Group Cognitive Therapy for Addictions

This pragmatic guide from a stellar team of authors including Cognitive Therapy originator Aaron T. Beck describes how to implement proven cognitive and behavioral addiction treatment strategies in a group format. It provides a flexible framework for conducting ongoing therapy groups that are open to clients with any addictive behavior problem, at any stage of recovery. Practical ideas are presented for optimizing group processes and helping clients build essential skills for coping and relapse prevention. Grounded in decades of research, the book features rich case examples and reproducible clinical tools that can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8V2" x 11" size.

Amy Wenzel, PhD, is a Clinical Associate in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She is the recipient of awards from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Wenzel lectures and provides training and consultation in cognitive-behavioral therapy nationwide. Bruce S. Liese, PhD, is Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center where he has taught and practiced psychology for more than 25 years. He is a recipient of the Presidential Citation for Distinguished Service to the Society of Addiction Psychology (Division 50 of the American Psychological Association). Aaron T. Beck, MD, is University Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and the founder of cognitive therapy. 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, the Robert J. and Claire Pasarow Foundation Award for Research in Neuropsychiatry, and the Institute of Medicine's Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health and Gustav O. Lienhard Award. He is President of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Honorary President of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. Dara G. Friedman-Wheeler, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Friedman-Wheeler has received several awards from the National Institutes of Health. Her research interests are in the areas of coping, affect regulation, outcome expectancies, mood disorders, and health behaviors/outcomes.

I. Background 1. Scope of the Problem 2. Theoretical Framework: A Comprehensive Cognitive Model of Addiction 3. Theoretical Orientation: Group Therapy and the Stages-of-Change Model 4. Overview of the Cognitive Therapy Addictions Group (CTAG) 5. Cognitive Case Conceptualization II. Cognitive Therapy Addictions Group Session Components 6. Introductions 7. Evaluating Thoughts and Beliefs 8. Developing Coping Skills 9. Homework and Closure III. Summary and Integration 10. Conclusion: Implementing the Cognitive Therapy Addictions Group