Description: Cravings--those intense desires for certain substances or behaviors with the aim of feeling pleasure and satisfaction--are at the root of all addictive behaviors. Knowing how to manage cravings is the key to avoiding the pitfalls of addiction and staying firmly on the path to recovery. This book offers practical strategies to overcome cravings--from food and drugs to alcohol and smoking--using acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for a healthy, values-driven, and addiction-free life.
Brief description: Maria Karekla, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, and associate professor at the University of Cyprus where she heads the ACThealthy Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Medicine laboratory. She is a peer-reviewed acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) therapy trainer, and presently serves as the president-elect of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) where she has been a fellow since 2019. She is also a fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM). She was nominated in 2017 for the National Literary Awards in the children/adolescents category, and also for her illustrations for the book. She has received numerous national and international awards and grants for her research work. In 2018, she was nominated as Cyprus Woman of the Year in the academic/researcher category.
Review Quotes: "Looking for a self-help guide for cravings that get you into trouble? Look no further than this book. There are many self-help books out there, but very few are evidenced-based and written by clinical psychologists and professors in psychology such as are these two authors. Based on these underpinnings of original research and clinical practice, these two authors compassionately guide you step by step to changing your relationship to cravings."
--JoAnne Dahl, PhD, professor emerita in the department of psychology at Uppsala University in Sweden, licensed psychologist, psychotherapist, peer-reviewed acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) trainer, and Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) fellow--JoAnne Dahl, PhD