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. |
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