Trichotillomania: An ACT-enhanced Behavior Therapy Approach Therapist Guide (Treatments That Work) [Paperback]

Douglas W Woods (Author), Michael P Twohig (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195336038 | ISBN-13: 978-0195336030 | Publication Date: March 31, 2008 | Edition: 1

Trichotillomania (TTM) is a complex disorder that is difficult to treat as few effective therapeutic options exist. Behavior therapy has the greatest empirical support, but the number of mental health providers familiar with TTM and its treatment is quite small. This manual was written as a tool for therapists to become familiar with an effective treatment for TTM. The treatment approach described in this guide blends traditional behavior therapy elements of habit reversal training and stimulus control techniques with the more contemporary behavioral elements of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Unlike traditional interventions that aim to change type or frequency of pulling-related cognitions in the hopes of reducing urges to pull hair, this innovative program uses strategies to change the function of these cognitions. Clients are taught to see urges for what they really are and to accept their pulling-related thoughts, feelings, and urges without fighting against them. This is accomplished through discussions about the function of language and defusion exercises that show the client how to respond to thoughts about pulling less literally. Over the course of 10 weeks, clients learn to be aware of their pulling and warning signals, use self-management strategies for stopping and preventing pulling, stop fighting against their pulling-related urges and thoughts, and work toward increasing their quality of life. Self-monitoring and homework assignments keep clients motivated and engaged throughout. Designed to be used with older adolescents and adults, this innovative intervention has proven efficacy and is sure to be a powerful tool for the clinician who treats TTM.

TreatmentsThatWorkTM represents the gold standard of behavioral healthcare interventions!



· All programs have been rigorously tested in clinical trials and are backed by years of research


· A prestigious scientific advisory board, led by series Editor-In-Chief David H. Barlow, reviews and evaluates each intervention to ensure that it meets the highest standard of evidence so you can be confident that you are using the most effective treatment available to date


· Our books are reliable and effective and make it easy for you to provide your clients with the best care available


· Our corresponding workbooks contain psychoeducational information, forms and worksheets, and homework assignments to keep clients engaged and motivated


· A companion website (www.oup.com/us/ttw) offers downloadable clinical tools and helpful resources


· Continuing Education (CE) Credits are now available on select titles in collaboration with PsychoEducational Resources, Inc. (PER)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Douglas W. Woods, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is a member of the Trichotillomania Learning Center's Scientific Advisory Board, and a member of the Tourette Syndrome Association's Medical Advisory Board. He has published over 100 journal articles and book chapters on these and related topics. Michael P. Twohig, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Utah State University. He has authored over 40 scholarly pieces on areas such as O.C.D. and O.C.D. spectrum disorders, habit reversal, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (A.C.T.). His work has been funded by the National Institute of Health and the Trichotillomania Learning Center.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1 edition (March 31, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195336038
• ISBN-13: 978-0195336030
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #368,839 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simplifies a very difficult problem, April 23, 2008

By 

Anna Otto (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Trichotillomania: An ACT-enhanced Behavior Therapy Approach Therapist Guide (Treatments That Work) (Paperback)

I am currently treating someone with trichotillomania and had nothing to fall back upon but this book. Training in psychiatry does not necessarily include training in acceptance and commitment therapy, nor in habit reversal training which are the two methods used in this book to break a seemingly unbreakable habit. My supervisors also couldn't figure out what to do. Enter Treatments That Work! I love this series for the simple language, for the reduction in anxiety both for me and for my patients that a manualized session-by-session guideline can provide, and basically for the mastery that, after reading this book, I can possess. Check out their other titles - they have books for treating OCD, social phobia, panic disorder, GAD, and specific phobias. All are concise, informative, and incredibly useful, especially when one does not have patients with a lifetime of psychoanalytic therapy covered by insurance. Of note, behavioral approach to treatment of trichotillomania has been found to be most productive when comparison of all available literature had been done in meta-analysis review; be assured this will likely be much more productive, therefore, than psychodynamic approach to treatment of this illness (though it would be my own preference if I had any choice in the matter).

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Usefull Concise Guide for treating Trichotillomania, April 10, 2008

By 

Mohammad Jafferany (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trichotillomania: An ACT-enhanced Behavior Therapy Approach Therapist Guide (Treatments That Work) (Paperback)

This book is one of the very few books currently in market, written for those therapists,providers, residents and fellows in the field of Psychiatry or Psychology, who are interested in treating Trichotillomania. The book is very nicely categorized into describing different strategies of acceptance and committment therapy, with multiple tables and case vignettes. The workbook associated with this book is also very user friendly for therapists and patients alike. I would highly recommend this book and the associated workbook for every practitioner who wants to learn the basics of acceptance and committment therapy in the treatment of trichotillomania.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very good and helpful tool for use with my clients, December 5, 2009

By 

Shirley (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Trichotillomania: An ACT-enhanced Behavior Therapy Approach Therapist Guide (Treatments That Work) (Paperback)

I am using this workbook as a tool with clients who are diagnosed with Trichotillomania and it is the best tool I have found for this purpose. I also have the clinician's guide for my own use in working with the clients. One needs a step-by-step "program" when working with this disorder and the workbook offers that very structured program. One of my clients said it is the perfect accompaniment for her weekly efforts as she attempts to reduce her hair pulling behavior. She likes taking the homework assignments with her as a comforting reminder and guide.