TEHRAN (IBNA) - A book on psychology titled ‘Cognitive Therapy in Practice: A Case Formulation ‎Approach’ (1989) by Jacqueline B. Persons has been rendered into Persian and is ‎available to Iranian readers.‎
This book which gives a nitty-gritty account of cognitive behavior therapy in practice has been translated into Persian by Ali-Hossein Esfandzad and released by Arjmand publishing in 384 pages.
At the heart of this cognitive therapy model offered in ‘Cognitive Therapy in Practice’ is the case formulation—the therapist’s hypothesis about the psychological mechanism underlying the patient’s problems. The book opens with a discussion of the model, emphasizing the connections between overt difficulties and underlying psychological problems, often encapsulated in such irrational beliefs as “I must be perfect or I am a failure,” or “I don’t deserve happiness.”
The central chapters describe numerous behavioral and cognitive strategies for ameliorating the problems anxious and depressed patients bring to treatment, as well as for changing underlying beliefs.
In discussing these topics, as elsewhere, the author uses case examples to show how the case formulation guides the therapist’s actions. In addition, she applies cognitive behavioral strategies to suicidality, one of the most troublesome difficulties encountered by therapists.
Finally, Dr. Persons turns her attention to the needs of therapists themselves, offering strategies for handling anxiety, anger, and uncertainty about competence.
The general model presented here will allow therapists to understand their patients’ problems and generate solutions to them based on this understanding in a coherent, systematic way. It will be valuable to both beginning and experienced cognitive behavior therapists.
Jacqueline B. Persons is director of the Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Science Center and a clinical professor in the department of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.