Child and Adolescent Therapy: Cognitive Behavioral Procedures (Second Edition)

Abstract

Child and Adolescent Therapy: Cognitive Behavioral Procedures (Second Edition) Philip C. Kendall (Ed.). New York: Guilford Press (www.guilford.com). 2000, 425 pp., $46.00 (hardcover). There have been many recent advances in the application of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) as a treatment for child and adolescent clinical populations. Innovative conceptual models, new intervention strategies, and several manual-based treatment protocols have been introduced. The second edition of Phil Kendall's Child and Adolescent Therapy offers an easy-to-read description of these cutting-edge psychotherapy interventions for youth, with full coverage of relevant theory, research, and practice basics. Like the first edition, this follow-up text provides a scholarly account of cognitive behavioral treatments targeting children and adolescents with a variety of disorders and behavioral problems. Covering the most recent developments in the field, the editor has assembled a series of critical reviews that are timely, informative, and comprehensive in scope. The book is purposeful in its emphasis on evidence-based treatments and fully promotes a scientist-practitioner agenda. The first chapter, written by the editor, provides a guiding theoretical framework for conducting treatment with children and adolescents. Kendall's model effectively integrates developmental and experiential factors (e.g., problem solving, cognitive abilities, emotional and interpersonal functioning) in an attempt to explain processes of therapeutic change. Whereas leading experts in the field of treatment outcome research (Kazdin, 2000) continue to highlight the need for discussion and investigation of psychotherapy change mechanisms, Kendall explicitly addresses this limitation by proposing a temporal model that considers behavioral contingencies in the development of a cognitive coping template. The chapter also addresses issues relevant to understanding potential limitations and expectations for therapeutic change when working with this population, for example, normal developmental trajectories. Subsequent chapters cover specific problem areas including aggression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anger management, depression, anxiety disorders, and chronic health conditions. While this list is not exhaustive, these conditions are certainly representative of clinical child populations and include those disorders found to be most prevalent in this age group. …