Emetophobia, the intense, often misunderstood fear of vomiting can quietly take over every aspect of a person’s life. Despite its impact, many cognitive behavioural (CBT) therapists feel unprepared to treat emetophobia.
Clients frequently report that their struggles are not fully understood, their experiences are not validated, and that standard treatments often fall short.
This book aims to change that. Drawing together the latest evidence-based CBT approaches, it offers a comprehensive guide to understanding, diagnosing, and successfully treating emetophobia.
Each section is broken down step by step to guide you through its use. Using example dialogues to make it understandable. Whether you are a trainee or experienced clinician, this book will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to treat emetophobia.
This book is based on David Veale's (2009) protocol for treating Emetophobia and covers in detail various CBT components such as:
- How to understand the development of Emetophobia and the use of longitudinal formulations to explore previous episodes of vomiting and the development of the phobia.
- How to collaboratively create a cognitive disorder specific formulation to identify the underlying thought processes and behaviours fuelling the fear of vomiting.
- How to use self-monitoring to explore triggers, cognitions and the use of safety-seeking behaviours.
- What psychoeducation that should be given to patients about the adaptiveness and helpful function of vomiting and the cost of using safety-seeking behaviours.
- How to use “Theory A and B” to provide a framework for exploring the “best explanation” for the patient's problem.
- How to introduce and incorporate in-vivo exposure to feared situations or sensations.
- The use of imaginal or narrative exposure to cognitions, themes or mental images, with the aim of overcoming cognitive avoidance.
- How to introduce and conduct effective behavioural experiments to test the validity of thoughts, anxious predictions or to experiment with dropping safety-seeking behaviours.
- How to use imagery rescripting to address past negative experiences related to vomiting.
- The use of imagery manipulation to negative imagery.
- How to best use cognitive restructuring techniques to overcome cognitive biases around vomiting.
- How to use probability estimation to help patients overcome their over inflated sense of risk.
This book is guides therapists through each tool step by step to allow them to quickly learn and understand how to apply each intervention with their patients.
