problem solving therapy nezu

10 Best Problem-Solving Therapy Worksheets & Activities

Cognitive science tells us that we regularly face not only well-defined problems but, importantly, many that are ill defined (Eysenck & Keane, 2015).

Sometimes, we find ourselves unable to overcome our daily problems or the inevitable (though hopefully infrequent) life traumas we face.

Problem-Solving Therapy aims to reduce the incidence and impact of mental health disorders and improve wellbeing by helping clients face life’s difficulties (Dobson, 2011).

This article introduces Problem-Solving Therapy and offers techniques, activities, and worksheets that mental health professionals can use with clients.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free . These science-based exercises explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology, including strengths, values, and self-compassion, and will give you the tools to enhance the wellbeing of your clients, students, or employees.

This Article Contains:

What is problem-solving therapy, 14 steps for problem-solving therapy, 3 best interventions and techniques, 7 activities and worksheets for your session, fascinating books on the topic, resources from positivepsychology.com, a take-home message.

Problem-Solving Therapy assumes that mental disorders arise in response to ineffective or maladaptive coping. By adopting a more realistic and optimistic view of coping, individuals can understand the role of emotions and develop actions to reduce distress and maintain mental wellbeing (Nezu & Nezu, 2009).

“Problem-solving therapy (PST) is a psychosocial intervention, generally considered to be under a cognitive-behavioral umbrella” (Nezu, Nezu, & D’Zurilla, 2013, p. ix). It aims to encourage the client to cope better with day-to-day problems and traumatic events and reduce their impact on mental and physical wellbeing.

Clinical research, counseling, and health psychology have shown PST to be highly effective in clients of all ages, ranging from children to the elderly, across multiple clinical settings, including schizophrenia, stress, and anxiety disorders (Dobson, 2011).

Can it help with depression?

PST appears particularly helpful in treating clients with depression. A recent analysis of 30 studies found that PST was an effective treatment with a similar degree of success as other successful therapies targeting depression (Cuijpers, Wit, Kleiboer, Karyotaki, & Ebert, 2020).

Other studies confirm the value of PST and its effectiveness at treating depression in multiple age groups and its capacity to combine with other therapies, including drug treatments (Dobson, 2011).

The major concepts

Effective coping varies depending on the situation, and treatment typically focuses on improving the environment and reducing emotional distress (Dobson, 2011).

PST is based on two overlapping models:

Social problem-solving model

This model focuses on solving the problem “as it occurs in the natural social environment,” combined with a general coping strategy and a method of self-control (Dobson, 2011, p. 198).

The model includes three central concepts:

• Social problem-solving
• The problem
• The solution

The model is a “self-directed cognitive-behavioral process by which an individual, couple, or group attempts to identify or discover effective solutions for specific problems encountered in everyday living” (Dobson, 2011, p. 199).

Relational problem-solving model

The theory of PST is underpinned by a relational problem-solving model, whereby stress is viewed in terms of the relationships between three factors:

• Stressful life events
• Emotional distress and wellbeing
• Problem-solving coping

Therefore, when a significant adverse life event occurs, it may require “sweeping readjustments in a person’s life” (Dobson, 2011, p. 202).

• Enhance positive problem orientation
• Decrease negative orientation
• Foster ability to apply rational problem-solving skills
• Reduce the tendency to avoid problem-solving
• Minimize the tendency to be careless and impulsive

D’Zurilla’s and Nezu’s model includes (modified from Dobson, 2011):

• Initial structuring Establish a positive therapeutic relationship that encourages optimism and explains the PST approach.
• Assessment Formally and informally assess areas of stress in the client’s life and their problem-solving strengths and weaknesses.
• Obstacles to effective problem-solving Explore typically human challenges to problem-solving, such as multitasking and the negative impact of stress. Introduce tools that can help, such as making lists, visualization, and breaking complex problems down.
• Problem orientation – fostering self-efficacy Introduce the importance of a positive problem orientation, adopting tools, such as visualization, to promote self-efficacy.
• Problem orientation – recognizing problems Help clients recognize issues as they occur and use problem checklists to ‘normalize’ the experience.
• Problem orientation – seeing problems as challenges Encourage clients to break free of harmful and restricted ways of thinking while learning how to argue from another point of view.
• Problem orientation – use and control emotions Help clients understand the role of emotions in problem-solving, including using feelings to inform the process and managing disruptive emotions (such as cognitive reframing and relaxation exercises).
• Problem orientation – stop and think Teach clients how to reduce impulsive and avoidance tendencies (visualizing a stop sign or traffic light).
• Problem definition and formulation Encourage an understanding of the nature of problems and set realistic goals and objectives.
• Generation of alternatives Work with clients to help them recognize the wide range of potential solutions to each problem (for example, brainstorming).
• Decision-making Encourage better decision-making through an improved understanding of the consequences of decisions and the value and likelihood of different outcomes.
• Solution implementation and verification Foster the client’s ability to carry out a solution plan, monitor its outcome, evaluate its effectiveness, and use self-reinforcement to increase the chance of success.
• Guided practice Encourage the application of problem-solving skills across multiple domains and future stressful problems.
• Rapid problem-solving Teach clients how to apply problem-solving questions and guidelines quickly in any given situation.

Success in PST depends on the effectiveness of its implementation; using the right approach is crucial (Dobson, 2011).

Problem-solving therapy – Baycrest

The following interventions and techniques are helpful when implementing more effective problem-solving approaches in client’s lives.

First, it is essential to consider if PST is the best approach for the client, based on the problems they present.

Is PPT appropriate?

It is vital to consider whether PST is appropriate for the client’s situation. Therapists new to the approach may require additional guidance (Nezu et al., 2013).

Therapists should consider the following questions before beginning PST with a client (modified from Nezu et al., 2013):

• Has PST proven effective in the past for the problem? For example, research has shown success with depression, generalized anxiety, back pain, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and supporting caregivers (Nezu et al., 2013).
• Is PST acceptable to the client?
• Is the individual experiencing a significant mental or physical health problem?

All affirmative answers suggest that PST would be a helpful technique to apply in this instance.

Five problem-solving steps

The following five steps are valuable when working with clients to help them cope with and manage their environment (modified from Dobson, 2011).

Ask the client to consider the following points (forming the acronym ADAPT) when confronted by a problem:

• Attitude Aim to adopt a positive, optimistic attitude to the problem and problem-solving process.
• Define Obtain all required facts and details of potential obstacles to define the problem.
• Alternatives Identify various alternative solutions and actions to overcome the obstacle and achieve the problem-solving goal.
• Predict Predict each alternative’s positive and negative outcomes and choose the one most likely to achieve the goal and maximize the benefits.
• Try out Once selected, try out the solution and monitor its effectiveness while engaging in self-reinforcement.

If the client is not satisfied with their solution, they can return to step ‘A’ and find a more appropriate solution.

Download 3 Free Positive Psychology Exercises (PDF)

Enhance wellbeing with these free, science-based exercises that draw on the latest insights from positive psychology.

Download 3 Free Positive Psychology Tools Pack (PDF)

By filling out your name and email address below.

Positive self-statements

When dealing with clients facing negative self-beliefs, it can be helpful for them to use positive self-statements.

Use the following (or add new) self-statements to replace harmful, negative thinking (modified from Dobson, 2011):

• I can solve this problem; I’ve tackled similar ones before.
• I can cope with this.
• I just need to take a breath and relax.
• Once I start, it will be easier.
• It’s okay to look out for myself.
• I can get help if needed.
• Other people feel the same way I do.
• I’ll take one piece of the problem at a time.
• I can keep my fears in check.
• I don’t need to please everyone.

World’s Largest Positive Psychology Resource

The Positive Psychology Toolkit© is a groundbreaking practitioner resource containing over 500 science-based exercises , activities, interventions, questionnaires, and assessments created by experts using the latest positive psychology research.

Updated monthly. 100% Science-based.

“The best positive psychology resource out there!” — Emiliya Zhivotovskaya , Flourishing Center CEO

PST practitioners have many different techniques available to support clients as they learn to tackle day-to-day or one-off trauma.

5 Worksheets and workbooks

Problem-solving self-monitoring form.

Ask the client to complete the following:

• Describe the problem you are facing.
• What is your goal?
• What have you tried so far to solve the problem?
• What was the outcome?

Reactions to Stress

It can be helpful for the client to recognize their own experiences of stress. Do they react angrily, withdraw, or give up (Dobson, 2011)?

The Reactions to Stress worksheet can be given to the client as homework to capture stressful events and their reactions. By recording how they felt, behaved, and thought, they can recognize repeating patterns.

What Are Your Unique Triggers?

Helping clients capture triggers for their stressful reactions can encourage emotional regulation.

When clients can identify triggers that may lead to a negative response, they can stop the experience or slow down their emotional reaction (Dobson, 2011).

The What Are Your Unique Triggers ? worksheet helps the client identify their triggers (e.g., conflict, relationships, physical environment, etc.).

Problem-Solving worksheet

Imagining an existing or potential problem and working through how to resolve it can be a powerful exercise for the client.

Use the Problem-Solving worksheet to state a problem and goal and consider the obstacles in the way. Then explore options for achieving the goal, along with their pros and cons, to assess the best action plan.

Getting the Facts

Clients can become better equipped to tackle problems and choose the right course of action by recognizing facts versus assumptions and gathering all the necessary information (Dobson, 2011).

Use the Getting the Facts worksheet to answer the following questions clearly and unambiguously:

• Who is involved?
• What did or did not happen, and how did it bother you?
• Where did it happen?
• When did it happen?
• Why did it happen?
• How did you respond?

2 Helpful Group Activities

While therapists can use the worksheets above in group situations, the following two interventions work particularly well with more than one person.

Generating Alternative Solutions and Better Decision-Making

A group setting can provide an ideal opportunity to share a problem and identify potential solutions arising from multiple perspectives.

Use the Generating Alternative Solutions and Better Decision-Making worksheet and ask the client to explain the situation or problem to the group and the obstacles in the way.

Once the approaches are captured and reviewed, the individual can share their decision-making process with the group if they want further feedback.

Visualization

Visualization can be performed with individuals or in a group setting to help clients solve problems in multiple ways, including (Dobson, 2011):

• Clarifying the problem by looking at it from multiple perspectives
• Rehearsing a solution in the mind to improve and get more practice
• Visualizing a ‘safe place’ for relaxation, slowing down, and stress management

Guided imagery is particularly valuable for encouraging the group to take a ‘mental vacation’ and let go of stress.

Ask the group to begin with slow, deep breathing that fills the entire diaphragm. Then ask them to visualize a favorite scene (real or imagined) that makes them feel relaxed, perhaps beside a gently flowing river, a summer meadow, or at the beach.

The more the senses are engaged, the more real the experience. Ask the group to think about what they can hear, see, touch, smell, and even taste.

Encourage them to experience the situation as fully as possible, immersing themselves and enjoying their place of safety.

Such feelings of relaxation may be able to help clients fall asleep, relieve stress, and become more ready to solve problems.

We have included three of our favorite books on the subject of Problem-Solving Therapy below.

1. Problem-Solving Therapy: A Treatment Manual – Arthur Nezu, Christine Maguth Nezu, and Thomas D’Zurilla

This is an incredibly valuable book for anyone wishing to understand the principles and practice behind PST.

Written by the co-developers of PST, the manual provides powerful toolkits to overcome cognitive overload, emotional dysregulation, and the barriers to practical problem-solving.

Find the book on Amazon .

2. Emotion-Centered Problem-Solving Therapy: Treatment Guidelines – Arthur Nezu and Christine Maguth Nezu

Another, more recent, book from the creators of PST, this text includes important advances in neuroscience underpinning the role of emotion in behavioral treatment.

Along with clinical examples, the book also includes crucial toolkits that form part of a stepped model for the application of PST.

3. Handbook of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies – Keith Dobson and David Dozois

This is the fourth edition of a hugely popular guide to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies and includes a valuable and insightful section on Problem-Solving Therapy.

This is an important book for students and more experienced therapists wishing to form a high-level and in-depth understanding of the tools and techniques available to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists.

For even more tools to help strengthen your clients’ problem-solving skills, check out the following free worksheets from our blog.

• Case Formulation Worksheet This worksheet presents a four-step framework to help therapists and their clients come to a shared understanding of the client’s presenting problem.
• Understanding Your Default Problem-Solving Approach This worksheet poses a series of questions helping clients reflect on their typical cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to problems.
• Social Problem Solving: Step by Step This worksheet presents a streamlined template to help clients define a problem, generate possible courses of action, and evaluate the effectiveness of an implemented solution.

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others enhance their wellbeing, check out this signature collection of 17 validated positive psychology tools for practitioners. Use them to help others flourish and thrive.

17 Top-Rated Positive Psychology Exercises for Practitioners

Expand your arsenal and impact with these 17 Positive Psychology Exercises [PDF] , scientifically designed to promote human flourishing, meaning, and wellbeing.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

While we are born problem-solvers, facing an incredibly diverse set of challenges daily, we sometimes need support.

Problem-Solving Therapy aims to reduce stress and associated mental health disorders and improve wellbeing by improving our ability to cope. PST is valuable in diverse clinical settings, ranging from depression to schizophrenia, with research suggesting it as a highly effective treatment for teaching coping strategies and reducing emotional distress.

Many PST techniques are available to help improve clients’ positive outlook on obstacles while reducing avoidance of problem situations and the tendency to be careless and impulsive.

The PST model typically assesses the client’s strengths, weaknesses, and coping strategies when facing problems before encouraging a healthy experience of and relationship with problem-solving.

Why not use this article to explore the theory behind PST and try out some of our powerful tools and interventions with your clients to help them with their decision-making, coping, and problem-solving?

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free .

• Cuijpers, P., Wit, L., Kleiboer, A., Karyotaki, E., & Ebert, D. (2020). Problem-solving therapy for adult depression: An updated meta-analysis. European P sychiatry ,  48 (1), 27–37.
• Dobson, K. S. (2011). Handbook of cognitive-behavioral therapies (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
• Dobson, K. S., & Dozois, D. J. A. (2021). Handbook of cognitive-behavioral therapies  (4th ed.). Guilford Press.
• Eysenck, M. W., & Keane, M. T. (2015). Cognitive psychology: A student’s handbook . Psychology Press.
• Nezu, A. M., & Nezu, C. M. (2009). Problem-solving therapy DVD . Retrieved September 13, 2021, from https://www.apa.org/pubs/videos/4310852
• Nezu, A. M., & Nezu, C. M. (2018). Emotion-centered problem-solving therapy: Treatment guidelines. Springer.
• Nezu, A. M., Nezu, C. M., & D’Zurilla, T. J. (2013). Problem-solving therapy: A treatment manual . Springer.

Share this article:

Article feedback

What our readers think.

Thanks for your information given, it was helpful for me something new I learned

Let us know your thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related articles

The Empty Chair Technique: How It Can Help Your Clients

Resolving ‘unfinished business’ is often an essential part of counseling. If left unresolved, it can contribute to depression, anxiety, and mental ill-health while damaging existing [...]

29 Best Group Therapy Activities for Supporting Adults

As humans, we are social creatures with personal histories based on the various groups that make up our lives. Childhood begins with a family of [...]

47 Free Therapy Resources to Help Kick-Start Your New Practice

Setting up a private practice in psychotherapy brings several challenges, including a considerable investment of time and money. You can reduce risks early on by [...]

Read other articles by their category

• Body & Brain (52)
• Coaching & Application (39)
• Compassion (23)
• Counseling (40)
• Emotional Intelligence (22)
• Gratitude (18)
• Grief & Bereavement (18)
• Happiness & SWB (40)
• Meaning & Values (26)
• Meditation (16)
• Mindfulness (40)
• Motivation & Goals (41)
• Optimism & Mindset (29)
• Positive CBT (28)
• Positive Communication (23)
• Positive Education (37)
• Positive Emotions (32)
• Positive Leadership (16)
• Positive Parenting (14)
• Positive Psychology (21)
• Positive Workplace (35)
• Productivity (16)
• Relationships (46)
• Resilience & Coping (39)
• Self Awareness (20)
• Self Esteem (37)
• Strengths & Virtues (29)
• Stress & Burnout Prevention (33)
• Theory & Books (42)
• Therapy Exercises (37)
• Types of Therapy (54)

Understanding Problem-Solving Therapy

Hear from the co-developer of Problem-Solving Therapy, Arthur Nezu, about how this cognitive-behavioral intervention can help people manage the negative impacts of stressful life events.

We believe that there are four major reasons why some people consistently have difficulty solving problems in living. First, most significant problems create emotional stress that can easily interfere with people’s ability to think rationally and logically. If one is unable to handle such stress (e.g., poor emotion regulation), then difficulties in solving problems can ensue. Second, sometimes difficult problems lead to “brain overload,” meaning that people can feel overwhelmed with multiple sources of information “bombarding” their brains making it more difficult to address problems in a focused manner. Third, at times, difficulty coping with stressful problems leads to feelings of hopelessness, causing people to want to “give up.” Last, often times people do not apply a planful and systematic approach to solving life’s problems, thus leading to ineffective solutions.

Out latest version of problem-solving therapy (i.e., Emotion-Centered Problem-Solving Therapy, Nezu & Nezu, 2019. Emotion-centered problem-solving therapy: Treatment guidelines. New York: Springer Publishing; https://www.springerpub.com/emotion-centered-problem-solving-therapy-9780826143143.html) teaches a series of skills aimed at helping people to overcome each of these major difficulties.

We recently revised our version of PST to incorporate recent research from affective neuroscience as well as our own clinical experience with multiple populations. We call this new iteration “Emotion-Centered Problem-Solving Therapy” to underscore the complex interplay among emotions, cognitions, and behavior. In our current version, we believe that the key mechanisms of change involve the ability to handle or cope with stressful events, including acute, chronic, and traumatic problems. Inherent in our approach involves teaching people to (a) adopt a more realistic framework regarding problems in living and their ability to cope with them, (b) effectively manage strong emotional responses to such stressful events in their everyday living, and (c) develop plans for handling problems in living using a systematic approach.

For additional information, see invited article by Nezu et al. (2019). (Emotion-centered) problem-solving therapy: An update. Australian Psychologist, 54, 361-371 and recent treatment manual (Nezu & Nezu, 2019. Emotion-centered problem-solving therapy: Treatment guidelines. New York: Springer Publishing). https://www.springerpub.com/emotion-centered-problem-solving-therapy-9780826143143.html

The theoretical underpinnings of PST assume that much of what is conceptualized as psychopathology and behavioral difficulties, including significant emotional problems, is a function of continuous ineffective coping (i.e., poor social problem solving) with such life stressors. Thus, it is hypothesized that teaching individuals to become better problem solvers can serve to reduce extant physical and mental health difficulties. The overarching goal of this approach is to promote the successful adoption of adaptive problem-solving attitudes (i.e., optimism, enhanced self-efficacy) and the effective implementation of certain behaviors (i.e., adaptive emotional regulation, planful problem solving) as a means of coping with life stressors to attenuate the negative effects of such events on physical and mental well-being. Note that ineffective problem solving can result from a myriad of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.

For a detailed description of the theory and research behind the above conceptualization, see , Nezu & Nezu (2019). Emotion-centered problem-solving therapy: Treatment guidelines. New York: Springer Publishing; https://www.springerpub.com/emotion-centered-problem-solving-therapy-9780826143143.html)

Yes. A substantial amount of research has identified a strong association between social problem-solving (SPS) deficits and depressive rumination. Remember that SPS is the type of problem solving that people engage in when attempting to handle or cope with problems in living, rather than solving intellectual, math, or insight problems. SPS is composed of both an orientation (i.e., how people perceive problems in living and their ability to handle them) and specific skills (i.e., how people define the problem, generate various solutions to a problem, etc.). A negative orientation (e.g., believing that problems are catastrophes) has been found to be strongly associated with depressive rumination. State-oriented rumination, rather than process-oriented rumination, has also been found to linked to SPS deficits. The lack of autobiographical memory specificity has been shown to mediate the relationship between rumination and poor SPS.

Yes, increasingly, research is identifying an important link between social problem-solving deficits (SPS) and suicidal ideation and behaviors. We recently proposed a model of suicidality that posits three major factors that collectively increase the vulnerability for suicide: (a) stressful events (acute, chronic, traumatic), (b) strong negative emotion arousal in reaction to such stress, and (c) SPS deficits that lead to ineffective coping with both the stressful event (i.e., life problem) itself and one’s heightened negative arousal (e.g., see Nezu et al., 2017, Military Behavioral Health, 5, 417-426).

Research supporting the efficacy of PST to reduce suicidality include Choi et al. (2016), Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 46, 323-336 and Gustavson et al., 2016, The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24(1), 11-17. Recently, Barnes et al. (2017, Rehabilitation Psychology, 62, 600-608) developed a protocol for veterans based on our treatment manual (e.g., Nezu et al., 2013, NY: Springer Pub.) geared to aid in the development of safety plans during a suicidal crisis.

Definitely. PST, as a member of the family of cognitive and behavioral therapies, can easily be combined with other CBT interventions. Among these types of treatment approaches, various similarities exist, including the role of various constructs, the use of language, the tendency to be directive, the use of didactics and “homework” as treatment tools, and so forth. Cognitive therapy and dialectic behavior therapy, as examples, both include aspects of PST already. Because these interventions should be viewed as psychotherapy approaches per se, rather than as a set of treatment techniques, it is important is to use a structured case formulation approach that specifies (and justifies) why a particular treatment approach is being applied and for what goal with each client.

I’m always reluctant to suggest that any treatment is the “preferred choice” for any psychological difficulty because the research is far from being conclusive. For example, there might be significant differences in efficacy as a function of various client characteristics, such as sex, gender, severity of depression, severity of executive dysfunction problems, etc. The field has not yet done this type of exhaustive studies. However, to best answer your question, PST has been found to be a very effective approach for this population and I would certainly suggest that it be strongly considered if you are working with such an individual.

In general, PST has been found to be highly effective for older adults with major depressive disorder as found in a meta-analysis by Kirkham et al. (2016; International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 31(5), 526-535). Two clinical trials provide direct support for applying PST for older depressed adults with executive dysfunction (Alexopoulos et al., 2011, Archives of General Psychiatry, 68, 33-41; Gustavson et al., 2016, The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24, 11-17).

Not at all. PST-based approaches are not only geared to help people who are experiencing problems that ultimately can be changed (e.g., financial difficulties, relationship problems, emotional issues), but for problems that are not changeable themselves. It is not only the problem itself that causes concerns, but the myriad of consequences emanating from the problem, including significant emotional reactions to such problems. For example, being terminally ill cannot “be solved,” but the plethora of related issues can be “grist for the PST mill.” These may include one’s emotional reactions, financial difficulties, related physical problems, dealing with family and friends, and so forth. It is the cascade of difficulties associated with such a major stressor that impacts one’s emotional health. PST can be applied to help people wrestle and cope with these related issues. Further, PST can serve to provide a structured approach for individuals experiencing existential difficulties. This includes helping people to better identify the major issues related to confusion, offering a systematic way of aiding individuals to view life from multiple perspectives, and outlining various decision-making tools to foster their ability to make effective choices.

• Counseling Psychology

Emotion-Centered Problem-Solving Therapy

Available formats, streaming options.

• Description
• Contributor bios
• Suggested resources
• Video details

Emotion-centered problem-solving therapy is a transdiagnostic approach that teaches individuals, via an experiential learning framework, a series of skills geared to foster their flexibility and resilience when coping with major life stressors.

Emotion-centered problem-solving therapy is the updated version of problem-solving therapy, which has more than 30 years of demonstrated efficacy regarding multiple clinical disorders, particularly depression. This newer version provides additional tools to help people better understand and regulate negative emotionality in order to more successfully problem-solve stressful life problems.

In this video program, Dr. Arthur M. Nezu works with a client who is dealing with substantial life setbacks with the goal of enhancing his ability to both learn and apply the problem-solving skills. Dr. Christine Maguth Nezu discusses various teaching moments identified within this clinical demonstration that illustrate the four major toolkits that embody emotion-centered problem-solving therapy.

Emotion-Centered Problem-Solving Therapy (EC-PST) is a major extension and reformulation of Problem-Solving Therapy (PST), which is an evidence-based, transdiagnostic approach that has been researched and developed over the past four decades.

Originally outlined by D'Zurilla and Goldfried (1971), the theory and practice of PST has been significantly revised over this time to assimilate emerging scientific findings in psychopathology, cognitive science, and affective neuroscience. Because the therapy protocol has changed significantly from its earlier roots, we now use the term "emotion-centered problem-solving therapy" to highlight these changes, and to incorporate an increasing focus on the role of emotions in learning to solve stressful life problems.

Based on a biopsychosocial, diathesis-stress model of psychopathology, EC-PST involves training people to cope effectively with life stressors hypothesized to engender negative health and mental health outcomes. Contrary to the viewpoint of PST as a series of techniques focused solely on changing a problematic situation, contemporary and emotion-focused PST is a comprehensive system of psychotherapy that increases patients' awareness of their inner experience, teaches specific skills regarding emotional understanding and regulation, and fosters the intentional practice of newly learned problem-solving skills in order to create an experiential learning process.

The experiential component of EC-PST is essential, in that, suggestive of studies that document the plasticity of the brain, this intervention is designed to "train patients' brains" to react and attempt to manage challenging life stressors.

The overarching goal of PST is to foster the adoption and effective implementation of adaptive problem-solving attitudes (i.e., optimism, enhanced self-efficacy) and behaviors (i.e., adaptive emotional regulation, planful problem solving). According to this model, several major obstacles can potentially exist for a given individual when attempting to successfully resolve real-life stressful problems.

Arthur M. Nezu, PhD, ABPP, is currently Distinguished University Professor of Psychology, Medicine, and Community Health and Prevention at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

He is one of the codevelopers of a cognitive–behavioral approach to teaching social problem-solving skills and has conducted multiple randomized clinical trials testing its efficacy across a variety of populations. These populations include clinically depressed adults, depressed geriatric patients, adults with mental retardation and concomitant psychopathology, distressed cancer patients and their spousal caregivers, individuals in weight-loss programs, breast cancer patients, and adult sexual offenders.

Dr. Nezu has contributed to more than 175 professional and scientific publications, including the books Solving Life's Problems: A 5-Step Guide to Enhanced Well-Being , Helping Cancer Patients Cope: A Problem-Solving Approach , and Problem-Solving Therapy: A Positive Approach to Clinical Intervention . He also codeveloped the self-report measure Social Problem-Solving Inventory–Revised.

Dr. Nezu is on numerous editorial boards of scientific and professional journals and a member of the Interventions Research Review Committee of the National Institute of Mental Health.

An award-winning psychologist, he was previously president of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, the Behavioral Psychology Specialty Council, the World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and the American Board of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology. He is a fellow of APA, the Association for Psychological Science, the Society for Behavior Medicine, the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, and the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology.

Dr. Nezu was awarded the diplomate in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology and currently serves as a trustee of that board.

He has been in private practice for more than 25 years and is currently conducting outcome studies to evaluate the efficacy of problem-solving therapy to treat depression among adults with heart disease.

Christine Maguth Nezu, PhD, ABPP, is currently Professor of Psychology and Medicine at Drexel University in Philadelphia. She has also served as Program Consultant to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the US Department of Defense, and the US Air Force. She previously served as director of the APA-accredited Internship/Residency in Clinical Psychology, as well as the Cognitive–Behavioral Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, at the Medical College of Pennsylvania/Hahnemann University.

She is the coauthor or editor of more than 100 scholarly publications, including 15 books. Her publications cover a wide range of topics in mental health and behavioral medicine, many of which have been translated into a variety of foreign languages.

Dr. Maguth Nezu is currently the president-elect of the American Board of Professional Psychology, on the board of directors for the American Board of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology, and on the board of directors for the American Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology.

She is the recipient of numerous grant awards supporting her research and program development, particularly in the area of clinical interventions. She serves as an accreditation site visitor for APA for clinical training programs and is on the editorial boards of several leading psychology and health journals.

Dr. Maguth Nezu has conducted workshops on clinical interventions and case formulation both nationally and internationally. She is currently the North American representative to the World Congress of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies. She holds a diplomate in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology and has been active in private practice for more than 20 years.

Her current areas of interest include the treatment of depression in medical patients, the integration of cognitive and behavioral therapies with patients' spiritual beliefs and practices, interventions directed toward stress, coping, and health, and cognitive behavior therapy and problem-solving therapy for individuals with personality disorders.

• D'Zurilla, T. J., & Nezu, A. M. (2007). Problem-solving therapy: A positive approach to clinical intervention (3rd ed.). New York: Springer Publishing Co.
• D'Zurilla, T. J., Nezu, A. M., & Maydeu-Olivares, A. (2002). Social Problem-Solving Inventory–Revised (SPSI–R): Technical manual . North Tonawanda, NY: Multi-Health Systems.
• Nezu, A. M. (2004). Problem solving and behavior therapy revisited. Behavior Therapy, 35 , 1–33.
• Nezu, A. M., & Nezu, C. M. (in press). Problem-solving therapy. In S. Richards & M. G. Perri (Eds.), Relapse prevention for depression . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Nezu, A. M., Nezu, C. M., & Clark, M. (in press). Problem solving as a risk factor for depression. In K. S. Dobson & D. Dozois (Eds.), Risk factors for depression . New York: Elsevier Science.
• Nezu, A. M., Nezu, C. M., & D'Zurilla, T. J. (2007). Solving life's problems: A 5-step guide to enhanced well-being . New York: Springer Publishing Co.
• Nezu, A. M., Nezu, C. M., & Perri, M. G. (2006). Problem solving to promote treatment adherence. In W. T. O'Donohue & E. Livens (Eds.), Promoting treatment adherence: A practical handbook for health care providers (pp. 135–148). New York: Sage Publications.
• Nezu, A. M., Nezu, C. M., Friedman, S. H., Faddis, S., & Houts, P. S. (1998). Helping cancer patients cope: A problem-solving approach . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Nezu, C. M., D'Zurilla, T. J., & Nezu, A. M. (2005). Problem-solving therapy: Theory, practice, and application to sex offenders. In M. McMurran & J. McGuire (Eds.), Social problem solving and offenders: Evidence, evaluation and evolution (pp. 103–123). Chichester, UK: Wiley.
• Nezu, C. M., Palmatier, A., & Nezu, A. M. (2004). Social problem-solving training for caregivers. In E. C. Chang, T. J. D'Zurilla, & L. J. Sanna (Eds.), Social problem solving: Theory, research, and training (pp. 223–238). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Comparing Models of Emotion in Therapy Leslie S. Greenberg, Norka T. Malberg, and Michael A. Tompkins
• Depression Michael D. Yapko
• Depression With Older Adults Peter A. Lichtenberg
• Emotion-Focused Therapy for Depression Leslie S. Greenberg
• Emotion-Focused Therapy Over Time Leslie S. Greenberg
• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression Zindel V. Segal
• Narrative Processes in Emotion-Focused Therapy for Trauma Lynne Angus and Sandra C. Paivio
• Problem-Solving Therapy Arthur M. Nezu and Christine Maguth Nezu
• Behavioral Interventions in Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Practical Guidance for Putting Theory Into Action, Second Edition Richard F. Farmer, and Alexander L. Chapman
• Essential Components of Cognitive–Behavior Therapy for Depression Jacqueline B. Persons, Joan Davidson, and Michael A. Tompkins
• Experiences of Depression: Theoretical, Clinical, and Research Perspectives Sidney J. Blatt
• Preventing Youth Substance Abuse: Science-Based Programs for Children and Adolescents Patrick Tolan, PhD, José Szapocznik, and Soledad Sambrano

You may also like

Existential–Humanistic Case Formulation

Strengths and Flourishing in Psychotherapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression

The Basics of Group Therapy

Constructive Therapy in Practice

Legal Notice

Not a mental health professional.

View APA videos for the public

Problem-Solving Therapy

• Living reference work entry
• First Online: 18 November 2015
• Cite this living reference work entry

• Sherry A. Beaudreau 2 , 3 , 4 ,
• Christine E. Gould 2 , 3 ,
• Erin Sakai 2 &
• J. W. Terri Huh 2 , 3  

527 Accesses

Behavioral intervention ; Skills-based therapy ; Treatment

Problem-solving therapy (PST), developed by Nezu and colleagues, is a non-pharmacological, empirically supported cognitive-behavioral treatment (D’Zurilla and Nezu 2006 ; Nezu et al. 1989 ). The problem-solving framework draws from a stress-diathesis model, namely, that life stress interacts with an individual’s predisposition toward developing a psychiatric disorder. The driving model behind PST posits that individuals who experience difficulty solving life’s problems or coping with stressors of everyday living struggle with psychiatric symptoms more often than individuals considered as good problem solvers. This psychological treatment teaches a step-by-step approach to the process of identifying and implementing adaptive solutions for daily problems. By teaching individuals to solve their problems more effectively and efficiently, this model assumes that their stress and related psychiatric symptoms will...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Alexopoulos, G. S., Kiosses, D. N., Heo, M., Murphy, C. F., Shanmugham, B., & Gunning-Dixon, F. (2005). Executive dysfunction and the course of geriatric depression. Biological Psychiatry, 58 (3), 204–210.

Article   Google Scholar  

Areán, P. A., & Huh, J. W. T. (2006). Problem-solving therapy with older adults. In S. H. Qualls & B. G. Knight (Eds.), Psychotherapy for depression in older adults (1st ed., pp. 133–149). Hoboken: Wiley.

Google Scholar  

Areán, P., Hegel, M., Vannoy, S., Fan, M. Y., & Unuzter, J. (2008). Effectiveness of problem-solving therapy for older, primary care patients with depression: Results from the IMPACT project. Gerontologist, 48 (3), 311–323.

Ciechanowski, P., Wagner, E., Schmaling, K., Schwartz, S., Williams, B., Diehr, P., Kulzer, J., Gray, S., Collier, C., & LoGerfo, J. (2004). Community-integrated home-based depression treatment in older adults: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 291 (13), 1569–1577.

Crabb, R. M., & Areán, P. A. (2015). Problem-solving treatment for late-life depression. In P. A. Areán (Ed.), Treatment of late-life depression, anxiety, and substance abuse (pp. 83–102). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Chapter   Google Scholar  

D’Zurilla, T. J., & Nezu, A. M. (2006). Problem-solving therapy: A positive approach to clinical intervention (3rd ed.). New York: Springer.

D’Zurilla, T. J., Nezu, A. M., & Maydeu-Olivarez, A. (2002). Social problem-solving inventory – Revised (SPSI-R) . North Tonawanda: Multi-Health Systems.

Kiosses, D. N., & Alexopoulos, G. (2014). Problem-solving therapy in the elderly. Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 1 (1), 15–26.

Knight, B. (2009). Adapting psychotherapy for working with older adults [DVD]. American Psychological Association . ISBN 9781433803666.

Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping . New York: Springer.

Lynch, T. R., & Smoski, M. J. (2009). Individual and group psychotherapy. In M. D. Steffens, D. Blazer, D. C. Steffens, & M. E. Thakur (Eds.), The American Psychiatric Publishing text book of geriatric psychiatry (4th ed., pp. 521–538). Arlington: American Psychiatric Publishing.

Mikami, K., Jorge, R. E., Moser, D. J., Arndt, S., Jang, M., Solodkin, A., Small, S. L., Fonzetti, P., Hegel, M. T., & Robinson, R. G. (2014). Prevention of post-stroke generalized anxiety disorder, using escitalopram or problem-solving therapy. Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 26 (4), 323–328.

Nezu, A. M., Nezu, C. M., & Perri, M. G. (1989). Problem-solving therapy for depression: Therapy, research, and clinical guidelines . New York: Wiley.

Nezu, A. M., Nezu, C. M., Friedman, S. H., Faddis, S., & Houts, P. S. (1998). Helping cancer patients cope: A problem-solving approach . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Book   Google Scholar  

Nezu, A. M., Nezu, C. M., & D’Zurilla, T. J. (2007). Solving life’s problems: A 5 step guide to enhanced well-being . New York: Springer.

Shah, A., Scogin, F., & Floyd, M. (2012). Evidence-based psychological treatments for geriatric depression. In F. Scogin & A. Shah (Eds.), Making evidence-based psychological treatments work with older adults (1st ed., pp. 87–130). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Sharpe, L., Gittins, C. B., Correia, H. M., Meade, T., Nicholas, M. K., Raue, P. J., McDonald, S., & Areán, P. A. (2012). Problem-solving versus cognitive restructuring of medically ill seniors with depression (PROMISE-D trial): Study protocol and design. BMC Psychiatry, 12 (1), 207–216.

Simon, S. S., Cordás, T. A., & Bottino, C. M. (2015). Cognitive behavioral therapies in older adults with depression and cognitive deficits: A systematic review. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 30 (3), 223–233.

Zarit, S. (1996). Interventions with family caregivers. In S. H. Zarit & B. G. Knight (Eds.), Effective clinical interventions in a life-stage context: A guide to psychotherapy and aging (1st ed., pp. 139–159). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA

Sherry A. Beaudreau, Christine E. Gould, Erin Sakai & J. W. Terri Huh

Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

Sherry A. Beaudreau, Christine E. Gould & J. W. Terri Huh

University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Sherry A. Beaudreau

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sherry A. Beaudreau .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Nancy A. Pachana

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore (outside the USA)

About this entry

Cite this entry.

Beaudreau, S.A., Gould, C.E., Sakai, E., Huh, J.W.T. (2015). Problem-Solving Therapy. In: Pachana, N. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_90-1

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_90-1

Received : 15 October 2015

Accepted : 19 October 2015

Published : 18 November 2015

Publisher Name : Springer, Singapore

Online ISBN : 978-981-287-080-3

eBook Packages : Springer Reference Social Sciences Reference Module Humanities and Social Sciences Reference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

• Medical Books

Sorry, there was a problem.

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Problem-Solving Therapy for Depression: Theory, Research, and Clinical Guidelines (Wiley Series on Personality Processes)

• ISBN-10 0471628859
• ISBN-13 978-0471628859
• Publisher John Wiley and Sons
• Publication date January 1, 1989
• Language English
• Dimensions 6.3 x 1.18 x 9.25 inches
• Print length 274 pages
• See all details

Editorial Reviews

From the publisher, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ John Wiley and Sons (January 1, 1989)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 274 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0471628859
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0471628859
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.26 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.3 x 1.18 x 9.25 inches
• #2,570 in Psychopathology
• #3,185 in Medical Mental Illness
• #8,085 in Medical Psychology Pathologies

About the author

Arthur m. nezu.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Customer reviews

• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

No customer reviews

• About Amazon
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell products on Amazon
• Sell on Amazon Business
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Become an Affiliate
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Make Money with Us
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Amazon and COVID-19
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices

• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

• Corpus ID: 142320773

Problem-solving therapy : a positive approach to clinical intervention

• T. D'Zurilla , A. Nezu
• Published 2007

383 Citations

Problem-solving therapy for depression: a meta-analysis..

• Highly Influenced

Evidence-Based Behavioral Treatments for Diabetes: Problem-Solving Therapy

Social problem-solving and depressive symptom vulnerability: the importance of real-life problem-solving performance, social problem solving as a risk factor for depression, problem solving therapy for people with personality disorders: an overview, a problem solving intervention for hospice caregivers: a pilot study., social problem-solving processes and mood in college students: an examination of self-report and performance-based approaches, the influence of social problem-solving ability on the relationship between daily stress and adjustment, social problem solving and depressive symptoms over time: a randomized clinical trial of cognitive-behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy, brief supportive psychotherapy, and pharmacotherapy., problem-solving therapy for cancer patients, related papers.

Showing 1 through 3 of 0 Related Papers