An Introduction to Process-Based Therapy – Professor Stefan Hofmann

Get early access to our latest psychology lectures: Check out the book: For decades, evidence-based therapy, such as cognitive behavioral 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. -- 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 is one of the world’s foremost experts in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – especially for anxiety disorders. He was a former president of the 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 -- Links: - Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: - Check out our next event: - Professor Hofmann’s website: - Professor Hofmann’s books: