Using Functional Analysis in Psychotherapy

Niklas Törneke, MD, is a Swedish psychiatrist and licensed psychotherapist with more than 30 years of clinical experience. Dr. Törneke has extensive experience training psychotherapists worldwide, focusing on the use of basic behavioral principles. He is the author of books including Learning RFT: An Introduction to Relational Frame Theory and Its Clinical Application and Metaphor in Practice: A Professional’s Guide to Using the Science of Language in Psychotherapy, and is a Fellow of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science.

"It is indeed a treat to be invited into the thinking process and therapy sessions of a truly gifted clinician. This book is an engrossing read, incorporating principles of FA and relational frame theory into the back-and-forth of clinical conversations. I will use this book in my work with psychiatry residents and when training or consulting with any clinician. Even as an experienced clinician, I learned a great deal from this book, finding that I thought and behaved differently with my patients based on what I had just read. This book is a triumph. It is elegantly written, thoughtful, and full of heart."--Barbara Kohlenberg, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine"FA is one of the most powerful tools of behavior change available to therapists, but it can feel tricky to fluidly incorporate into therapeutic conversation. Perhaps no one writes more clearly about behavioral psychology than Tӧrneke, and Using Functional Analysis in Psychotherapy is a gift to therapists. Tӧrneke skillfully unpacks the process of FA and contextualizes it into the ongoing process of the therapeutic interaction. Particularly useful are the frequent depictions of therapeutic exchanges that make crystal clear what this strategy could look like in therapy. This book would be a valuable addition to courses in behavior therapy. It is a fantastic resource for all therapists interested in helping clients understand and change their behavior--which is to say, all therapists."--Russell L. Kolts, PhD, Department of Psychology, Eastern Washington University"Modern learning theory is put to practical use in this essential guide for any therapist looking to foster real and meaningful change. Using Functional Analysis in Psychotherapy brilliantly outlines a unifying approach that moves away from the traditional disease model, instead inviting therapists to see the individual human being and their unique way of living in the world. The book focuses on how collaboration between therapist and client is the key to transformation. I will be recommending this book to all therapists wishing to be guided by principles--not just diagnoses--in their efforts to support clients in living healthy lives."--Robyn D. Walser, PhD, private training, consultation, and psychotherapy practice, Menlo Park, California; Co-Director, Bay Area Trauma Recovery Clinical Services-

• Foreword, Stefan G. HofmannPreface1. Historical Notes and a Few Definitions2. Theory as a Tool3. Building Cooperation4. Observational Distancing5. Finding and Naming the Problematic Strategy6. Finding and Naming an Alternative Strategy7. Switching between the Two Arenas8. Experimentation9. The Use of MetaphorAfterwordFurther ReadingIndex