Following the organization of a successful conference in London in 1997, on ‘Building Bridges’ between different psychological therapies, Brian Martindale, as chairman of the ISPS UK (International Society for the Psychological Treatments of Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses), was minded, with the support of his committee, to produce this book.

In an introductory chapter, the editors point out that, with the rise of drug treatment of schizophrenia, there was a corresponding neglect of psychological and psychosocial approaches. The aim of the book was to redress this balance, to place centrality in the relationship with the patient, highlight the need to develop psychotherapeutic skills in training and, finally, to emphasize the need for evidence-based research on the efficacy of the advocated treatment strategies.

This philosophy permeates the 12 ensuing chapters that cover a wide