Synopses & Reviews
Despite ongoing criticism of strict beauty ideals, cosmetic surgeons and diet pill manufacturers continue to thrive and tolerance for body flaws seems to lessen every day. More and more people have begun to internalize a need for physical perfection. And the psychological distress that accompanies body image dissatisfaction leaves many individuals in a long-term struggle.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Body Image Dissatisfaction is a manual for practitioners seeking to help clients let go of self-judgment and preoccupation with body image. Mindfulness and acceptance approaches target the underlying anxiety and perfectionism that keep many trapped in destructive relationships with their bodies. This book presents a clear plan for showing clients how to clarify their values to help broaden their lives and refocus on what is most meaningful and vital to them. It presents a clear ACT protocol, complete with sample scripts, therapy exercises, case studies, and worksheets, for treating body image dissatisfaction. You'll learn from a wide range of clinical examples of body image dissatisfaction, some of which explore manifestations in medical populations. The treatment protocol in this book can be effectively applied to both men and women, across a wide age range.
Review
“Body image dissatisfaction is particularly well-suited to an acceptance-based approach, yet there has been little to guide therapists in confronting this sensitive topic with their clients. I commend the authors for taking on this challenging issue and providing a clear-eyed yet empathic approach that is equally useful whether a client’s concerns reflect primarily distorted perceptions, or, at least to some extent, more reality-based apprehensions regarding others’ potentially negative responses to their physical presentation.”
—Linda Craighead, Ph.D., professor of psychology and director of clinical training at Emory University in Atlanta, GA
Review
“After observing her for over a year in complex psychological settings, I have been impressed by how Adria Pearson ‘walks the talk’ of acceptance and commitment therapy. She seems always to be ACT-consistent by embodying genuineness, honesty, and courage in all her actions. This book is just like that… she knows the concepts well enough to express them in ways that are equally meaningful for both therapists and clients who struggle with body image dissatisfaction.”
—Kenneth D. Cole, Ph.D., director of training at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System
Synopsis
The term 'body image dissatisfaction' covers a wide range of psychological and physical disorders, and these feelings are so common that many researchers consider them a form of normative discontent. People with body image dissatisfaction may practice body avoidance behaviors, have a distorted perception of their body size, be dissatisfied with their weight or shape, and/or rely on their weight or shape as a basis for self-esteem. Left untreated, these behaviors can lead to an eating disorder and/or extreme psychological distress.
ACT for Body Image Dissatisfaction is a guidebook that offers clinicians all the tools they need to help clients overcome body image dissatisfaction in whatever form it may take. The book guides readers through an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) treatment protocol, providing sample scripts and case studies that readers can use to explain ACT processes to clients. It also includes therapy exercises and client worksheets and offers advice for adapting the program to group therapy. This manual is an excellent resource for mental health practitioners, nutritionists, social workers, physicians, and nurse practitioners interested in addressing clients' and patients' body image concerns using ACT.
Synopsis
ACT for Body Image Dissatisfaction is an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) manual practitioners can use to help clients overcome body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors such as food restriction and binge eating.
About the Author
Adria N. Pearson, PhD, received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno, and completed her internship at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System. Pearson has presented at national conferences on the topic of body image and eating disorders and has written articles in peer-reviewed journals on mindfulness, acceptance, and trauma. She is currently a
Michelle Heffner, PhD, was trained in the West Virginia University Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry eating disorders program. She has assessed and treated eating disorder clients in the West Virginia University Department of Psychology clinic and the West Virginia University Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services.
Victoria M. Follette, PhD, is a foundation professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, and a clinical scientist specializing in interpersonal violence and body image problems.Steven C. Hayes, PhD, is Nevada Foundation Professor and director of clinical training at the department of psychology at the University of Nevada. An author of 38 books and over 540 scientific articles, his career has focused on analysis of the nature of human language and cognition, and its application to the understanding and alleviation of human suffering and promotion of human prosperity. Among other associations, Hayes has been president of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, and the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. His work has received several awards, including the Impact of Science on Application Award from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy.
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