Modular Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Childhood Anxiety Disorders

Bruce F. Chorpita, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is an internationally recognized expert on childhood anxiety disorders and on innovations in treatment design and dissemination.

• I. Getting Started1. Why This Manual?2. About Anxiety3. Who Needs This Treatment?4. The Core Treatment PlanII. The Art of Exposure5. How to Conduct Exposure 6. Nobody Likes Exposure7. Skillful Design of ExposureIII. When the Going Gets Tough8. Basic Concepts of Modular Treatment 9. What Are the Other Modules For?10. Back to Fundamentals11. Supporting Families with Low EngagementIV. Treatment Modules12. Use of the ModulesWorksheets, Records, and Handouts

"Dr. Chorpita scores with this one. Although much has been written about evidence-based practice, in this volume Chorpita demonstrates how it can actually be accomplished in 'real-world' clinical settings. He takes us on a journey that starts with core principles of client engagement and continues through to a clear clinical formulation and the flexible yet informed selection of suitable treatment modules. There is no 'one size fits all' in this modular approach; the clinician is ultimately responsible for selecting those modules that will likely work with a given child or adolescent client. This volume is scholarly yet immensely practical. It belongs in the armamentarium of anyone who works with anxious and phobic youth and their families."--Thomas H. Ollendick, PhD, ABPP, University Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech"This remarkable volume marks the beginning of a major shift in the field of psychotherapy research and treatment, not just for childhood anxiety disorders, but for all mental disorders. Chorpita's modular approach is highly intelligent, clinically savvy, and eminently feasible. If this approach can be applied across the range of mental conditions that therapists try to treat, it has the potential to move psychotherapy practice and training to much higher scientific ground. This book is clinically rich and very well written. It should be required reading for all who would offer effective psychotherapy to children, and is a 'must' for psychotherapy training programs."--Peter S. Jensen, MD, Columbia University "This book is the ideal entry point to evidence-based treatment for clinicians who have been reluctant to adopt manualized approaches. It is also a wonderful teaching tool. Chorpita not only presents background information and tools for cognitive-behavioral treatment of childhood anxiety disorders, but he also takes into account the roadblocks clinicians frequently encounter. He includes modules addressing disruptive behavior, parent behaviors interfering with progress, depression, poor motivation, and social skills deficits, to be used as needed in the service of facilitating anxiety treatment. This book advances the field in presenting an established treatment together with flexible solutions to real-world clinical challenges."--Margo Thienemann, MD, Stanford University "Dr. Chorpita’s use of treatment modules applied through detailed individual formulations is a revolutionary development in the management of childhood anxiety disorders. It combines the best of both worlds, as a clear manualized treatment with scope for individual application. Add to this Dr. Chorpita’s years of clinical experience, his humane and humorous writing style, and the practical applications and illuminating examples, and this book becomes essential reading for any therapist who works with anxious children and their families."--Ronald M. Rapee, PhD, Macquarie University, Australia - Dr. Chorpita delivers magnificently with this scholarly yet practical, clinically rich, and extremely readable offering. Those familiar with the benefits and limitations of standard treatment manuals will appreciate this book....Dr. Chorpita maximizes the benefits of a manualized approach while avoiding many of the pitfalls by organizing this manual as a set of modules that can be flexibly included in or omitted from the final treatment plan. He increases the flexibility of this modular approach further by emphasizing methods to increase client engagement and encouraging early, precise clinical case formulation....This book deserves to be a well-worn, dog-eared reference in the professional library of any clinician who works with anxious children. --NASP Communiqué, 11/5/2006ƒƒ A comprehensive and informative book....Bruce F. Chorpita, one of the country's most accomplished scientist-practitioners, possesses a wealth of clinical experience and research; he has advanced the field of child behavior therapy treatment not only in his home state of Hawaii, but around the world. His book covers everything from engaging new patients, to understanding the concepts and fundamentals behind cognitive-behavioral therapy, to developing sound case formulations....Although Chorpita is instructive and directive in his approach, his book is not just a step-by-step manual, but more of an aid for clinicians who want both behavioral guidelines and clinical insights that will enhance their approach to treatment. The sections on assessment, exposure, and troubleshooting are especially helpful, and they are supplemented with useful handouts and extensive references....Almost a stand-alone course in cognitive-behavioral therapy....The book is a welcome addition to the treatment literature and a fine personal resource for clinicians. --Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 11/5/2006ƒƒ This is an excellent book for any clinician working with childhood anxiety disorders. It is thorough, well illustrated with examples, simply written, clear, and reflective of the many years of experience of its author. This would be an excellent addition to any graduate level behavior therapy course and any course where treatment of anxiety disorders is a focus. Because of its conciseness and its clear presentation it would also be an excellent text to be used in Departments of Psychiatry residency training programs or Clinical Social Work training programs where empirical validation of treatment efficacy is important....Anyone needing a refresher on current treatment and understanding of anxiety would find this book useful....One can only hope that a copy will find its way into, and be used by clinicians in, every mental health center where children with anxiety present themselves. --Child and Family Behavior Therapy, 11/5/2006ƒƒ Not just another manual for the cognitive-behavioral treatment of anxiety disorders in children but represents a promising new direction in both the logic and the presentation of therapeutic intervention....The book comes with lots of useful worksheets, handouts, and forms for keeping records....An immensely practical and very well supported book and program. Bruce Chorpita is one of the foremost clinical researchers in childhood anxiety in the world today....A conceptually sophisticated program written with authority and blending the best research with skillful clinical practice. I recommend it highly to trainees or any therapists looking for a more systematic, empirically supported approach. --PsycCRITIQUES, 11/5/2006