certificates from the University of Notre Dame, Roosevelt University, and Dominican University. She is author of Hosting a Library Mystery.

William J. Knaus, EdD, is a licensed psychologist with more than forty-six years of clinical experience working with people suffering from anxiety, depression, and procrastination. He has appeared on numerous regional and national television shows, including The Today Show, and more than one hundred radio shows. His ideas have appeared in national magazines such as U.S. News & 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 postdoctoral psychotherapy training in rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Knaus is author or coauthor of more than twenty-five books, including The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Depression and The Procrastination Workbook.

Jennifer Shannon, LMFT, is a psychotherapist, and author of Don’t Feed the Monkey Mind, The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens, and A Teen’s Guide to Getting Stuff Done. She is a diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy.

David A. Carbonell, PhD, is a clinical psychologist who specializes in treating anxiety in all its forms. He is author of Panic Attacks Workbook, The Worry Trick, and Fear of Flying Workbook. He is “coach” on the popular self-help website, www.anxietycoach.com, and has taught workshops on the treatment of anxiety disorders to more than 9,000 professional psychotherapists in the US and abroad. He is a long-standing member of the ADAA, and a frequent presenter at their annual conferences. He received his doctorate in clinical psychology from DePaul University in 1985, and has maintained a practice devoted to the treatment of anxiety disorders since 1990. He lives in Chicago, IL; with his wife and a pair of rescue dogs. In his spare time, he is a founding member of The Therapy Players, an improvisational comedy troupe of professional psychotherapists which performs at clubs, theaters, and mental health conferences throughout the Chicago area.

Amy Johnson, PhD, is a coach, author, and speaker who shares a new paradigm for how our mind works that leads to lasting freedom from anxiety, depression, insecurity, and unwanted habits. She is author of Being Human, The Little Book of Big Change, and Just a Thought, and has been a regularly featured expert on The Steve Harvey Show and in The Wall Street Journal.