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In this title, the authors review psychosocial treatments for anxiety disorders, focusing on the scientific basis and demonstrated outcomes of the treatments. Cognitive-behavioral therapies are highlighted, as they have been the most frequently investigated approaches to treating anxiety disorders. Individual chapters feature specific phobias: social phobia, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. The book is rich in clinical material and integrates science and clinical practice in an effort to help practitioners to improve the effectiveness of their work with anxious clients. Recently developed psychosocial treatments for anxiety disorders reflect the systematic influence of scientifically generated knowledge, and these new treatments yield strong results. Research in such areas as information processing, cognition, behavioral avoidance, and the physiological components of anxious arousal has increased our knowledge of mediators that cause and maintain anxiety disorders.Less

In recent years, there has been a movement away from traditional disorder-specific manuals for the treatment of psychological disorders and toward treatment approaches that focus on addressing psychological processes that appear to cut across disorders. These “transdiagnostic” evidence-based treatments may prove to be more cost-efficient and have the potential to increase availability of evidence-based treatments to meet a significant public-health need. Among clinicians, the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP), developed by Dr. David Barlow and colleagues, is the most recognizable and widely used transdiagnostic treatment protocol with empirical support for its use. This book provides clinicians with a “how to” guide for using the UP to treat a broad range of commonly encountered psychological disorders in adults. Each chapter covers a specific emotional disorder but important transdiagnostic processes are highlighted and discussed in relation to treatment. Case studies are employed throughout to illustrate the real-world application of this unique cognitive behavioral protocol and to instruct clinicians in the nuts and bolts of assessment, case formulation, and treatment in accordance with a transdiagnostic perspective. Most of the chapters are authored by current or former unified protocol team members who are all thoroughly familiar with the UP and will be writing about cases they themselves have treated.Less

This book outlines the principles and practice of Brief Psychoanalytic Therapy. An introductory chapter distills those aspects of psychoanalysis that provide a basis for the approach. Special attention is given to how a therapist may promote a patient’s development by registering and containing emotional states that the patient is unable to manage alone. This is followed by an overview of themes and variations in six forms of brief psychodynamic therapy. The remainder of the book is concerned less with theory than with clinical practice. Treatment and Adherence Manuals detail the specifics of therapist orientation and technique, and a formal research study comparing the approach with Interpersonal Therapy is reported. Case histories of individual treatments unfolding over time are complemented by detailed examination of short sequences of patient–therapist dialogue from transcribed sessions. What emerges is a picture of a psychoanalytic treatment that, while brief, is disciplined and coherent in its concentrated focus on analyzing the transference and countertransference in the therapeutic relationship.Less

Shyness and social anxiety are common emotions experienced by children and teenagers. When intense, they often result in the avoidance of social situations and can significantly impair a child's functioning and emotional development. Left untreated in its clinical state, Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a serious condition often lasting into adulthood. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is highly effective in treating adults with SAD and has been successfully adapted for the treatment of youth. This therapist guide presents a group treatment program for adolescents aged 13 to 18 that uses well-tested CBT techniques. In this program, groups of 5 to 7 youths with excessive shyness or social anxiety learn how to cope in social situations. Cognitive restructuring exercises help participants understand their anxiety and re-examine thinking that may contribute to their distress. Other exercises teach social and problem solving skills, and also increase self-esteem and assertiveness. Behavioral exposure exercises give participants the opportunity to practice these skills by systematically confronting them in feared or avoided social situations. This guide offers practical instruction on how to apply this program, as well as information on the theory and research on which it is based. It provides session outlines for adolescent group therapy, including sample dialogues, role-playing scenarios, and homework assignments. It also addresses individual therapy and provides tips for conducting the treatment with children aged 8 to 12.Less

Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent forms of psychopathology across the life span. Although the onset of such disorders may occur at almost any point, in many cases they begin in childhood. In this title, the editors have brought together many of the field's most respected and innovative researchers and challenged them to take a fresh look at the major factors that contribute to the etiology and maintenance of anxiety disorders in childhood and across the life span. The result is a collection of chapters that will stimulate further theoretical and empirical efforts regarding these important issues.Less

Designed to be used in conjunction with clinical visits, this workbook helps patients plan an exercise program and provides strategies for following through with exercise goals. The workbook is structured to help prevent mood disturbances from blocking the very activities that can help patients feel better. During the course of this program, situational factors are introduced that have been shown to interfere with establishing a successful exercise routine. With therapist guidance, patients learn how to overcome these factors, as well as how to organize the environment so that exercise is successful and rewarding. In addition to information on how to start and maintain an exercise program, this workbook comes complete with worksheets and logs for scheduling and tracking physical activity. Strategies for managing thinking patterns are also provided to help boost motivation and break through barriers to exercise.Less

This therapist guide provides guidance for care providers who want to apply exercise-based interventions to their treatment of patients with mood and anxiety disorders. The interventions described can be applied in a variety of settings ranging from primary care to specialty care in the context of psychological, psychiatric, nursing, or social work settings. Treatment is organized around a weekly prescribed activity program, with an emphasis on teaching patients strategies for staying motivated and organized in order to ensure adherence to the program. In addition to the actual exercise prescription, treatment is directed toward helping individuals get the most out of exercise by programming post-exercise cognitive processing and exercise-friendly activities. Introductory chapters of this guide describe the intervention and how to initiate it with patients, while later chapters focus specifically on using exercise to combat depression, including bipolar disorder, as well as stress, worry, and panic. This manual provides an integrated approach to establish exercise programs targeting mood and anxiety disorders and also provides useful cognitive and behavioral interventions designed to support these programs.Less

It's Only a False Alarm is a workbook for children and adolescents ages 8–17 who are undergoing treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Designed to be used in conjunction with the program outlined in the corresponding Therapist Guide, this online workbook contains easy-to-read psychoeducational material to help children understand their disorder and how to overcome it. It is filled with interactive worksheets and forms, as well as at-home exercises designed to help children relieve their anxiety and manage their OCD-related symptoms. Whether they are fearful of contamination or obsessed with symmetry, children will benefit from the exposure exercises found in this workbook, and that not performing their rituals and habits cannot result in catastrophe. It also includes graphs and an “OCD Thermometer” to provide children with a visual reminder of their progress over time.Less

This practical guide meets the need of non-psychologists in primary care, who frequently see patients with anxiety states in their practice. This title shows how to teach patients self-help psychological skills to control their anxiety, avoiding the need to resort to treatment with tranquillizers with their potential problems of side-effects and physical dependence. Presented with many case studies, this title takes into account recent developments in psychological care of patients in general practice.Less

This revised online workbook is designed for patients' use as they work, either with a qualified mental health professional or on their own, to manage social anxiety. Based on the principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy, the treatment program described is evidence-based and proven effective. Complete with user-friendly forms and worksheets, as well as relatable case examples and chapter review questions, this guide contains all the tools necessary to help patients manage their anxiety and improve their quality of life.Less