Learning Process-Based Therapy: A Skills Training Manual for Targeting the Core Processes of Psychological Change in Clinical Practice

Step-by-step guidance for implementing process-based therapy in practice

Evidence-based mental health treatments—including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—have long been defined in terms of scientifically validated protocols focused on syndromes. This is rapidly changing. A process focus is now emerging for evidence-based therapies, as the era of “protocols for syndromes,” passes away. This groundbreaking book offers concrete strategies for adopting a process-based approach in your clinical practice, and provides step-by-step guidance for formulating effective treatment plans.

Written by renowned psychologists Steven C. Hayes and Stefan G. Hofmann, this manual will show you how to utilize the core competencies of process-based therapy (PBT) in a way that honors the behavioral, cognitive, and acceptance and mindfulness wings of CBT and builds bridges to other models. In the book, you’ll find a comprehensive road map to the theoretical foundations of PBT, as well as techniques for creating customized treatments that address the unique needs of each client—leading to better therapeutic outcomes.

Whether you’re a clinician or student of the behavioral sciences, this book has everything you need to understand and implement PBT in your work.

Stefan G. Hofmann, PhD, is Alexander von Humboldt Professor in the department of clinical psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg/Lahn, Germany; and professor of psychology in the department of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University. He has been president of numerous professional organizations, and is currently editor in chief of Cognitive Therapy and Research. He has published more than 500 scientific articles and twenty-five books. He is a highly cited researcher, and has received many awards, including the Humboldt Research Award. His research focuses on the mechanism of treatment change, translating discoveries from neuroscience into clinical applications, emotion regulation, and cultural expressions of psychopathology. He is codeveloper of process-based therapy (PBT) with Steven C. Hayes.

Steven C. Hayes, PhD, is Nevada Foundation Professor in the department of psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno. He has been president of numerous professional organizations, is author of forty-seven books and more than 650 scientific articles, and is among the most cited living psychologists. He has shown in his research how language and thought leads to human suffering, and is originator and codeveloper of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): a powerful therapy method that is useful in a wide variety of areas; relational frame theory (RFT): an empirical program in language and cognition; and PBT, with Stefan G. Hofmann.

David N. Lorscheid is a psychological coach and science writer. After completing his BSc in psychology at the Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands, he specialized in helping people with low self-esteem and social anxiety. His business, Feel Confidence, uses evidence-based psychotherapy techniques in a fun and playful way to help people overcome their fears and become more confident. As of this point, his workshops and seminars have been attended by thousands of people from over twenty countries, and his articles have reached over one million readers.