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For decades, evidence-based therapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, has been defined in terms of treatment protocols focused on syndromes as defined by the DSM and ICD. These psychiatric classification systems assume that psychological problems are expressions of latent disease entities. However, there is little evidence to support this restrictive assumption.

A process-focused approach (Process-Based Therapy, PBT) is now emerging. This approach does not rely on the assumption that psychological problems are expressions of latent disease entities, but it does not rule it out either. Instead, mental health problems are assumed to exist as systems of interconnected elements. As is true for many complex networks, such a change can occur abruptly once the network reaches a tipping point. PBT directly links treatment techniques to processes in the individual client, thereby linking classification to treatment based on functional analysis and complex networks. This offers a less restrictive and more externally valid alternative to the latent disease model, while offering exciting new directions for future research in psychiatry and is in line with personalized medicine.

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Stefan G. Hofmann, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Boston University, where he directs the Psychotherapy and Emotion Research Laboratory, and one of the world’s foremost experts in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – especially for anxiety disorders. He was former president of Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and president of the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy.

Professor Hofmann’s research focuses on the mechanisms of treatment change, translating discoveries from neuroscience into clinical applications, emotions, and cultural expressions of psychopathology, and is currently the Principal Investigator of a study examining yoga as a treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. He has published more than 400 peer-reviewed journal articles as well as 15 books, is the recipient of numerous awards, and has been included in the list of Highly Cited Researchers since 2015. You can learn more about his work at www.bostonanxiety.org

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Links:

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- Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/

- Professor Hofmann’s website: http://www.bostonanxiety.org/

- Professor Hofmann’s books: https://amzn.to/3ivSJIe

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This episode is sponsored by our upcoming Day on Burnout Online Conference, taking place on February 27th, 2022.

Burnout is a state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion, affecting 57% of the UK population. If it’s not managed properly, it can lead to feelings of detachment, cynicism, and ineffectiveness - many of the symptoms associated with clinical depression. Recent years have seen sharp increases in those experiencing it, with one survey reporting a 9% increase in 2021, compared with pre-Covid numbers in 2019.

So for this event, we’ve brought together three world leading experts who will share with you:

— Science-based strategies for working with burnout and compassion fatigue (Françoise Mathieu)

— Dopamine: the secret mechanism underlying almost all addictive behaviour, and how to get it to work for you, rather than against you (Dr Anna Lembke)

— The Productivity Trap: why we have to stop, and how a healthy amount of ‘doing nothing’ can lead to heightened levels of creativity, wellbeing, and a more fulfilling existence (Professor Josh Cohen)

As a listener of this podcast, you can get a discount on your ticket, if you go to http://bit.ly/burnout-twu, and use the discount code: POD when registering.