Cognitive Behavioural Therapy 1963 – Psychological Treatment

Cognitive  Behavioural  Therapy (CBT),  a type of therapy that emphasises the role of thinking errors in the formation of negative emotions, has roots in antiquity. The ancient Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus wrote in the Enchiridion:  “People  are not disturbed by things, but by  the way they view things.” 

In CBT, the psychotherapist helps patients think about situations and circumstances from a new perspective to change their responses and feelings. If patients can identify maladaptive or irrational thoughts, those thoughts can be challenged. The improved behaviours that follow serve to educate patients further and reinforce more productive ways of thinking. Patients usually keep a diary of events and the associated feelings and thoughts.

In the 1950s, American psychoanalyst Albert Ellis shaped the development of CBT because he disliked the apparently ineffective and indirect nature of classical psychoanalysis. Ellis wanted therapists to emphasise changing thought patterns that did not benefit the client. In the 1960s, American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Aaron Beck became the main driving force behind modern CBT.

CBT has frequently been shown to help with many conditions, including:

• Depression
• Insomnia
• Anxiety
• Obsessive–compulsive disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Eating disorders
• Chronic pain 
• Schizophrenia

When meeting a therapist, patients may be asked to reframe a thought so that it can be tested as a hypothesis. This allows them to step back from their belief and examine it more  objectively  to reach a different perspective. For example, a depressed person might generalise after a single unsuccessful interview and conclude that they will never find a job. 

For phobias and compulsions, symptoms can sometimes be reduced through gradual exposure to a frightening stimulus. 

People with depression may be asked to schedule small, enjoyable activities, such as having coffee with a friend. This not only changes behaviour but can also test a belief or hypothesis such as  “Nobody enjoys spending time with me”. CBT can also be used alongside medication for severe psychological disorders.

Description of the article image: A therapist can often treat  arachnophobia  using CBT and controlled, gradual exposure to spiders. Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies show that CBT may affect the brain in various beneficial ways.

Historical figures mentioned in the article: Epictetus (55–135), Albert Ellis (1913–2007), Aaron Temkin Beck (b. 1921)

• Previous topic: Thalidomide Disaster 1962 – Babies with Flipper-Like Limbs
• Next topic: Liver Transplantation 1963 – An Organ That Renews Itself