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“Any practicing clinician knows that there is more to conducting therapy than following a manual. Yet the growing availability of treatment manuals over the past several decades has led many training programs to pay relatively less attention to individualized case formulation. Fortunately, Eells and his contributors recognize the crucial importance of case formulation in planning personalized interventions for transdiagnostic problems. The third edition of this book continues to provide a notable contribution to the field with its detailed account of how case formulation may add to the effectiveness of therapeutic intervention.”

—Marvin R. Goldfried, PhD, Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University


“Case formulation allows therapists to know when and how to use their clinical skills and how to evaluate whether clients have benefited. The up-to-date third edition of this excellent resource helps practitioners from all different orientations learn how to construct and use case formulations. Doctoral students and experienced clinicians alike should read this book so they can respond more effectively to the needs of their clients. It is user friendly and easy to read.”

—Clara E. Hill, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park


“Case formulation is the invisible force that guides psychotherapy—without a sound formulation, treatment is likely to be unfocused and of limited benefit. Developing a case formulation and using it to guide treatment is a skill needed by all psychotherapists, regardless of their theoretical orientation or psychotherapy style. In the third edition of this comprehensive handbook, Eells brings together other leaders in the field to approach case formulation from an array of perspectives, resulting in an effective integration of theory, evidence, and clinical practice.”

—Bruce E. Wampold, PhD, ABPP, Department of Counseling Psychology (Emeritus), University of Wisconsin–Madison


“This handbook is built on the cornerstones of evidence-based practice: theory, practice wisdom, the person of the client, and research. Each chapter lays out ways that clinicians can methodically engage clients while building hypotheses for treatment planning. Students and practicing clinicians can improve their practice processes and outcomes after reading this vital practice text.”

—Jemel P. Aguilar, PhD, Department of Social Work, Southern Connecticut State University

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Table of Contents

1. History and Current Status of Psychotherapy Case Formulation, Tracy D. Eells

2. The Core Conflictual Relationship Theme for Personality Disorders, Brin F. S. Grenyer, Ely M. Marceau, & Hadas Wiseman

3. Panic-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Fredric N. Busch & Barbara L. Milrod

4. Plan Formulation Method, John T. Curtis & George Silberschatz

5. The Cyclical Maladaptive Pattern, Jeffrey L. Binder & Ephi J. Betan

6. Case Formulation in Interpersonal Psychotherapy of Depression, John C. Markowitz & Holly A. Swartz

7. Thematic Mapping: A Transtheoretical, Transdiagnostic Method of Case Conceptualization, Charles R. Ridley & Christina E. Jeffrey

8. Optimizing Psychotherapy with Plan Analysis, Franz Caspar

9. Cognitive-Behavioral Case Formulation, Jacqueline B. Persons & Michael A. Tompkins

10. Dialectical Behavior Therapy Case Formulation of Individuals Who Are Chronically Suicidal, Nicholas L. Salsman

11. Behavioral Approaches to Psychotherapy Case Formulation, Peter Sturmey

12. Case Conceptualization in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Willem Kuyken & Barnaby D. Dunn

13. Case Conceptualization in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Fredrick T. Chin, Cory E. Stanton, Brandon T. Sanford, & Steven C. Hayes

14. Case Formulation in Emotion-Focused Therapy, Rhonda N. Goldman & Leslie S. Greenberg

15. Conceptualization in the Gottman Method of Couple Therapy, John M. Gottman, Julie S. Gottman, Donald L. Cole, & Carrie U. Cole

Index

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About the Editor

Tracy D. Eells, PhD, is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Louisville. A licensed clinical psychologist, he maintains a psychotherapy practice, is active in research, and teaches psychotherapy to psychiatry residents and clinical psychology graduate students. Dr. Eells has published several papers on psychotherapy case formulation and has conducted workshops on the topic for professionals. He is on the editorial boards of multiple psychotherapy journals.

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Contributors

Ephi J. Betan, PhD, private practice, Atlanta, GA

Jeffrey L. Binder, PhD, ABPP, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical School, Nashville, TN

Fredric N. Busch, MD, Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY

Franz Caspar, PhD, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

Fredrick T. Chin, MS, Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV

Carrie U. Cole, MEd, The Gottman Institute, Seattle, WA

Donald L. Cole, DMin, LPC, LMFT, The Gottman Institute, Seattle, WA

John T. Curtis, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA

Barnaby D. Dunn, PhD, Mood Disorders Centre, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UK

Tracy D. Eells, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY

Rhonda N. Goldman, PhD, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago Campus, Chicago, IL

John M. Gottman, PhD, The Gottman Institute, Seattle, WA

Julie S. Gottman, PhD, The Gottman Institute, Seattle, WA

Leslie S. Greenberg, PhD, Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Brin F. S. Grenyer, PhD, School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

Steven C. Hayes, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV

Christina E. Jeffrey, PhD, Department of Psychology and Counseling, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas

Willem Kuyken, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

Ely M. Marceau, PhD, School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

John C. Markowitz, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY

Barbara L. Milrod, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx; New York Psychoanalytic Institute, New York; Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research, New York, NY

Jacqueline B. Persons, PhD, Oakland Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Charles R. Ridley, PhD, Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

Nicholas L. Salsman, PhD, ABPP, School of Psychology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH

Brandon T. Sanford, MS, Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV

George Silberschatz, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA

Cory E. Stanton, MS, Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV

Peter Sturmey, PhD, Department of Psychology, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, NY

Holly A. Swartz, MD, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA

Michael A. Tompkins, PhD, San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy, University of California, Berkeley, CA

Hadas Wiseman, PhD, Department of Counseling and Human Development, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

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Audience

Graduate students and practitioners in clinical psychology, social work, counseling, psychiatry, and psychiatric nursing.

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Course Use

Serves as a text in courses in psychotherapy, direct practice, and evidence-based practice.

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Previous editions published by Guilford:

Second Edition, © 2007
ISBN: 9781606239421

First Edition, © 1997
ISBN: 9781572302167

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New to this edition:

• Chapters on additional models: mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, couple therapy, and thematic mapping.
• Chapters on specific approaches for personality disorders, suicidality, and panic disorder.
• Expanded case examples now go beyond crafting the initial formulation to show how it shapes the entire course of therapy.
• Prior edition chapters are all updated or rewritten to reflect 15 years of advances in research, clinical practice, and training.