Socratic Questioning for Therapists and Counselors

Scott Waltman, PsyD, ABPP is a clinician and an international CBT trainer specializing in case-conceptualization driven approaches to psychotherapy.R. Trent Codd, EdS, is a clinician and trainer.Lynn McFarr, PhD, is president of the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies, fellow of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and president-elect of the International Association for Cognitive Therapy.Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP, is a prescribing psychologist and the author and editor of 22 books in the area of psychological trauma, military psychology, and psychopharmacology.

"This excellent volume is a thorough yet approachable resource for any new or seasoned mental health professional who is eager to learn traditional cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. The authors have illuminated the historical and theoretical roots of Socratic strategies while simultaneously providing the reader with clear direction for therapeutic applications of this method by way of case conceptualization, clinical examples, and practice dialogues." — Aaron T. Beck, MD, originator of cognitive therapy, USA"Socratic questioning is one of the most omnipresent and important dimensions of psychotherapeutic presence in cognitive and behavioral therapies, but it is also one of the least discussed topics in the field. The authors do a masterful job in shedding light on one of the essential components of effective, modern CBT. Highly recommended!" — Dennis Tirch, PhD, founding director of the Center for Compassion-Focused Therapy and president and fellow of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science, USA"Skillful Socratic questioning is a beautiful thing. It combines empathic listening, conceptualization, cognitive change, an empirical approach, and a collaborative therapeutic relationship—all rolled into one intervention. To learn to do it, read this book." — Jacqueline B. Persons, PhD, director of the Oakland Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center and clinical professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, USA

• 1. Introduction: Why Socratic Questioning 2. Why Doesn't Corrective Learning Happen Automatically? 3. Getting Started 4. A Framework for Socratic Questioning: Beckian Socratic Dialogue 5. Focusing on Key Content 6. Phenomenological Understanding 7. Collaborative Curiosity 8. Summary and Synthesis 9. Troubleshooting Socratic Strategies 10. Thought Records, Behavioral Experiments, and Socratic Questioning 11. Working with Core Beliefs and Schema Work 12. Socratic Dialectical Method: Using Cognitive and Socratic Strategies in Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder 13. Socratic Strategies and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy 14. Socratic Strategies for Physicians and Prescribers 15. Socratic Strategies for Teaching Socratic Strategies 16. The Self-Socratic Method