Book Review: Cognitive-Behavioural Therapies for Trauma. Edited by Victoria Follette, Josef Ruzek and Francis Abueg. The Guilford Press: New York & London. pp. 431. IBSN 1572304006, Date; £32.50.; Group Treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Edited by Bruce H. Young and Dudley D. Blake. Brunner / Mazel of the Taylor & Francis Group; Philadelphia. 1999. pp. 237. Date, ISBN 0-87630-983-X. £24.95
| Published date | 01 September 2001 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026975800100800310 |
| Date | 01 September 2001 |
| Author | Elizabeth Sullivan |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
306
COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL
THERAPIES
FOR
TRAUMA.
Edited
by
Victoria
Follette, Josef
Ruzek
and
Francis
Abueg.
The
Guilford Press:
New
York
&
London.
pp.
431.
IBSN
1572304006,
Date,
£32.50.
GROUP
TREATMENTS
FOR
POST-
TRAUMATIC
STRESS
DISORDER.
Edited
by
Bruce
H.
Young
and
Dudley
D.
Blake.
Brunner I
Mazel
of
the
Taylor
& Francis
Group;
Philadelphia.
1999.
pp.
237.
Date,
ISBN
0-87630-983-X.
£24.95.
In
some
respect
these
books
are
complementary.
For
the
student of trauma
work
two
major
styles
of intervention
are
elucidated.
In
the
first
book
edited
by
Follette et al.
work
with
individuals
is
the
focus,
while
in
the
second, edited
by
Young
and
Blake,
group
work
including
family
systems
therapy
is
explored.
In
addition,
two
clear theoretical
frameworks
for
trauma
symptom
treatment
are
espoused: cognitive behaviourism
in
Follette et
al.
and
psychodynamic therapy
in
Young
and
Blake,
each
giving
a conceptual
framework
for
the
interventions
suggested. Follette et
al.
deal
with
more
types
of
trauma
than
do
Young
and
Blake,
although
the
symptomatic
behaviours
described
are
frequently
the
same.
Follette et
al.
are
more
thorough
in
their
attention
to
reviewing
the
literature,
particularly
the
associated
outcome
research,
and
employ
a
much
stronger
em-
phasis
on
case examples
and
informative descriptions of therapeutic interven-
tions.
Follette et al.
have
edited a
learned
and
convincing
book
which
benefits
from
a clear
and
useful
organising
structure.
Part
one
deals
with
theoretical
and
empirical foundations of cognitive-behavioural trauma
therapy.
The
first chapter
offers a rationale
for
the
book's
focus
and
philosophy,
while
chapters
two
and
three present
outcome
research
on
trauma
survivor treatments followed
by
a
functional analysis of trauma
symptoms
by
way
of
setting
the
scene
for
the
following specialist
chapters.
These
deal
with
treatment
domains.
Each
begins
with
a short introduction
to
its
main
theoretical underpinnings,
followed
by
a
brief review of pertinent empirical
research,
before
introducing
the
reader
to
a
particular
group
of
trauma
sufferers
such
as
war
veterans
or
survivors of sexual
abuse,
or a particular
trauma
related
symptom
such
as
trauma-related guilt or
dissociative
behaviour.
The
fmal
section
of
the
book
addresses
trauma
across
the
lifespan, specifically children
and
older
people,
since
there
is
a tendency
for
these
two
groups
to
be
overlooked,
or
for
treatments
designed
for
adults
to
be
inappro-
priately applied.
The
editors
make
several
claims
for
this
book,
to
which
it
succeeds
in
living
up.
First,
they
make
clear
that
throughout,
thoughts
and
feelings
are
going
to
be
described,
and
indeed,
one
of
the
book's
strengths
is
the
'flesh
and
bones' built
around
the
theory
in
terms
of case
study
material.
Secondly,
they
claim
to
seek
uniting
themes
between
the
various
interventions
described
by
a number of
different authors,
again
with
no
small
success.
Although
there
is
some
repetition
between chapters
in
terms
of
the
underlying theoretical principles,
the
literature
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