Metacognitive Therapy for Anxiety and Depression

This groundbreaking book explains the "whats" and "how-tos" of metacognitive therapy (MCT), a cutting-edge form of cognitive-behavioral therapy with a growing empirical evidence base. MCT developer Adrian Wells shows that much psychological distress results from how a person responds to negative thoughts and beliefs—for example, by ruminating or worrying—rather than the content of those thoughts. He presents innovative, practical techniques and specific protocols for addressing metacognitive processes to effectively treat generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and major depression. Special features include reproducible treatment plans and assessment and case formulation tools, plus a wealth of illustrative case material.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Christopher J. Graver, PhD(Madigan Army Medical Center)
Description:Cognitive therapy has been expanding by leaps and bounds. This is a guide to metacognitive therapy (MCT) straight from the originator of this new variant.
Purpose:The purpose is to provide readers with an introduction to metacognitive therapy, illustrate parallels and areas of divergence with traditional cognitive therapy, and to prepare therapists to employ the skills necessary for this approach.
Audience:Unsurprisingly, this book will be relevant and of interest to psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health workers, as well as students of these disciplines. As the originator of this therapy, Dr. Wells is the logical author of this book.
Features:It begins with an introduction to MCT and a discussion of a key difference between MCT and CBT, that of metacognitions. While the distinction is clear, the reason why CBT theory is not sufficient does not emerge as a clear component of this chapter. The next chapter discusses assessment within the context of MCT and then moves on to the basics of working with patients. Sample questions and dialogues are provided, similar to the classic CBT texts. These are continued throughout the chapters on MCT in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, and major depression. While the chapters delve deeply into the approach particularly for the first few sessions, appendixes at the end provide a long-term structure. Examples of assessment instruments are also included for both symptoms and relevant MCT techniques, such as case formulation interviews. However, more in-depth examples and sample dialogues throughout the process would be welcome, as would a companion workbook. The references are current and the index is adequate, but missing some key terms.
Assessment:For readers who have already bought into the necessity of metacognitive therapy, this book provides a reasonable introduction to the approach, as well as tools to help implement it. On the other hand, readers seeking scientific literature on the approach and its status as an empirically supported treatment should continue their search elsewhere.

Adrian Wells, PhD, is Professor of Clinical and Experimental Psychopathology at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, and Professor II in Clinical Psychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. He is internationally known for his contributions to understanding psychopathological mechanisms and advancing cognitive-behavioral therapy, particularly for anxiety disorders. The originator of metacognitive therapy, Dr. Wells has published over 130 scientific papers, chapters, and books. He is Associate Editor of the journals Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and is a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy.