The main principle behind cognitive behaviour therapy is that a client's emotional and behavioural disturbances are not determined by events, but by the way he or she views them. Changing the way a person thinks changes their mood, and this therapy encourages people to think and act realistically and to challenge self-defeating behaviour. The approach taken in this book is practical and comprehensive, giving emphasis to the importance of building a solid relationship between the therapist and the client in the early stages of therapy. The book discusses changes to traditional therapeutic techniques and also highlights some of the common difficulties encountered in working with psychotic patients, suggesting practical ways of overcoming them.