Adapting Cognitive Therapy for Depression is written as a practical guide for clinicians working with clients who present with complex depression or with comorbid conditions. The book is aimed at both novice and experienced therapists working across a variety of settings. Given the prevalence of depression and the recent report by Lord Layard recommending increased access to psychological therapies for depression, the book will be relevant to a wide audience.

The book is divided into four parts. Part I covers theory, assessment and formulation. Initial chapters outline the cognitive model of depression as well as the general characteristics of cognitive therapy (CT), which would be of particular use to novice therapists, perhaps in conjunction with other books on standard treatment. Assessment and treatment of complex depression are well described and there is an extensive section on formulation of complex presentations of depression, including helpful diagrams that could be used with clients.

Part II considers CT for complex depression. Chapters on severe and chronic depression are well written and include sections on the role of the therapeutic relationship and influence of therapist factors in working with severe and chronic depression, areas that are often covered only briefly in other texts. This section also outlines the use of newer approaches to supplement traditional CT such as well-being therapy in the treatment of residual depressive symptoms and continuation phase CT.

Part III covers CT for comorbid depression and is arguably the most useful section of the book. There is a helpful chapter outlining a 10-session cognitive intervention for suicidal patients, although the recommendation that treatment begin within 72 hours of a suicide attempt may be difficult to achieve for many clinicians! Sections on comorbid anxiety disorders highlight the lack of knowledge as to the best and most effective treatments for comorbidity but provide some practical adaptations to standard CT with these clients. The chapters on personality disorders are excellent; bringing clarity to what can be a confusing area for those who do not work in specialist services. Personality disorders are well defined and brought to life with short case descriptions. Ideas as to how to incorporate some aspects of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy into CT are also useful. Depression in the context of family problems provides some helpful suggestions for those, like me, who may be daunted by the prospect of including the family in treatment.

Finally, Part IV addresses CT for depression in special populations. This section is written very much from a US standpoint, particularly the chapter on Ethnic Minorities. Chapters on working with adolescents and older adults give some useful pointers for assessment and treatment but may not provide the depth of information a clinician unfamiliar with these client groups may need.

A helpful feature of the book is the consistent structure of each chapter; assessment and conceptualization, treatment including useful adaptations to standard approach, a case illustration, and finally a review of efficacy research. After Part I, chapters are stand alone, allowing the clinician to quickly read up on a particular topic.

This book is not a treatment manual but rather helps to guide the therapist's thinking about individual clients who present with complex difficulties. The book is ambitious in covering such a wide range of difficulties and several areas would need further reading, a fact acknowledged by the authors. Overall however, the book offers a good introduction to adapting CT for complex depression. Since most chapters consider modifications to standard CT, the book would seem most helpful for those therapists who are already familiar with the cognitive model of depression and its application in clinical practice.