Recommended by a fellow therapist when I felt stuck by some of my clients, this is a fairly straightforward guide to a theory with lots of diagrams and sample scripts I've been able to adapt for my caseload. It won't work for everyone, but it helps to know there is more to do when stuck in a treatment course.
Well written and clearly laid out. What I love about Contextual Schema Therapy is that it is a highly useful third wave behavioral therapy and can be integrated quite nicely with other evidence-based interventions, such as ACT, FAP, CFT or others. I found the schemas, modes and the desciptive mode diagram a really practical case conceptualization tool for functional analysis, particularly for those clients with complex traumatic histories and treatment-resistant personality disorders. What's really useful is the multiple chair dialogue arrangements, which essentially are flexible physical arrangements of chairs in the room with each chair representing an important part of the case conceptualization. This physical metaphor of the chair arrangement not only helps the therapist and client both visualize a proper conceptualization of how problem behaviors are maintained through early learned coping mechanisms, but it also becomes a useful tool for intervention as the client and therapist work together. The changes in seating to different types of modes changes perspective and roles. If done with skill, led by the therapist, I can see this being highly effective insight for the client that leads to adaptive behavior change. And the chair arrangements and what the chair represent is highly flexible to meet the idiosyncratic needs of the client. I love it.
Kudos to the authors who just carefully laid this all out, and clearly explained the concepts and the intent. This is a text to hold on to as a continual reference. It also includes a copy of the link for worksheets, assessments, etc so you can apply these tools as you need them.