Cognitive behaviour therapy for psychiatric problems : a practical guide

Cognitive behavior therapy is now firmly established as the leading psychological treatment for many psychiatric conditions, and numerous controlled trials have demonstrated its effectiveness. This innovative book provides detailed guidance on how to practice cognitive behavior therapy with patients suffering from a wide range of emotional disorders. Unlike most existing handbooks this guide concentrates on treatment. The editors have drawn together contributions from acknowledged experts in the practice, teaching, and empirical investigation of cognitive-behavioral principles, followed by a detailed account of how to carry out a cognitive-behavioral assessment. Subsequent chapters provide self-contained descriptions of how to use cognitive behavior therapy to treat particular conditions, including panic and generalized anxiety, phobic disorders, depression, obsessional disorders, somatic problems, eating disorders, chronic psychiatric handicaps, marital problems, and sexual dysfunctions. A final chapter describes problem solving. Each chapter begins with a description of the condition under consideration, outlines assessment procedures and how to formulate the problem, and then takes the reader step-by-step through treatment, emphasizing how to overcome difficulties encountered during treatment. Extensive use is made of clinical material and case illustrations.