Cognitive Therapy – Aaron Beck’s Treatment For Depression
Cognitive therapy was pioneered by psychiatrist Aaron Beck in the 1960s as a treatment for depression. According to this approach, individuals’ thoughts and beliefs affect their feelings, behavior, and sense of well-being; thus the therapy seeks to alter people’s negative thoughts and beliefs into more positive ones.
Therapists begin the session by employing collaborative empiricism to invite patients into an investigation of their automatic thoughts. They ask patients to identify their most frequent thoughts and assess whether they are accurate, useful, or distorted.
The therapist then assists the patient in working through these automatic thoughts. They may ask questions such as, “What do you think about this situation?” or, “How could this have helped you?”
Once a patient has identified and understood their thoughts, they are then guided in changing them. Encouraged to replace distorted or unhelpful thoughts with more realistic ones; additionally, patients are advised to set achievable objectives and work toward them.
At the conclusion of each session, therapists request feedback regarding the overall treatment experience. They inquire if patients felt understood, found it helpful, and if any changes should be made in the next one (Beck, 1995).
Aaron Temkin Beck was an American psychiatrist and pioneer of cognitive therapy. He authored or co-authored 25 books, 157 book chapters, and over 600 scientific articles. As president emeritus of the Beck Institute, he inspired generations of CBT practitioners and trainees with his wisdom, humor, and grace.
He began his career as a psychiatrist and worked with depressed patients. During this time, he noticed that many of them had negative or hopeless thoughts which they did not challenge or question; these thoughts were known as automatic thoughts which had an immense effect on their emotions, behaviors, and even relationships.
In the 1960s, Beck developed a more direct method of treating depression than psychoanalysis could offer. His approach consisted of problem solving techniques and problem-solving exercises.
Many of his depressed patients who had been suffering for years began to improve rapidly. They were able to solve their issues, alter dysfunctional behaviors, and transform distorted thinking.
Cognitive therapy is still widely practiced today as a treatment for mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse problems, bipolar disorder, low self-esteem issues, phobias, schizophrenia and suicidal ideation. It has been effective in numerous outcomes studies for these and other psychiatric illnesses.
Aaron Beck, who passed away in 2019, was widely recognized as the father of cognitive therapy and an influential figure within mental health. He founded the Beck Institute and trained many cognitive therapists. For his efforts, he received numerous awards such as the Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research, Gustave O. Lienhard Award from the Institute of Medicine, and Kennedy Community Health Award.