Guest: Michael A. Tompkins PhD, author of Anxiety and Avoidance: A Universal Treatment for Anxiety, Panic and Fear

Do you suffer from panic, anxiety, and fear in your day-to-day life? Do you often avoid social situations, activities like driving, or even going to the store because of a fear of being overwhelmed or triggering a panic attack? You might be interested to know that anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders in the United States. In Anxiety and Avoidance, psychologist and anxiety disorder expert Michael Tompkins presents a universal protocol to help you cope with anxiety, panic, and fear, regardless of your particular mental health diagnosis. This universal protocol is based on David H. Barlow’s “unified protocol,” and is a cognitive behavioral approach. Tompkins also draws on mindfulness-based therapies such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) that have been used successfully in the treatment of anxiety disorders for years. The book includes present-moment awareness (mindfulness) techniques, motivational tools for overcoming experiential avoidance, and cognitive tools for reframing anxiety and fear. In addition, you will learn how to use your personal values as a vehicle for lasting change. While most anxiety treatments have focused on symptom reduction, this book teaches you the skills needed to better handle the underlying emotional reactions that lead to anxiety and panic in the first place. If you are ready to stop avoiding situations that cause you to panic and get back to living a full life, this book is a powerful resource that can help you make a lasting change using an innovative, transdiagnostic approach. About the author: Dr. Michael A. Tompkins is the author of six books. His latest book for anxious adults is Anxiety and Avoidance: A Universal Treatment for Anxiety, Panic, and Fear available in September 2013. He is a founding partner of the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy and a Diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. His book for anxious teenagers, My Anxious Mind: A Teen’s Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic is a Magination Press/American Psychological Association bestseller and received the 2011 Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit Award. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, two daughters, and two cats.