Description
Book SynopsisCognitive therapy, with its clear-cut measurable techniques, has been a welcome innovation in recent years. However, the very specificity that lends itself so well to research and training has minimized the role of the therapeutic relationship, making it difficult for therapists to respond flexibly to different clinical situations. What is needed is an approach that focuses on the underlying mechanisms of therapeutic change, not just on interventions. In this practical and original book, two highly respected clinician-researchers integrate findings from cognitive psychology, infant developmental research, emotion theory, and relational therapy to show how change takes place in the interpersonal context of the therapeutic relationship and involves experiencing the self in new ways, not just altering behavior or cognitions. Making use of extensive clinical transcripts accompanied by moment-to-moment analyses of the change process, the authors illustrate the subtle interaction of cognitive and interpersonal factors. They show how therapy unfolds at three different levels—in fluctuations in the patient's world, in the therapeutic relationship, and in the therapist's inner experience—and provide clear guidelines for when to focus on a particular level. The result is a superb integration of cognitive and interpersonal approaches that will have a major impact on theory and practice. A Jason Aronson Book
Trade ReviewThis volume is a poignant rejoinder to those who believe cognitive-behavioral therapies lack emotional immediacy or fail to utilize the therapeutic relationship. It defines a cognitive-behavioral approach to interpersonal issues that employs a sharp focus on therapist-patient interactions. -- Aaron T. Beck M.D., professor of psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Safran and Segal have written an important and timely book. Equally at home in cognitive and interpersonal psychotherapy, they contribute significantly to the growing rapprochement between two major theoretical orientations and sets of techniques. Forward-looking theorists, therapists, and researchers are becoming united in assigning centrality to the therapeutic relationship and the experiential aspects of all therapeutic approaches. This excellent book clearly contributes materially to progress in this area. -- Hans Strupp, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Vanderbilt University
Table of ContentsPart 1 Part I. Theory Chapter 2 The Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective on the Therapeutic Relationship Chapter 3 Technical and Relationship Factors in Therapy Chapter 4 A Theoretical Model for Integration Part 5 Part II. Practice Chapter 6 Experiential Disconfirmation and Decentering: I.Out-of-Session Focus Chapter 7 Experiential Disconfirmation and Decentering: II. In-Session Focus Chapter 8 Accessing Action-Disposition Information Chapter 9 General Clinical Issues Chapter 10 Patient Selection for Short-Term Cognitive Therapy Chapter 11 Conclusion
