Cognitive Therapy of Schizophrenia

Drawing on the authors' decades of influential work in the field, this highly practical volume presents an evidence-based cognitive therapy approach for clients with schizophrenia. Guidelines are provided for collaborative assessment and case formulation that enable the clinician to build a strong therapeutic relationship, establish reasonable goals, and tailor treatment to each client's needs. Described in thorough, step-by-step detail are effective techniques for working with delusional beliefs, voices, visions, thought disorders, and negative symptoms; integrating cognitive therapy with other forms of treatment; reducing relapse risks; and enhancing client motivation. Special features include reproducible client handouts and assessment tools.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Patricia E. Murphy, PhD(Rush University Medical Center)
Description:This book provides a clear, empirically-based, presentation of theory and techniques for the use of cognitive therapy (CT) to enhance treatment of persons with various symptoms of schizophrenia.
Purpose:The authors, with almost two decades of clinical work and research in England, rightly claim they are presenting "the state of the art guide" for using CT to treat this population.
Audience:Addressed to experienced professionals as well as trainees in mental health, the book is both sophisticated and readable. Rich in research, this is a good place to start for those who simply want to know more about this approach.
Features:After providing a theoretical foundation for using CT in treatment of schizophrenia, subsequent chapters provide techniques. The first of these, discussing the therapeutic relationship, is worth the price of the whole book. Four patients illustrate and give life to four categories of symptoms and are included as examples throughout the discussion of treatment. Bits of dialogue provide scripts for therapists who might want to put into practice techniques that have been explained. The appendix contains helpful handouts for patients and tools for practitioners.
Assessment:This exciting and sensitive book would stretch any reader's appreciation for the possibilities in working with patients with serious mental illness. The skills that are outlined would certainly be useful with others whose thoughts are less disordered, but still a cause for suffering. The accessibility of content in this well-organized book makes it an important resource for students and clinicians.

David G. Kingdon, MD, is a psychiatrist in the UK National Health Service and a Professor at the University of Southampton. He has published widely on cognitive therapy of severe mental illness, among other topics. He has also served as an advisor with the UK Department of Health and as chair of the Council of Europe's Expert Working Group on Psychiatry and Human Rights.

Douglas Turkington, MD, is a liaison psychiatrist at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. He is also Professor of Psychosocial Psychiatry in the School of Neurology, Neuroscience and Psychiatry at Newcastle University. A founding fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, he presents widely on the topic of cognitive-behavioral therapy of schizophrenia, and is actively involved in treatment development and research.