Victoria Bream

Severe anxiety affects a huge number of women in pregnancy and the postnatal period, making a challenging time even more difficult. You may be suffering from uncontrollable worries about pregnancy and birth, distressing intrusive thoughts of accidental or deliberate harm to the baby, or fears connected to traumatic experiences. This practical self-help guide provides an active route out of feeling anxious. Step-by-step, the book teaches you to apply cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) techniques in the particular context of pregnancy and becoming a new parent in order to overcome maternal anxiety in all its forms. Working through the book you will gain understanding of your anxiety and how factors from the past and present may be playing a role in how you feel. Together with practical exercises and worksheets to move through at your own pace, you will gain the tools you need to help you move forward and enjoy parenthood.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder can be a very disabling and distressing problem. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been shown to be very effective in helping people to overcome OCD. However, OCD is a highly heterogeneous disorder, often complicated by contextual factors, and therapists are often left wondering how to apply their knowledge of treatment to the particular problems as they face them in clinical practice. This book provides the reader with an understanding of the background to and principles of using CBT for OCD in a clear practical 'how to' style. It also elucidates the particular challenges and solutions in applying CBT for OCD using illustrative case material and guidance on formulation-driven intervention. The book also addresses commonly occurring complexities in the treatment of OCD, for example working with comorbidity, perfectionism, shame and family involvement in symptoms. Throughout the book, the authors provide tips on receiving and giving supervision to trouble-shoot commonly encountered problems, resulting in a guide that can help clinicians at all levels of experience.

As the new Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) takes over responsibility for the work previously undertaken by family court welfare officers, the experiences of the parents and children reported in this study will provide an invaluable service user perspective for the benefit of policy and practice. For the first time children, as well as parents, who have been subject to a court welfare report under Section 8 of the 1989 Children Act have been asked for their views on the process. Parents and children made suggestions for changing and improving the service.