Integrative Psychotherapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

This chapter describes an integrative therapy for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) that responsively assimilates motivational interviewing (MI) into cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). MI is a person-centered method that helps clients increase their intrinsic drive to change by identifying and working through their intrapsychic ambivalence about or interpersonal resistance to change, which are common negative process markers for clients with GAD. The MI spirit can also facilitate CBT outside of these markers by forestalling such processes that, even in small doses, correlate with poor outcomes. The authors also present assessment methods (especially for the markers of change ambivalence and resistance); summarize the application and structure of MI interventions; describe the processes of change, therapeutic relationship, and core techniques in MI + CBT; consider diversity elements; and provide a case example. The chapter concludes by reviewing the outcome research for this integrative therapy and by highlighting future practice, research, and training directions.