This is an American text detailing a number of modalities for treatment of substance abuse (misuse and dependence). Modalities include CBT, motivational interviewing, contingency management, psychodynamic psychotherapy, network therapy, group therapy, 12-step programmes and family therapy. It contains chapters on assessment of clients who abuse substances, nature of drug testing and cross-cultural aspects of addictions therapy. There is integration of theory, clinical examples with evidence basis for interventions, chapter summaries and suggested further reading.

Substance abuse is invariably tied to country cultural norms and laws. This book only details American clinical guidelines, service provision and drug laws. This limits its use as a guide to UK practice, particularly as a number of modalities discussed are not included in current UK service provision based on NICE guidelines.

The text is designed as an overview of different modalities and is not a treatment manual. There is an overview of CBT, which is best suited to those who have limited experience of CBT in general as well as CBT for substance misuse specifically. There are CBT based interventions discussed in other chapters such as behavioural couples’ therapy. The chapter on contingency management, which is included in NICE guidelines for drug misuse, explains behavioural theory as it relates to application to clinical practice. A DVD by the editors is included, which centres on network therapy and has no specific CBT content.

I would recommend this book to those who have an interest in psychotherapy for substance abuse and are seeking an overview of assessment and psychotherapy treatments in an American context. It is not suitable as a treatment manual for CBT interventions, for informing UK service provision or providing legal guidance for current UK practice.