Handbook of Psychotherapy Case Formulation, 1st Edition, 1997)

Strong case formulations help clinicians organize complex and contradictory information about their clients. They serve as blueprints guiding treatment; provide a measure of change; facilitate empathy; predict therapeutic crises; and, increasingly, help to justify the time and expense of therapy to third-party payers. This invaluable book is designed to help clinicians at all levels of training master the fine points of case formulation within a wide range of therapeutic approaches. Written in a standard format to facilitate comparison between case formulation methods, each chapter provides a step-by-step guide to implementing the method at hand in everyday clinical work, supported by an illustrative case example. Chapter authors consider the relationship of case formulation to therapeutic technique, review each method's historical and conceptual background, and evaluate its suitability for different types of clients. Also included is information on how one can become better trained in each method, along with summaries of available research.

Tracy D. Eells, PhD, University of Louisville.