Working with Emotion in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Techniques for Clinical Practice

Working actively with emotion has been empirically shown to be of central importance in psychotherapy, yet has been underemphasized in much of the writing on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). This state-of-the-art volume brings together leading authorities to describe ways to work with emotion to enrich therapy and achieve more robust outcomes that go beyond symptom reduction. Highlighting experiential techniques that are grounded in evidence, the book demonstrates clinical applications with vivid case material. Coverage includes mindfulness- and acceptance-based strategies, compassion-focused techniques, new variations on exposure-based interventions, the use of imagery to rework underlying schemas, and methods for addressing emotional aspects of the therapeutic relationship.

Nathan C. Thoma, PhD, is Clinical Instructor of Psychology at Weill Cornell Medical College. He is a Diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and serves as Member-at-Large and Membership Chair for the New York City Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Association. His clinical interests center on integrating experiential, interpersonal, and relational approaches into CBT, and he has undergone advanced training in emotion-focused therapy and schema therapy. Dr. Thoma has published on a variety of topics related to psychotherapy research, including an article in the American Journal of Psychiatry that was named by the editors as one of the seven most important articles of the year.

Dean McKay, PhD, ABPP, is Professor of Psychology at Fordham University, where he is a faculty member in the Doctoral Training Program in Clinical Psychology. He serves on the board of directors of the CBT specialty area of the American Board of Professional Psychology and is 2013-2014 President of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the International Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Foundation and the Scientific Council of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Dr. McKay has published more than 195 articles, book chapters, and books, and is founder and codirector of a group private practice in White Plains, New York.

Introduction, Nathan C. Thoma & Dean McKay                           
I. Acceptance as Engagement: Noticing, Allowing, and Being with Emotion
1. Mindfulness: It’s Not What You Think, Christopher Germer & Christian S. Chan                    
2. Understanding and Taking Advantage of Experiential Work in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Jennifer C. Plumb Vilardaga, Matthieu Villatte, & Steven C. Hayes                
3. Compassion -Focused Therapy: An Introduction to Experiential Interventions for Cultivating Compassion, Dennis Tirch & Paul Gilbert                    
II. Exposure: Evoking and Staying with Difficult Emotions                                                            
4. Exposure in Experiential Context: Imaginal and In Vivo Approaches, Dean McKay & Rachel Ojserkis
5. Behavioral Experiments: Using Experiences to Test Beliefs, Susan Daflos, Rachel Lunt, & Maureen Whittal           
6. Application of Exposure and Emotional Processing Theory to Depression: Exposure-Based Cognitive Therapy, Adele M. Hayes, C. Beth Ready, & Charlotte Yasinski                
7. Creating Change through Focusing on Affect: Affect Phobia Therapy, Kristin A. R. Osborn, Pål G. Ulvenes, Bruce E. Wampold, & Leigh McCullough
III. Using Imagery to Connect with Emotions and Transform Maladaptive Schemas and Beliefs                                                               
8. Imagery Rescripting for Personality Disorders: Healing Early Maladaptive Schemas, Arnoud Arntz
9. Imagery Rescripting for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Arnoud Arntz                                
10. Experiential Exercises and Imagery Rescripting in Social Anxiety Disorder: New Perspectives on Changing Beliefs, Jennifer Wild &. David M. Clark                 
IV. Emotion-Focused Approaches: Capturing and Enhancing In-Session Emotion as a Step toward Change                                               
11. Integrating Emotion-Focused Therapy into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Nathan C. Thoma & Leslie S. Greenberg                                          
12. Working with Modes in Schema Therapy, Eshkol Rafaeli, Offer Maurer, & Nathan C. Thoma         
13. Emotional Schema Therapy, Robert L. Leahy                             
14. Emotion Regulation Therapy: An Experiential Approach to Chronic Anxiety and Recurring Depression, Mia Skytte O’Toole, Douglas S. Mennin, & David M. Fresco                
V. Working with Interpersonal Process: Using Clients’ and Therapists’ Emotional Reactions to Each Other as Vehicles for Change                               
15. Relational Techniques in a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Context: “It's Bigger Than the Both of Us”, Jeremy D. Safran & Jessica Kraus                              
16. Adding an Interpersonal–Experiential Focus to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Thane M. Erickson, Michelle G. Newman, & Adam McGuire              
17. Functional Analytic Psychotherapy: Using Awareness, Courage, Love, and Behaviorism to Promote Change, Mavis Tsai, Andrew P. Fleming, Rick A. Cruz, Julia E. Hitch, &. Robert J. Kohlenberg
Conclusion. Experiential Methods, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Next Steps in Emotional Engagement in Treatments, Dean McKay & Nathan C. Thoma