Optimizing Treatment Engagement Processes in CBT for Anxiety and Related Disorders

This book focuses on how to effectively support treatment engagement for patients with anxiety and related disorders. The text begins from the premise that individuals already face numerous logistical, environmental, and systemic barriers to evidence-based psychotherapy. Furthermore, among anxious populations, the very symptoms that require treatment—namely, avoidance and fear-based cognitions--can deter treatment seeking. Thus, it is critical to understand how best to support treatment engagement once access barriers are overcome. Summarizing the state of the research and integrating practical application, this volume lays out the ways to maximize patient engagement and optimize treatment outcomes in cognitive behavioral treatments for the range of anxiety and related disorders. The reader will gain:· Theoretical understanding of the treatment engagement process· Knowledge about common barriers to treatment engagement across anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and posttraumatic stress disorder· Clinical strategies and practical guidance for optimizing treatment engagement

About the Author

Elizabeth M. Goetter is a licensed clinical psychologist, Associate Professor, and Director of the Psychology Doctoral Program at La Salle University. She serves as a clinical consultant at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) where she previously served as co-clinical director of psychology, Senior Clinical Director at MGH Home Base, and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Goetter’s clinical and research interests include the efficacy, dissemination, and utilization of empirically supported treatments for traumatic stress disorders, particularly among military and veteran populations. She has served as a study therapist and assessor on multiple externally funded studies and co-authored manuscripts and book chapters on issues pertaining to posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, grief, veteran mental health, technology and telehealth approaches to treatment, barriers to treatment, and treatment utilization and dropout. She is an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Mental Health and also serves as an editorial board member for Cognitive and Behavioral Practice and the European Journal of Psychotraumatology.