Cognitive Therapy: Basic Principles and Applications
This volume–the first of its kind–is a treasure trove for clinicians, scholars, and researchers. Its vast scope includes the theory, technique, assessment, and treatment of cognitive therapy. (Aaron T. Beck)Dr. Leahy has provided a thoughtful, scholarly portrayal of cognitive therapy and its underpinnings. The chapter on the historical context of cognitive therapy is especially pleasing. This text will satisfy those who wish to connect therapeutic principles to basic research in psychology, as well as practitioners who seek concrete, sensible advice on how to implement cognitive therapy to help their patients. (Robert J. DeRubeis)A wonderfully practical guide to state-of-the-art practice of cognitive-behavioral assessment and treatment. Grounded in the author's substantial clinical experience, as well as a coherent theoretical base and current research findings, the text provides rich detail about clinical interventions and rationales for their use with depression, anxiety disorders, and couple relationship problems. Among the strengths of the book is Dr. Leahy's description of how short-term cognitive-behavioral approaches can easily be integrated into the work of therapists with differing theoretical orientations. Going far beyond a cookbook approach, Dr. Leahy demonstrates how the complexities of case formulation are addressed through developmental assessment of the patient and careful attention to issues of resistance and countertransference. This book is an excellent resource both for therapists who want to focus on the practice of cognitive therapy and those who want to broaden their repertoires with a variety of effective, relatively short-term therapeutic strategies. (Norman B. Epstein)