La formulación en la Psicología y la Psicoterapia: dando sentido a los problemas de la gente.

by Lucy Johnstone (editor), Rudi Dallos (editor)

Esta obra, lectura obligada tanto para estudiantes y alumnos en prácticas como para profesionales cualificados, muestra la riqueza de ideas que los psicólogos y los terapeutas aportan a la manera de comprender los problemas de los clientes y de afrontar las cuestiones complejas que surgen de la idea misma de la formulación. Mary Boyle, Universidad de East London La primera edición de La formulación en la psicología y la psicoterapia fue el fruto del creciente interés existente por la formulación en el contexto clínico. En esta segunda edición, completamente actualizada y revisada, se resume la práctica, investigación, desarrollos y debates más recientes al tiempo que se mantienen los rasgos que convirtieron la primera en un texto de referencia en su campo. Contiene nuevos capítulos sobre la formulación de la construcción personal, la formulación en los marcos sanitarios y la práctica innovadora que supone utilizar la formulación en el marco de un equipo.En este libro, la formulación se ve como un proceso dinámico que explora el significado e importancia de la persona de manera colaborativa y reflexiva, teniendo en cuenta los contextos relacionales y sociales. A través de dos estudios de casos, uno de un adulto y otro de una niña, se ilustra el uso de la formulación desde las perspectivas de seis enfoques teóricos diferentes por parte de sendos clínicos expertos. Se alienta asimismo al lector a adoptar una perspectiva constructivamente crítica de los numerosos debates filosóficos, profesionales y éticos suscitados en el proceso de formular los problemas de la gente.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Ioana Filipaş · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 'must read' book for psychology students - and why not - for anyone interested in different frameworks around constructing meaning. This idea of 'making sense' is not limited to being interested in clinical psychology, but is central to being human, as creatures driven by the ability of making sense of our experiences.

Overall a really got summary and critical analysis of formulation in the light of different therapeutic approaches to case studies, while also acknowledging the benefits these can bring in comparison to the medical/diagnosis model.

P.s. would definitely recommend reading this while taking notes and taking some time to digest the content.

[Dafni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book explores the process of formulation in clinical psychology and psychotherapy from a range of different perspectives including the major schools of thought: psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioural and systemic. I quite liked the view on integrative formulation combining clues from all therapeutic approaches.

The most thought-provoking chapter was ‘Social Inequalities’ written by Lynn McClelland, highlighting that we should always consider social factors and cultural context in the making of a formulation. Factors such as socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, migration, acculturation, disconnection from cultural heritage, and social cohesion might play a significant role in the mental health difficulties one is facing. Thus, formulation and intervention should be informed by contextual and multi-dimensional view.

Key messages to take home:
- Formulation is a collaborative process, with the individual & team
- As professionals we should always be open to re-formulate
- Reflect and be aware of the harm/distress it might cause to the individual
- Ensure our formulations are culturally sensitive, non-judgmental, take into account wider social/political factors
- Always consider possible role of trauma and abuse

“The potential criticisms and limitations of formulation echo the potential criticisms and limitations of therapy itself.”

[Iona Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Nickita Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides an in-depth exploration of formulation within psychological practice. The authors offer a nuanced overview of different theoretical approaches, including cognitive-behavioural, psychodynamic, systemic, and narrative perspectives, allowing readers to appreciate the diversity and flexibility of formulation. One of the book’s key strengths lies in its emphasis on collaboration and the co-construction of meaning between client and practitioner, which reflects the core values of counselling psychology. Johnstone and Dallos also critically examine the limitations of diagnostic models, highlighting the importance of understanding distress within social, cultural, and relational contexts. This critical stance encourages reflective and ethical practice, prompting practitioners to remain aware of issues of power, labelling, and individualisation. While the book is dense in parts, its clear structure and use of case examples make it both accessible and practically relevant. Overall, it is an essential resource for trainee counselling psychologists, offering both theoretical depth and practical guidance for developing formulation skills that are integrative, reflective, and person-centred.

[Rehnuma Choudhury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this at the beginning of the year and remember thinking at the time that it was useful for understanding modality-specific formulation processes, but not all too useful as a guidebook for day to day formulation of different presentations in different clinical situations, which is what I was hoping to learn more about.

The psychodynamic chapter, while helpful in illustrating how formulation might work within the discipline, did not do much to help me to understand how to actually formulate problems psychodynamically as the formulations themselves seemed overly dependent on clinician interpretation without a solid framework to use. I get that formulation is mainly a CBT thing - but I was also hoping to gain a general idea of how to conceptualise different presentations.

Maybe what I really needed was a book on formulation frameworks / strategies - but in any case, this book wasn't it.

[Yinxue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointed in how dull and un-informative this is for clinical practice.

[Harriet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, great book on formulation for any psychologist in practice. Reading this has shaped my work. Favourite chapter was the one on team formulation.

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Doing work for work outside of work*

To formulate or not to formulate, that is the question.

To me it’s one of those matter-of-fact things that happen naturally without much conscious deliberation. Whether it turns out to be correct and useful is a question for another time, but just like the „therapist nod” the formulation cogs start turning whenever the opportunity arises.

I found it particularly useful that authors used the same 2 scenarios for every formulation rather than different, perhaps more fitting ones. This showed very neatly that any of the approaches can be utilised in any context and it will make SOME, but not necessarily ALL or even A LOT of sense. Making sense, however, sometimes feels like making your way through gorse bushes. And that’s fine. That’s why we have all these tools for.