Image: Get Out of Your Head by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: Len's Star Rating: 6 out of 10. A book written for Christian women about addressing negative thoughts by using the strategy of thought replacement.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD, author of unJoy / 7.16.2022; No. 86
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Star Rating – 6 out of 10
Rating guide: 1 = horrible, 5 = average and 10 = wow
Author
Jennie Allen
About the author
Jennie Allen is a bestselling author of several books and Bible study guides and the founder of IF: Gathering, which is a nonprofit organization with a mission to support women in their Christian faith, primarily through large conferences with simulcasts in smaller venues, including private homes. Jennie Allen obtained a master’s degree in biblical studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. Her podcast is called Made for This.
General description
Get Out of Your Head is a book written for Christian women about addressing negative thoughts that, if not addressed early, will lead to other problems, such as unhappiness, relationship difficulties, maladaptive behavior, and spiritual problems. While the author covers some basic concepts of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the primary strategy used in this book is to catch negative thinking early and replace the negative thought with biblical truth. The author also expresses the importance of protecting oneself against spiritual attacks/warfare throughout the text.
Unique and most important aspects
In Get Out of Your Head, Jennie Allen expands on the strategy of thought stopping and thought replacement in different situations. Her message and ideas are summarized well by this quote from the text: “So instead of letting the enemy hold us captive in isolation, let’s remind ourselves of this truth: I have a choice. I can remember that the Spirit of God lives inside me and He will walk with me as I reach out to others who are just as human and just as in need of connection and grace as I am.”
The author shares numerous, candid stories from her own life as examples of using the strategy of thought replacement. While thought replacement is a great exercise for dealing with negative thoughts, many people find they need more thorough practice in other CBT strategies (such as balancing thoughts with a thought log) before they feel comfortable or able to do automatic thought replacement. Also, the author categorizes thoughts as being a “lie” or “truth,” and dealing with thoughts through this forced dichotomy doesn’t work for many people who recognize that several of their unbalanced thoughts contain a partial truth that they have to work through via other, in-depth CBT approaches. Important features of this book include:
The concept of a negative sequence/spiral that begins with an unbalanced/toxic thought
The idea of saying “the last 2 percent” in your interactions with others to develop authenticity in your relationships
The role of choice in our thoughts and the reality that you can change your thinking habits
Best quotes
“If mental illness is a struggle you face, may I please wrap loving arms around you, look you in the eyes, and whisper, ‘This—your anxiety or depression or bipolar disorder or suicidal thoughts—is not your fault’?”
“There are seasons when we need help in the form of counseling and medicine.”
“So what is the one thought that can successfully interrupt every negative thought pattern? It’s this: I have a choice. That’s it.”
“Eventually we get to the place where we don’t even realize we’re interrupting our negative thinking in order to choose mind-of-Christ thinking, because the impulse has become so ingrained.”
Who would enjoy this book?
Readers who are interested in a book that provides a simple strategy for dealing with negative/toxic thoughts from a Christian viewpoint would likely enjoy Get Out of Your Head.
Who would not enjoy this book?
Readers looking for a Christian book with a variety of cognitive-behavioral approaches for dealing with negative thoughts or who find it difficult to perform thought replacement without additional background and therapeutic support are unlikely to enjoy Get Out of Your Head.
Conclusion
Get Out of Your Head is a book written for Christian women about addressing negative thoughts by using the strategy of thought replacement.