Cognitive Therapy of Anxiety Disorders: Science and Practice »

David A. Clark, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at the University of New Brunswick, Canada. He has published seven books, including Intrusive Thoughts in Clinical Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment; Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for OCD; and Scientific Foundations of Cognitive Theory and Therapy of Depression, as well as over 100 articles and chapters on various aspects of cognitive theory and therapy of depression and anxiety disorders. Dr. Clark is a Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association, a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, and a recipient of the Academy’s Aaron T. Beck Award for significant and enduring contributions to cognitive therapy. He is an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Cognitive Therapy and maintains a private practice.

Aaron T. Beck, MD, is University Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and the founder of cognitive therapy. He has published 21 books and over 540 articles in professional and scientific journals. Dr. Beck is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, the American Psychological Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the American Psychiatric Association Distinguished Service Award, and the Robert J. and Claire Pasarow Foundation Award for Research in Neuropsychiatry. He is President of The Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research and Honorary President of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy.

Updating and reformulating Aaron T. Beck’s pioneering cognitive model of anxiety disorders, this groundbreaking work is both authoritative and highly practical. The authors synthesize the latest thinking and empirical data on anxiety treatment and offer step-by-step instruction in cognitive assessment, case formulation, cognitive restructuring, and behavioral intervention. They provide evidence-based mini-manuals for treating the five most common anxiety disorders: panic disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. User-friendly features include vivid case examples, concise “Clinician Guidelines” that reinforce key points, and over three dozen reproducible handouts and forms.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Christopher J. Graver, PhD(Madigan Army Medical Center)
Description:Cognitive therapy is constantly extending its scope to various disorders. In this book, the authors expand upon previous works on the use of cognitive therapy with anxiety disorders by providing an update on theory, techniques, and scientific studies.
Purpose:The main purpose is to present an updated cognitive model for anxiety disorders that is more in line with current research and can further our understanding and application of cognitive therapy to anxiety disorders in particular.
Audience:The target audience is mental health professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, and paraprofessionals. Students of these disciplines also will be interested in the book. It is edited by the most qualified scientists and clinicians in cognitive therapy.
Features:The first of the book's three sections provides background on cognitive theory and updates on the current literature. Key factors in anxiety disorders are explored, such as epidemiology, neurophysiology, genetics, gender differences, and the all-important issue of normal versus abnormal. Central tenets of cognitive therapy are discussed, as well as more advanced concepts. There are plenty of tables, charts, and figures throughout these initial chapters that make a review of cognitive therapy straightforward. The second section provides instruction for very specific cognitive techniques, ranging from threat appraisals to behavioral experiments to metacognitive explorations. Assessment and conceptualization strategies are addressed and specific tools are detailed at the end of the chapters. While these are general techniques, the third section provides guidance on how to apply these techniques for specific disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The book is well written with plenty of supplementary materials, case examples, and sample scripts. Each chapter has clear subheadings and a concluding paragraph. The references are valuable and current, with some from 2009.
Assessment:This is an indispensable resource for therapists using cognitive therapy with individuals suffering from anxiety disorders. The general review of techniques is worthwhile, but the specific guidance for individual anxiety disorders is exceptional.

I. Cognitive Theory and Research on Anxiety  

1. Anxiety: A Common but Multifaceted Condition

2. The Cognitive Model of Anxiety

3. Empirical Status of the Cognitive Model of Anxiety

4. Vulnerability to Anxiety

II. Cognitive Therapy of Anxiety: Assessment and Intervention Strategies

5. Cognitive Assessment and Case Formulation

6. Cognitive Interventions for Anxiety

7. Behavioral Interventions: A Cognitive Perspective

III. Cognitive Theory and Treatment of Specific

Anxiety Disorders

8. Cognitive Therapy of Panic Disorder

9. Cognitive Therapy of Social Phobia

10. Cognitive Therapy of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

11. Cognitive Therapy of Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder

12. Cognitive Therapy of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder