Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Illness and Disability

Severe pain, debilitating fatigue, sleep disruption, severe gastrointestinal distress - these hallmarks of chronic illness complicate treatment as surely as they disrupt patients' lives, in no small part because of the overlap between biological pathology and resulting psychological distress. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Illness and Disability cuts across formal diagnostic categories to apply proven therapeutic techniques to potentially devastating conditions, from first assessment to end of treatment.

Four extended clinical case examples of patients with chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, inoperable cancer, and Crohn's disease are used throughout the book to demonstrate how cognitive-behavioral interventions can be used to effectively address ongoing medical stressors and their attendant depression, anxiety, and quality-of-life concerns. At the same time, they highlight specific patient and therapist challenges commonly associated with chronic conditions.

From implementing core CBT strategies to ensuring medication compliance, Renee Taylor offers professionals insights for synthesizing therapeutic knowledge with practical understanding of chronic disease. Her nuanced client portraits also show how individual patients can vary-even within themselves.

This book offers clinicians invaluable help with

- Conceptualizing patient problems

- Developing the therapeutic relationship

- Pacing of therapy

- Cognitive restructuring

- Behavioral modification

- Problem solving

- Fostering coping and adapting skills

Taylor's coverage is both clean and hands-on, with helpful assessments and therapy worksheets for quick reference. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Illness and Disability gives practitioners of CBT new insights into this population and provides newer practitioners with vital tools and tactics. All therapists will benefit as their clients can gain new confidence and regain control of their lives.

Renee R. Taylor, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor within the Department of Occupational Therapy at UIC. She currently serves as the Principal Investigator of a chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) research and outcomes demonstration project funded by the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research within the US Department of Education. This project is designed to evaluate the the efficacy, replicability, and sustainability of peer-based intervention strategies applied to individuals with CFS as implemented within a Center for Independent Living setting. Applying theoretical frameworks of empowerment theory, participatory action research, control theory, and the new paradigm of disability, it is predicted that this community-based intervention will improve overall quality of life, functional capacity, illness severity, coping, and service utilization among individuals with CFS. Dr. Taylor's particular areas of expertise include developing community-based treatment programs for individuals with chronic illnesses, examining the relationship between interpersonal stress, resource loss, and illnesses involving chronic fatigue, and examining different approaches to the treatment of social and environmental issues experienced by individuals with chronic illness.