Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Dr. Beck has provided a clearly written description of cognitive therapy, with helpful examples, that fills a need in the process of teaching and training students of cognitive therapy."--James L. Shenk, PhD, California School of Professional Psychology, course: Individual Psychotherapy: Cognitive
"A superb textbook that fully realizes the promise of its title....This is essential reading for any student or therapist new to cognitive therapy, but even experienced therapists will find the author's ideas a rich source for enhanced skill-building." --Riki Koenigsberg, PhD in Readings
"This is a most useful manual for beginning students and clinicians in mental health professions. Its emphasis on the pragmatics of cognitive therapy makes it a valuable tool for therapy educators and supervisors. Among the existing books on cognitive therapy that emphasize its theoretical foundations, this stands out as a concise, practical guide.****"--Sara J. Knight, PhD, Northwestern University Medical Schools
"Judith Beck has written an uncommonly useful text both for therapists who want to learn about the concepts and procedures of cognitive therapy as well as for those involved in clinical teaching and supervision. All too often the phrase cognitive therapy' is applied to any effort at helping people construe their world in more productive ways. But it is more subtle and more complex than simply telling a person to stop thinking in a particular way. This lucid, informative book makes the job of understanding cognitive therapy and how to apply it a good deal clearer and easier. I look forward to assigning it to my graduate students."--Gerald C. Davison, PhD, Dean and Professor of Psychology, Annenberg School for Communication, Univ of Southern California; Past President, Assoc for Advancement of Behavior Therapy
"A practical, no-nonsense text that is extremely conprehensive and reader-friendly. Throughout the book, Ms. Beck offers clinical examples taken from actual transcripts of therapy sessions that clearly and practically illustrate each technique and concept...an important, timely, and valuable resource for psychiatric professionals who engage in formal cognitive behavioral therapy or who practice cognitive behavioral techniques in other contexts. This text provides a clarity of conceptualization and a review of techniques that will prove extremely useful to students as well as experienced therapists. This volume certainly will serve as the basic text for cognitive behavioral therapists and should be necessary reading for psychiatric professionals."--D. Thomas Blair in Journal of Psychosocial Nursing
Synopsis
Since its development in the 1960s as a structured, short-term psychotherapy for depression, cognitive therapy has come of age. Today the approach is successfully applied in the treatment of a broad range of psychological disorders, an evolution reflected in the myriad titles now available. Regardless of the disorder, all these applications are based on core, underlying principles, which are clearly articulated in this volume. Providing readers with a solid foundation for practice,
Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond delineates the fundamental building blocks of cognitive conceptualization and treatment.
Written in a clear, step-by-step style, this text helps therapists sharpen their conceptualization skills, plan more effective treatment, expand their repertoire of techniques, and trouble-shoot difficulties. Throughout the volume, the author offers clinical examples and transcripts drawn from one patient's treatment to illuminate the narrative and illustrate cognitive therapy in action.
Introductory chapters describe how to conceptualize clients according to the cognitive model, plan and conduct the first session, identify initial problems and goals, and structure therapy within and across sessions. Then the basic steps for conducting cognitive therapy are presented, with specific instruction on how to identify, evaluate, and respond to a client's automatic thoughts. Effective strategies for modifying underlying assumptions and core beliefs are also explicated.
Methods for increasing homework compliance, preparing for termination, and preventing relapse are laid out. Even experienced cognitive therapists will find new strategies and insights in chapters on planning treatment, diagnosing problems, using imagery, and bringing about behavioral change.
In addition to numerous practical suggestions, this volume features a variety of sample patient worksheets and appendices that detail resource materials and reading lists for both the practitioner and the client. A final chapter offers guidance in progressing as a cognitive therapist.
An important resource for any therapist's shelf, Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond is necessary reading for the practitioner or student new to cognitive therapy who wants to learn about this tested approach, and for the clinician already practicing cognitive therapy who wants to learn the cutting-edge strategies of conceptualization and treatment.
Synopsis
Written in a clear, step-by-step style, this ideal teaching text makes cognitive therapy immediately accessible to students as well as to professionals new to cognitive therapy. The author uses a single case example to demonstrate how to conceptualize patients according to the cognitive model, plan treatment, conduct an initial session, structure therapy within and across sessions, incorporate homework, and use cognitive and behavioral techniques. Instructors will appreciate the book's emphasis on formulating cases, making decisions within therapy sessions, diagnosing problems in therapy, and using advanced techniques to modify core beliefs and underlying assumptions. Transcripts in every chapter richly illustrate the narrative.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 325-330) and index.
About the Author
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., is Director of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research in suburban Philadelphia, and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been invloved in training cognitive therapists for the past 10 years. In addition to supervising intramural and extramural supervisees, she is an acclaimed speaker and has presented numerous workshops nationally and internationally on cognitive therapy for depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and panic disorders, personality disorders, relapse prevention, and couples problems.
Table of Contents
Foreword
Preface
1. Introduction
2. Cognitive Conceptualization
3. Structure of the First Therapy Session
4. Session Two and Beyond: Structure and Format
5. Problems with Structuring the Therapy Session
6. Identifying Automatic Thoughts
7. Identifying Emotions
8. Evaluating Automatic Thoughts
9. Responding to Automatic Thoughts
10. Identifying and Modifying Intermediate Beliefs
11. Core Beliefs
12. Additional Cognitive and Behavioral Techniques
13. Imagery
14. Homework
15. Termination and Relapse Prevention
16. Treatment Planning
17. Problems in Therapy
18. Progressing as a Cognitive Therapist
Appendix A. Case Summary Worksheet
Appendix B. A Basic Cognitive Therapy Reading List for Therapists
Appendix C. Cognitive Therapy Reading List for Patients (and Therapists)
Appendix D. Cognitive Therapy Resources
References
Index