Imagery In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Imagery is one of the new, exciting frontiers in cognitive therapy. From the outset of cognitive therapy, its founder Dr. Aaron T. Beck recognised the importance of imagery in the understanding and treatment of patient's problems. However, despite Beck's prescience, clinical research on imagery, and the integration of imagery interventions into clinical practice, developed slowly. It is only in the past 10 years that most writing and research on imagery in cognitive therapy has been conducted. The Oxford Guide to Imagery in Cognitive Therapy is a landmark book, which will play an important role in the next phase of cognitive therapy's development. Clinicians and researchers are starting to recognise the centrality of imagery in the development, maintenance and treatment of psychological disorders - for example, in social phobia, agoraphobia, depression, PTSD, eating disorders, childhood trauma, and personality disorder. In the fields of cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience, researchers are identifying the key role that imagery plays in emotion, cognition and psychopathology. The Oxford Guide to Imagery in Cognitive Therapy has been written both for clinicians and researchers. For clinicians, it is a user-friendly, practical guide to imagery, which will enable therapists to understand imagery phenomenology, and to integrate imagery-based interventions into their cognitive therapy practice. For researchers, it provides a state-of-the-art summary of imagery research, and points the way to future studies. Written by three well-respected CBT researcher-clinicians, it is essential reading for all cognitive therapists, who have recognised the limitations of purely 'verbal' CBT techniques, and want to find new ways to work with clients with psychological disorders.

Richly illustrated with clinical material, this book presents specific techniques for working with multisensory imagery in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Leading researcher-clinician Lusia Stopa explores how mental images--similarly to verbal cognitions--can trigger distress and drive maladaptive behavior. She guides the therapist to assess imagery and help clients to recognize and explore it. A range of interventions are described, including imaginal exposure, imaginal reliving, rescripting, working with self-images, and using positive imagery to improve well-being. Extensive sample dialogues and a chapter-length case example demonstrate the techniques in action with clients with a range of frequently encountered psychological problems.

Richly illustrated with clinical material, this book presents specific techniques for working with multisensory imagery in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Leading researcher-clinician Lusia Stopa explores how mental images--similarly to verbal cognitions--can trigger distress and drive maladaptive behavior. She guides the therapist to assess imagery and help clients to recognize and explore it. A range of interventions are described, including imaginal exposure, imaginal reliving, rescripting, working with self-images, and using positive imagery to improve well-being. Extensive sample dialogues and a chapter-length case example demonstrate the techniques in action with clients with a range of frequently encountered psychological problems.

People with bipolar disorder are particularly vulnerable to anxiety and intrusive mental imagery, which can contribute to mood swings and a heightened risk for relapse. This book presents a novel brief treatment that focuses on working with mental images to reduce distress and enhance mood stability. Grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), the book provides therapists with tested techniques for formulating individualized treatment targets, using metacognitive strategies to reduce the power of images, rescripting problematic images, and building adaptive positive images. User-friendly instructions for assessment and intervention include case examples, sample scripts, and troubleshooting tips. In a large-size format for easy photocopying, the book includes 19 reproducible handouts and session agendas. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials.

"The treatment in this book helps to ease the suffering of people with social anxiety disorder by helping them to abandon the psychological factors that maintain their constant expectation of social catastrophe, while allowing them to retain the wonderful personal qualities they have that facilitate genuine and fulfilling relationships. Cognitive behavior therapy has been shown to be very helpful for SAD over many research trials with severe and complex clients. Imagery-based CBT "enhances" traditional approaches by emphasizing the benefits of facilitating cognitive and emotional change via the imagery mode. Multisensory imagery is highly emotionally evocative. Clients are encouraged to incorporate vivid, multisensory imagery into every aspect of the treatment in this book"--

The Positive Power of Imagerypresents the theory and practice of imagery therapy as a creative intervention that challenges therapists to learn the skills for creatively designing personalized exercises to match clients' specific needs, problems, and personalities. Presents a unique integration of imagery therapy with CBT and positive psychology Challenges therapists to develop imagery therapy techniques tailored to fit their individual clients' personalities and problems Features case illustrations and guidelines for the use of imagery and metaphors for both adults and children

Imagery is important in cognitive therapy because images often trigger strong emotions, and imagery techniques such as imaginal reliving and imaginal rescripting are increasingly used in therapeutic treatments. Imagery and the Threatened Self considers the role that images of the self play in a number of common mental health problems and how these images can be used to help people to recover. Stopa and her contributors focus specifically on images of the self which are often negative and distorted and can contribute to both the cause and the progression of clinical disorders. The book includes chapters on current theories of the self and on imagery techniques used in therapy, alongside chapters that examine the role of self-images and how images can be used in the treatment of disorders including: social phobia post-traumatic stress disorder eating disorders depression bipolar disorder. Imagery and the Threatened Self is an original and innovative book that will appeal to both clinicians and students who are studying and practising cognitive therapy.

This volume brings together leading experts to explore the state of the art of cognitive clinical assessment and identify cutting-edge approaches of interest to clinicians and researchers. The book highlights fundamental problems concerning the validity of assessments that are widely used in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Key directions for further research and development are identified. Updated cognitive assessment methods are described in detail, with particular attention to transdiagnostic treatment, evidence-based practice, cognitive case formulation, and imagery-based techniques.