Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Interpersonal Problems: Using Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Schema Awareness to Change Interpersonal Behaviors - Hardcover

McKay, Matthew; Lev PsyD, Avigail; Skeen PsyD, Dr. Michelle

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1608822893 ISBN 13: 9781608822898

Publisher: New Harbinger, 2013

Synopsis

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Interpersonal Problems presents a complete treatment protocol for therapists working with clients who repeatedly fall into unhealthy patterns in their relationships with friends, family members, coworkers, and romantic partners. These clients may blame others, withdraw when feeling threatened, react defensively in conflicts, or have a deep-seated sense of distrust―all interpersonal problems that damage relationships and cause enormous suffering.
This book presents an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) approach―utilizing a schema-based formulation―to help these clients overcome maladaptive interpersonal behavior. First, clients learn how schema avoidance behavior damages their relationships. Second, clients face “creative hopelessness” and practice new mindfulness skills. Third, clients examine what they value in their relationships and what they hope to gain from them, and translate their values into clear intentions for acting differently in the future. And lastly, clients face the cognitive and emotional barriers standing between them and values-based behavior in their relationships. By learning to act on their values instead of falling into schema-influenced patterns, clients can eventually overcome the interpersonal problems that hold them back.

About this title

About the Authors

Matthew McKay, PhD, is a professor at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. He has authored and coauthored numerous books, including The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook, Self-Esteem, Thoughts and Feelings, When Anger Hurts, and ACT on Life Not on Anger. He has also penned two novels, Us and The Wawona Hotel. McKay received his PhD in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology, and specializes in the cognitive behavioral treatment of anxiety and depression. He lives and works in the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

Avigail Lev, PsyD, maintains a private practice in Berkeley, CA. She specializes in couples' therapy and also treats individuals who struggle with interpersonal problems, anxiety, trauma, chronic pain, and mood disorders. She has provided supervision, trainings, and workshops utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and is the coauthor ofAcceptance and Commitment Therapy for Interpersonal Problems.

Michelle Skeen, PsyD, is a therapist who lives and works in San Francisco, CA. She has provided brief and long-term therapy for individuals and couples by utilizing schema and mindfulness-based approaches to address interpersonal issues, weight management, anger, depression, anxiety, disabilities, and trauma. She is author of Love Me, Don't Leave Me and coauthor of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Interpersonal Problems. Skeen is also coauthor of Communication Skills for Teens with her daughter, Kelly Skeen. She hosts a weekly radio show called Relationships 2.0 with Dr. Michelle Skeen on KCAA Radio 1050 AM and iHeart Radio. To find out more, visit her website at www.michelleskeen.com.

Edition details

• Publisher: New Harbinger
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1608822893
• ISBN 13: 9781608822898
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 216