Multimodal Therapy

Arnold Lazarus pioneered cognitive-behavior therapy but soon realized that it contained significant treatment omissions. He thus created multimodal therapy (MMT), a comprehensive, biopsychosocial approach to psychological assessment and technically eclectic psychotherapy. Unlike traditional cognitive-behavior therapy, in addition to focusing on behavior, cognition, and affect, MMT also thoroughly assesses imagery, sensations, interpersonal relationships, and biological factors, which results in a comprehensive diagnostic and treatment planning framework. This chapter features the foundations of MMT, its applicability and structure, its therapy relationship, and its key methods. The chapter concludes with case example, a review of outcome research, and several future directions.