This landmark work was the first to present a cognitive framework for understanding and treating personality disorders. Part I lays out the conceptual, empirical, and clinical foundations of effective work with this highly challenging population, reviews cognitive aspects of Axis II disorders, and delineates general treatment principles. In Part II, chapters detail the process of cognitive-behavioral therapy for each of the specific disorders, review the clinical literature, guide the therapist through diagnosis and case conceptualization, and demonstrate the nuts and bolts of cognitive intervention.
Aaron T. Beck, MD, is the founder of cognitive therapy, University Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, and President Emeritus of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Dr. Beck is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, the American Psychological Association (APA) Lifetime Achievement Award, the American Psychiatric Association Distinguished Service Award, the Robert J. and Claire Pasarow Foundation Award for Research in Neuropsychiatry, and the Institute of Medicine's Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health and Gustav O. Lienhard Award.
Arthur Freeman, EdD, ABPP, ACT, is Visiting Professor at Governors State University, University Park, Illinois, and Clinical Professor at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has been the president of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy and of the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy. He is a Distinguished Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and has earned diplomates in Clinical Psychology, Behavioral Psychology, and Family Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Freeman’s research and clinical interests include marital and family therapy, and cognitive-behavioral treatment of depression, anxiety, and personality disorders.
Denise D. Davis, PhD, is a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and has collaborated with Drs. Beck and Freeman and other associates of the Beck Center since completing an extramural postdoctoral fellowship there in 1984. A contributor to the first edition of this volume as well as to numerous other chapters, articles, and workshops on cognitive therapy, Dr. Davis was a founding editor of the journal Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. She currently serves as Assistant Director of Clinical Training in Psychology at Vanderbilt University and has also maintained an independent practice of cognitive therapy for 20 years.
