At the beginning of the new millennium, and after a turbulent development process of almost fifty years, Cognitive Psychotherapy still does not seem to have reached a full epistemological and applicative maturity. However at a clinical level, Cognitive Psychotherapy may be considered as one of the most valid and efficient instruments; it is supported by an enormous mass of research and experimental data covering a numerous series of disorders such as mood disturbances, with particular reference to depression, as well as anxiety, personality and eating disorders. Also recently in the field of schizophrenia several studies have been carried out, capable of suggesting an original cognitive approach to the therapy and rehabilitation of psychotic patients. Along with the classic approach by the Philadelphia School started by A. T. Beck, a pool of further evolutions of the original cognitive paradigm have been taking place and are still under development. Among these, of particular importance are the relational and constructivist approaches. This book is a useful instrument for an extensive review of the varied landscape of contemporary Cognitive Psychotherapy. Starting from the introduction chapter, "Cognitive Psychotherapy toward a new millennium," by the Editors, the theoretical chapters of the first part of the book, focus on the great issues of Contemporary Cognitive Psychotherapy. The second part includes a series of chapters dealing with clinical applications. The third part covers almost all psychiatric disorders. This volume will be a greatly useful contribution to the critical reflection about the development of Cognitive Psychotherapy at the beginning of the new millennium.

Schizophrenia is the central problem in the sciences of the mind, not only for its etiological, psychopathological and clinical aspects, but also because of its implications for therapy and rehabilitation. In this volume the author describes a series of new scientific and clinical perspectives for schizophrenia influenced by cognitivist and constructivist approaches and informed by the logic of complexity and non-linear, dynamic systems. The author delineates a new complex theory of the brain and a procedural theory of the mind, founded on the concept of the modular brain and the coalitional mind. Subsequently, the author develops a multi-factorial conceptualization of the etiological dynamic and an original, complex, and evolutionary perspective concerning the psychotic condition, which has been redefined, in this case, as Entropy of the Mind or Phrenentropy. In conclusion, the author illustrates an innovative, integrated protocol, denominated Negative Entropy, for the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with schizophrenia.

In the roughly two decades since Aaron T. Beck published the now classic "Cognitive Therapy of Depression," and Michael J. Mahoney declared the "Cognitive Revolution," much has happened. What was proposed as the "cognitive revolution" has now become the zeitgeist, and Cognitive Therapy (CT) has grown exponentially with each passing year. A treatment model that was once seen as diffe rent, strange, or even alien, is now commonplace. In fact, many people have allied themselves with CT claiming that they have always done CT. Even my psychoanalytic colleagues have claimed that they often use CT. "After all," they say, "Psychoanalysis is a cognitive therapy." Cognitive Therapy (or Cognitive Psychotherapy) has become a kaleidoscope model of treatment, with influences coming from many sources. Some of these contributory streams have been information pro cessing, behavior therapy, Constructivist psychology, and dynamic psychotherapy. Each of these sources have added color, shading, and depth to the CT model. What was originally uni dimensional in terms of the CT focus on depression has become multidimensional as the CT model has been applied to virtually every patient population, treatment setting, and therapy context. CT must now be seen as a general model of psychotherapy that, with modifications, can be applied to the broad range of clinical problems and syndromes. What has tied these various applications of CT together is the emphasis on a strong grounding in cogni tive theory, a commitment to empirical support, and a dedication to broadening the model.