Schizophrenia Daily News Blog

Cognitive Therapy of Schizophrenia: Book Review

In this month's issue of the journal "Psychiatric Services" Timothy B. Sullivan, M.D. reviews the book "Cognitive Therapy of Schizophrenia". It sounds like it would be a good book for psychiatrists and other therapists working with people who have schizophrenia.

In his review, Dr. Sullivan writes:

Kingdon and Turkington set out to provide clinicians with a treatment model that will make the uncertain knowable and that which is alienating comfortable. They successfully present a cogent, approachable, and flexible model for psychotherapeutic engagement of persons suffering from serious psychotic illness. This is not a "manualized" treatment, and the authors explain why that approach is not appropriate. A careful exposition of the nature of the illness processes, and the theory of cognitive-behavioral therapy and its particular adaptation to this setting, is explained. There are many clinical examples, guidelines, forms to use, and even patient handouts that can be copied and distributed are included. The succinct review of the psychology of schizophrenia is particularly useful, such as the discussion of "externalizing bias" and the central role of stigmatization in symptom development.

The fourth chapter, on therapeutic engagement, and later chapters on work with delusions and hallucinations, are not only brilliantly executed but come as close as one can, in print, to detailed individual case supervision. Even experienced practitioners will find these presentations extremely helpful...

Read the full book review: Cognitive Therapy of Schizophrenia