Clinical Case Formulations

Matching the Integrative Treatment Plan to the Client, Second Edition

"[Barbara Ingram has put] a career into the development of this book and it is wonderful! My students love that it was written with them in mind and they love the statements designed to reduce anxiety and normalize the learning process. This is an excellent book!"―Amy M. Rees-Turyn, PhD Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology, Lewis & Clark College

A step-by-step model for individualized case conceptualization

Fully revised and updated, the second edition of Clinical Case Formulations provides step-by-step tools and insightful guidance for moving from first contact with a client to the development of an effective, personalized treatment plan. Addressing the essential question every therapist faces―How do I create a treatment plan that is the best match for my client?―this unique resource provides a systematic and thoughtful method for integrating ideas, skills, and techniques from different theoretical approaches. It combines empirical research and clinical experience to create a case formulation that is tailor-made for the client.

This comprehensive resource offers two tools to guide case formulations: a problem-oriented framework, with a list of 28 standards for evaluating its application, and a set of 30 core clinical hypotheses derived from the knowledge bases of psychology, psychiatry, counseling, and social work professions.

The new edition includes:

• Hypotheses on Emotional Focus, Trauma, and Metacognitive Perspective

• More detailed attention given to empirically supported therapies such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Discussion on the importance of bringing cultural competence to case formulation tasks with every client

• Skill-building activities throughout the text

Offering a thorough framework to help clients experience effective clinical service, practitioners will learn to conceptualize clients' needs in ways that lead to strong and individualized treatment plans, as well as advice and guidance on what to do when selected interventions fail to produce the expected benefits.