From leading experts in behavioral activation research and clinical practice, this volume presents an empirically tested approach for helping clients overcome depression by becoming active and engaged in their own lives. Behavioral activation is a stand-alone treatment whose principles can be integrated easily with other approaches that therapists already use. Guidelines are presented for identifying individualized treatment targets, monitoring and scheduling antidepressant activities--experiences that are likely to be rewarding and pleasurable--and decreasing avoidance and ruminative thinking. Rich clinical illustrations include an extended case example that runs throughout the book. Twenty-two reproducible forms, worksheets, and tables can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2 x 11 size.
About the Author:

Christopher R. Martell, PhD, ABPP, is the Director of the Psychological Services Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he is also a Lecturer. He maintained an independent practice for 23 years, providing cognitive-behavioral therapy to clients with mood and anxiety disorders. Dr. Martell conducts workshops and trainings on behavioral activation (BA) nationally and internationally and has consulted on research teams examining BA around the world. His books include Behavioral Activation for Depression: A Clinician's Guide (coauthored with Sona Dimidjian and Ruth Herman-Dunn). He is a recipient of honors including the Distinguished Psychologist Award from the Washington State Psychological Association.

Sona Dimidjian, PhD, a clinical psychologist, is Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder. She is a widely recognized expert on women's mental health; the clinical application of contemplative practices, such as mindfulness meditation; and cognitive and behavioral approaches. She has developed successful prevention and treatment programs to promote well-being among women, including during pregnancy and early parenting. Dr. Dimidjian is a recipient of multiple awards and the author of widely cited scholarly papers. She is coauthor of the self-help resource Expecting Mindfully as well as Behavioral Activation for Depression and Behavioral Activation with Adolescents (for mental health professionals).

Ruth Herman-Dunn, PhD, is in private practice in Seattle and supervises graduate students in her position as Clinical Instructor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington. She has been a research therapist on several large randomized clinical trials for behavioral treatments, including behavioral activation and dialectical behavior therapy, and has led workshops on these treatments throughout the United States and Canada. Dr. Herman-Dunn provides consultation on treatment dissemination studies and collaborates with a core group of behavioral activation experts on research, training, and treatment development.