Affective cognitive behavioral therapy: a new treatment for somatization

Affective Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (ACBT) is an emotionally-focused cognitive behavioral intervention designed for patients with somatization and related somatic syndromes. The components of ACBT are relaxation training, behavioral management, cognitive restructuring, emotion identification, emotion regulation, and interpersonal skills training. Because somatization syndromes tend to be accompanied by significant functional impairment and extensive medical treatment, the focus of ACBT is on illness-related thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The authors present a biopsychosocial model of somatization and a rationale for using ACBT for somatization. The patient-therapist relationship and therapeutic techniques of ACBT are also described.