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Treating Emotionally Dysregulated and Perfectionistic Youth with Transdiagnostic Cognitive Behavioral Procedures

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Abstract

In clinical child psychology, co-morbidity is the norm rather than exception. Single disorder manuals are limited in their scope and applicability to patients with several presenting problems. Emotion dysregulation and perfectionism are two salient pathways to various internalizing and externalizing mental health disorders in youth. In order to treat these children efficiently and effectively, psychotherapists must be equipped with an approach that is able to target these common corridors to psychopathology. Transdiagnostic modular cognitive behavioral procedures are matched to the individual patients’ contexts. The article begins with a brief discussion of emotional regulation, perfectionism, and transdiagnostic modular cognitive behavior therapy. Three confabulated clinical case examples are presented to illustrate the case conceptualization process and the application of modular CBT.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for the Study and Treatment of Anxious Youth at Palo Alto University, 1791 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA

    Paul J. Sullivan, Marisa Keller & Jenna Paternostro

  2. Center for the Study and Treatment of Anxious Youth at Palo Alto University, 5150 El Camino Real C-22, Los Altos, CA, 94022, USA

    Robert D. Friedberg

Authors
  1. Paul J. Sullivan
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  2. Marisa Keller
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  3. Jenna Paternostro
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  4. Robert D. Friedberg
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Correspondence to Robert D. Friedberg.

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Sullivan, P.J., Keller, M., Paternostro, J. et al. Treating Emotionally Dysregulated and Perfectionistic Youth with Transdiagnostic Cognitive Behavioral Procedures. J Contemp Psychother 45, 151–158 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-014-9293-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-014-9293-9

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