Avoiding Treatment Failures in the Anxiety Disorders

Extensive studies have shown cognitive-behavioral therapy to be highly effective in treating anxiety disorders, improving patients’ social functioning, job performance, and quality of life. Yet every CBT clinician faces some amount of client resistance, whether in the form of “This won’t work”, “I’m too depressed”, or even “You can’t make me!” Avoiding Treatment Failures in the Anxiety Disorders analyzes the challenges presented by non-compliance, and provides disorder- and population-specific guidance in addressing the impasses and removing the obstacles that derail therapy. Making use of extensive clinical expertise and current empirical findings, expert contributors offer cutting-edge understanding of the causes of treatment complications—and innovative strategies for their resolution—in key areas, including:

• The therapeutic alliance
• The full range of anxiety disorders (i.e., panic, PTSD, GAD)
• Comorbidity issues (i.e., depression, personality disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, and chronic medical illness)
• Combined CBT/pharmacological treatment
• Ethnic, cultural, and religious factors
• Issues specific to children and adolescents.

Both comprehensive, and accessible, Avoiding Treatment Failures in the Anxiety Disorders will be welcomed by new and seasoned clinicians alike. The window it opens onto this class of disorders, plus the insights into how and why this treatment works, will also be of interest to those involved in clinical research.

Michael W. Otto, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Boston University. Dr. Otto specializes in the cognitive-behavioral treatment of anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders, and has developed clinical-research programs for the treatment of panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, social phobia, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, substance dependence, and medication discontinuation in patients with panic disorder. Dr. Otto's research activities are closely tied to his clinical interests and target investigations of the etiology and treatment of anxiety, mood, and substance-use disorders. Of particular interest to Dr. Otto is the development and testing of new treatments, including the combination of pharmacologic and cognitive-behavioral strategies for treatment-refractory and substance abusing patients, and the modification of treatment packages for novel populations (e.g., Cambodian refugees). He has published over 200 articles, book chapters, and books spanning these research interests. Dr. Otto is President-Elect for the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, a fellow of the American Psychological Association, and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. He also serves as a section editor for Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, and on the editorial boards of Anxiety, Behavior Research and Therapy, Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Journal Watch in Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Dr. Otto is a regular provider of continuing education and continuing medical education workshops across the United States and abroad.

Stefan G. Hofmann, Ph.D., is professor of psychology at Boston University. He was born in Germany and lives with his wife and two children in Boston, Massachusetts. He is an expert on anxiety disorders. His scientific work has been supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and various private foundations. His research focuses on the mechanisms of treatment change and the effects of emotion regulation strategies on psychological well-being. He is the former editor for Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, and associate editor for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the International Journal of Psychology, and the International Journal of Cognitive Therapy. He has published more than 150 scientific papers and 6 books, including including "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder: Evidence-Based and Disorder-Specific Treatment Techniques," "From Social Anxiety to Social Phobia: Multiple Perspectives," "Treating Chronic and Severe Mental Disorders: A Handbook of Empirically Supported Treatments," and "The Art and Science of Psychotherapy." He also works as a psychotherapist using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.