Cognitive Therapy for Challenging Problems: What to Do When the Basics Don't Work

Building on the acclaimed Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond, this groundbreaking book from Judith S. Beck addresses what to do when a patient is not making progress in cognitive-behavioral therapy. Provided is practical, step-by-step guidance on conceptualizing and solving frequently encountered problems, whether in developing and maintaining the therapeutic alliance or in accomplishing specific therapeutic tasks. While the framework presented is applicable to a range of challenging clinical situations, particular attention is given to modifying the longstanding distorted beliefs and dysfunctional behavioral strategies of people with personality disorders. Helpful appendices include a reproducible assessment tool, the Personality Belief Questionnaire.

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Reviewer:Susan Richardson, MA, PsyD(Private Practice)
Description:This book, written by Judith Beck, daughter of the creator of cognitive behavior therapy, (CBT), Aaron Beck, considers situations where the basics of CBT aren't sufficient.
Purpose:The purpose is to assist clinicians in developing behavioral methodology for formulating and breaking through therapeutic impasses. The author seeks to provide clinicians with advanced methods in CBT for complex clinical scenarios when the basic techniques are not sufficient.
Audience:The book is written for psychotherapists, psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health professionals interested in advancing their proficiency in the provision of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy. The author is from the royal family of cognitive behavioral therapy, and having been taught by Aaron Beck himself, she is quite an authoritative voice on the subject.
Features:Overall, the book covers quite a lot of material. First, it assists the clinician in conceptualizing the problems that keep clients from progress. The therapist/client relationship is examined for reactions from both parties that might be interfering with the treatment. Difficulties in goal setting, session structure, and between session compliance are also discussed. The book is visually appealing and contains many useful diagrams and charts. The font and format used for underscoring key concepts is attractive as well.
Assessment:Dr. Beck is clearly quite expert in the methodology and provides dozens of useful, realistic clinical examples and scenarios. The book is very helpful in breaking down the focal areas where clinicians can improve their techniques in assisting clients with complex or chronic problems. This is a useful addition to the library of materials available on cognitive behavioral therapy.

Judith S. Beck, PhD, is the Director of the nonprofit Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research in Philadelphia and Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Beck directs the three major functions of the Beck Institute: education, clinical care, and research. She currently divides her time between administration, supervision and teaching, clinical work, program development, research, and writing. She is a consultant for several National Institute of Mental Health research studies and often presents workshops nationally and internationally on a wide variety of cognitive therapy topics. Dr. Beck is the author of the widely adopted textbook, Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond, which has been translated into 12 languages; coauthor of Cognitive Therapy of Personality Disorders, Second Edition; and coeditor of the Oxford Textbook of Psychotherapy. She has also written numerous articles and chapters on various applications of cognitive therapy. Dr. Beck is the President of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy.