Formulation in Psychology and Psychotherapy

Making sense of people's problems

Lucy Johnstone, Rudi Dallos

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• eBook ISBN: 9781135044206
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Clinical Psychology
• Index: Psychology

The first edition of Formulation in Psychology and Psychotherapy caught the wave of growing interest in formulation in a clinical context. This completely updated and revised edition summarises recent practice, research, developments and debates while retaining the features that made the first a leading text in the field. It contains new chapters on personal construct formulation, formulation in health settings, and the innovative practice of using formulation in teams.

The book sees formulation as a dynamic process which explores personal meaning collaboratively and reflectively, taking account of relational and social contexts. Two case studies, one adult and one child, illustrate the use of formulation from the perspectives of expert clinicians from six different theoretical positions. The book encourages the reader to take a constructively critical perspective on the many philosophical, professional and ethical debates raised by the process of formulating people's problems. Among the issues explored are:

• The social and political context of formulation
• Formulation in relation to psychiatric diagnosis
• The limitations of formulation
• Controversies and debates about formulation

This readable and comprehensive guide to the field provides a clear, up to date and thought-provoking overview of formulation from a number of perspectives, essential for clinicians working in all areas of mental health and social care, psychology, therapy and counselling.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• List of figures and tables
• List of contributors
• Preface to the second edition
• 1. Introduction to formulation
• 2. Case formulation in cognitive behavioural therapy: a principle-driven approach
• 3. Psychodynamic formulation: looking beneath the surface
• 4. Systemic formulation: mapping the family dance
• 5. Formulation and narrative therapy: telling a different story
• 6. Reformulating the impact of social inequalities: power and social justice
• 7. Formulation in personal and relational construct psychology: seeing the world through clients’ eyes
• 8. Integrative formulation in theory
• 9. Integrative formulation in practice: a dynamic, multi-level approach
• 10. Using formulation in teams
• 11. Using integrative formulation in health settings
• 12. Controversies and debates about formulation
• Index