The Art of CBT: Individualised strategies to respond to common obstacles in therapy

By Chris Basten

When CBT doesn’t work as expected — what do you do next?

Most CBT resources focus on the model. 

Far fewer address what happens when therapy stalls — when clients avoid, disengage, or struggle to follow through, and progress becomes uncertain.

The Art of CBT was written for those moments. It is a practical guide for clinicians already familiar with cognitive–behaviour therapy who want to apply it more effectively in the realities of everyday practice. Rather than presenting another structured protocol, the book takes a formulation-driven approach. It shows how to adapt core CBT principles to the individual client, particularly when standard techniques are not enough. Drawing on detailed case material, it focuses on the challenges that arise across routine clinical work — resistance, ambivalence, missed homework, therapeutic drift, and difficulties maintaining focus and momentum.

This is not an introductory text. It assumes familiarity with CBT and concentrates instead on how to use it well when therapy becomes less straightforward. Across its chapters, the book explores how to strengthen and use the therapeutic relationship, work constructively with resistance and avoidance, build and sustain motivation, and design behavioural and cognitive interventions that remain effective over time. The emphasis throughout is on clarity, responsiveness, and clinical judgement rather than rigid adherence to protocol.

In current clinical use and training

Dr Chris Basten is presenting an eight-part Advanced CBT Skills Masterclass Series through the Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy (AACBT) from this April to October.

The series addresses many of the same issues explored in this book — including maintaining engagement, managing resistance, and keeping therapy focused and effective. For clinicians attending the masterclasses, The Art of CBT serves as a practical companion resource, consolidating and extending the material across sessions.

AACBT members receive a 20% discount on AAP titles.

View masterclass details →

This book is written for psychologists and therapists already using CBT in clinical practice, particularly those working with complex or treatment-resistant presentations and looking to refine their skills beyond protocol delivery.

If you have found yourself thinking, “I know what CBT says to do — but it’s not working with this client”, this book provides a clear and practical way forward.

About the Author

Dr Chris Basten is a highly experienced clinical psychologist with particular interests in health psychology, eating disorders and motivational interviewing. He has completed degrees in psychology at the University of NSW (Bachelor of Arts) and the University of Sydney (Master of Psychology and PhD).  Chris has more than 25 years’ experience in clinical settings including private practice, vocational rehabilitation and public hospitals. For the last 15 years he has focused on his own practice and training psychologists and other health professionals CBT and motivational interviewing. 

ISBN 9781925644302

Softcover 168 pages

Released 2019

Praise for The Art of CBT

"This book summarises much of our current understanding of state-of-the-art CBT into an engaging and easily accessible format. A must-read for trainees learning CBT and also for those experienced in CBT when they need ideas about why they are not making progress with a client. A very readable book that brings together evidence and clinical experience to provide a rich overview of how to maximise the effectiveness of CBT.”

— Professor Tracey Wade, Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Flinders University

"The true value of this book is its focus on practical and evidence-based solutions to common problems that arise in psychotherapy. Many books focus on what do to, but few focus on what to do in the face of obstacles to client engagement and change. Chris’ expertise in individualised case formulation, motivational enhancement, and promotion of a strong therapeutic alliance, together with his commitment to evidence-based and evidence-informed practice, make this a ‘must read’ for trainee and experienced clinicians alike. Using detailed and ‘real world’ clinical examples, Chris illustrates how a clinician can integrate nomothetic (diagnosis, theory) and idiographic (functional analysis, case material) information into a cohesive case formulation and treatment plan. Importantly, the book clearly describes how therapists can provide evidence-informed treatment while maintaining a close eye on therapeutic process to optimise client engagement and outcomes. The case examples, tips, and handouts will help clinicians to ensure that they are on track (and importantly stay on track!) with their clients so that their therapy is as effective and efficient as possible.” 

— Professor Peter McEvoy,School of Psychology, Curtin University