Definition
Cognitive therapy assumes that the cause of many of our problems lies in how we think, or our thought patterns. These negative or inaccurate thought patterns cause behavior and emotional responses which do not serve us well- they lead to unhappiness, depression, and anxiety. The treatment focuses on changing thoughts in order to solve the problems created by these thought patterns. Cognitive Behavioral therapy is goal-oriented; it treats emotional and behavioral disorders as maladaptive learned responses that can be replaced by healthier ones once we better understand the thoughts behind our behavior and emotions.
History
Psychologist Aaron Beck developed cognitive therapy in the 1960s. The treatment is based on the principle that ineffective, self-defeating behavior is triggered by irrational thinking patterns. Instead of reacting to the reality of a situation, an individual automatically reacts to his or her own distorted view of the situation. Cognitive therapy strives to change these cognitive distortions by examining both the rationality and validity of the assumptions behind them.
Behavior therapy was developed during the 1950s as an alternative to the then current psychodynamic model of therapy. The idea that clients could benefit from a more direct, goal -oriented approach with more structure and focus appealed to many researchers at that time. The therapy drew on a variety of theories and research, including the classical conditioning principles of Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), the work B. F. Skinner (1904-1990), and the work of psychiatrist Joseph Wolpe (1915-1997). Pavlov became famous for experiments in which dogs were trained to salivate at the sound of a bell, and Skinner pioneered the concept of operant conditioning, in which behavior is modified by changing the response it elicits. Wolpe is known for his work in the areas of desensitization and assertiveness training. By the 1970s, behavior therapy gained widespread popularity as a treatment approach. Since the 1980s, many therapists have begun to use cognitive-behavioral therapy to change unhealthy behaviors by replacing negative or self-defeating thought patterns with more accurate and positive ones.
