Cognitive behavioral therapists face numerous instances during each session and throughout the course of treatment in which they must make a clinical decision. These "decision points" include instances in which any number of clinical issues could be addressed, a specific intervention is not achieving its desired effect, the patient does not understand or accept the rationale for the technique, or a crisis has emerged that requires a shift in focus. This book describes strategic decision making, a flexible yet evidenced-based approach to working through decision points in order to move treatment forward in cognitive behavioral therapy. It dispels the myth that there is a single "right" therapeutic intervention that must be delivered in any one instance; in fact, many courses of action can facilitate change provided they are implemented strategically. Strategic decisions follow logically from the case conceptualization are arrived upon collaboratively between the therapist and patient allow the patient to leave the session with something new are seen through in their entirety before their effectiveness is evaluated This compelling, accessible book will benefit all cognitive behavioral therapists, especially those who have mastered basic concepts and are refining their skills in applying them to complex cases. Contents: Preface Introduction I. Common Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Strategies Cognitive Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning Session Structure Psychoeducation and Motivational Enhancement Cognitive Restructuring: Automatic Thoughts Cognitive Restructuring: Beliefs Behavioral Activation Problem Solving Exposure Affective Coping Skills Relapse Prevention and Completion of Treatment II. Clinical Applications Case Study: Chronic Depression Case Study: Chronic Anxiety Case Study: Serious Mental Illness Conclusion References Index About the Author About the Author: Amy Wenzel, PhD, ABPP, is a licensed psychologist; owner of Wenzel Consulting, LLC; clinical assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; adjunct faculty at the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy; speaker's bureau member of Cross-Country Education; and affiliate at the Postpartum Stress Center. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Iowa and completed her clinical psychology internship at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine. She is the author or editor of 11 books and approximately 100 journal articles and book chapters, many on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and cognitive processes underlying psychopathology. Her research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (now the Brain & Behavior Foundation). She regularly provides lectures, workshops, and webinars across North America on the practice of CBT, and she has trained and supervised more than 150 mental health providers as they acquired competence in the delivery of CBT. She is on the scientific advisory board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and has help leadership positions in the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. |