History
Cognitive Psychotherapy was pioneered by psychiatrist Aaron T Beck during his time at the University of Pennsylvania, in the 1960s. It was largely a result of experiments he conducted to test traditional psychoanalytical ideas about depression. His seminal work Depression: Causes and Treatment (1967) was highly influential and set out his findings and theories about the Cognitive approach.
Approach
Cognitive Therapy is based on the Cognitive model. It takes as its premise the idea that people's emotions are heavily influenced by their own personal perceptions about certain stimuli. In other words, it is not the situation that is perceived to have an effect, but rather people's own thoughts regarding a situation. Cognitive therapists encourage individuals to confront these thought patterns and consider whether or not they are reasonable.
How can it help?
Cognitive psychotherapy has been used extensively over the past 40 years, to treat a wide range of conditions. Depression is the most commonly addressed problem but the Cognitive approach is also suitable for many other issues. The amount of sessions is dependant upon an agreement between therapist and client.
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