Metacognitive Therapy for Anxiety and Depression

"This 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 originator Adrian Wells shows that much emotional distress results from how a person responds to negative thoughts and beliefs - for example, by ruminating or worrying - rather man the content of those thoughts. Helping people develop new relationships to their own thought processes is the focus of the approach. Rich with clinical wisdom, this authoritative guide covers everything from theoretical underpinnings to procedures for assessment, intervention, and relapse prevention." "Initial chapters introduce the foundations of MCT, illuminating the role of metacognition in the development and maintenance of psychological problems. Vivid case examples and sample dialogues illustrate clear-cut ways to identify harmful patterns and explore them with patients. Presented are innovative, practical strategies for promoting change by using Socratic dialogue, behavioral experiments, metacognitive exposure, attention training, and detached mindfulness techniques. Chapters on specific disorders serve as mini-manuals for conceptualizing and treating generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive - compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and major depression. Throughout, commonalities and differences between MCT and standard cognitive-behavioral therapy are highlighted. Useful appendices provide reproducible questionnaires and rating scales, case formulation interviews, and session-by-session treatment plans." "Grounded in research and real-world clinical experience, this book offers therapists of any orientation powerful new insights and tools for addressing tough-to-treat problems. It will be indispensable reading for clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers, and counselors, as well as students and trainees in these fields."--BOOK JACKET.

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 [i]Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy[/i] and [i]Cognitive Behaviour Therapy[/i], and is a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy.