Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Body Dysmorphic Disorder A Treatment Manual

Presenting an effective treatment approach specifically tailored to the unique challenges of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), this book is grounded in state-of-the-art research. The authors are experts on BDD and related conditions. They describe ways to engage patients who believe they have defects or flaws in their appearance, not a psychological problem. Provided are clear-cut strategies for helping patients overcome the self-defeating thoughts, impairments in functioning, and sometimes dangerous ritualistic behaviors that are core features of BDD. Clinician-friendly features include step-by-step instructions for conducting each session and more than 50 reproducible handouts and forms; the large-size format facilitates photocopying.

Sabine Wilhelm, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Related Disorders Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is Vice Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for the International OCD Foundation, serves on the Scientific Council of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, and is on the editorial boards of several journals. Dr. Wilhelm's clinical work and research focus on BDD, OCD, and tic disorders. She is the author of more than 130 articles and book chapters and several books, including the self-help guide Feeling Good about the Way You Look: A Program for Overcoming Body Image Problems, which won the Self-Help Seal of Merit from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Katharine A. Phillips, MD, is Director of the BDD Program, Director of Research for Adult Psychiatry, and Senior Research Scientist at Rhode Island Hospital, and Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University. A Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, she is the recipient of a Special Presidential Commendation from the American Psychiatric Association for her research on BDD. Dr. Phillips has repeatedly been included in Best Doctors in America and Castle Connolly's America's Top Doctors. She has more than 250 scientific publications and has written a number of books on BDD for professionals and the public. Gail Steketee, PhD, is Dean and Professor at the Boston University School of Social Work. She serves on the editorial boards of several journals and was Co-Chair of the World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies in Boston in 2011. She has conducted many research studies on the psychopathology and treatment of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. These include projects on family factors that affect treatment outcome and the development and testing of cognitive and behavioral therapies for OCD, BDD, and hoarding. Dr. Steketee has published more than 200 articles and chapters and 12 books, including Cognitive Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (with Sabine Wilhelm).

I. Fundamentals of Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Its Treatment 1. Introduction to BDD 2. Treatment Overview and Roadmap 3. Special Considerations in Treating Patients with BDD 4. Diagnosing and Assessing BDD and Associated Symptoms 5. Enhancing Motivation II. Introductory Sessions: Laying the Foundation for Successful Treatment 6. Session 1: Assessing BDD, Orienting the Patient to CBT-BDD, and Assessing Motivation 7. Session 2: Education and Case Formulation 8. Session 3: Setting Goals, Describing CBT-BDD, and Assessing Thoughts III. Core Treatment Components 9. Sessions 4-5: Evaluating Self-Defeating Thoughts 10. Session 6: Introducing Exposure 11. Sessions 7-9: Adding Ritual Prevention 12. Session 10: Perceptual Retraining for Mirror Checking 13. Sessions 11-20: Introducing Advanced Cognitive Strategies and Moving Forward 14. Termination Sessions, Relapse Prevention, and Booster Sessions IV. Optional Modules for Patients with Relevant Symptoms 15. Skin Picking and Hair Pulling 16. Weight, Shape, and Muscularity 17. Cosmetic Treatment 18. Depression