Cognitive Therapy and Research Journal

Cognitive Therapy and Research Journal

Cognitive Therapy and Research is a peer reviewed multidisciplinary journal that publishes empirically-based research on the application of behavioral and cognitive sciences to clinical psychology and psychotherapy. With an expedited publication schedule, this journal strives to uphold high standards in editorial policy as well as an intense peer-review process (double blind, expert referees).

CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) is an established form of therapy that has been proven effective for a variety of mental health conditions. It works to identify and repair dysfunctional thought processes, with focus on cognitions rather than behaviors, while also altering how the mind works and interacts with the body so clients can improve their overall psychological and physical wellbeing.

This therapy is founded on the idea that depression, anxiety and other mental health issues are caused by negative automatic thoughts and assumptions in the mind. While these beliefs may have a covert illogical foundation that’s difficult to observe, they can be unlocked through various techniques used by a therapist during sessions.

When these thoughts are recognized and corrected, clients can break free of their self-maintaining depressive cycle that may have been driving their illness for decades. The goal of therapy is to alter underlying beliefs and their relationship to behavior through techniques such as exposure therapy, cognitive restructuring, acceptance/commitment therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

The Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy is a peer-reviewed quarterly journal dedicated to furthering the science and practice of cognitive-behavioral therapy. It publishes empirical papers, case studies, review articles, as well as practical “how-to” articles on all aspects of this therapeutic approach.

Psychotherapy International is a premier journal in the field and boasts an international readership. It’s indexed in multiple indexes, such as Scopus and Web of Science, with an h-index of 106 indicating that at least 106 articles published in this journal have been cited at least 106 times.

Cognitive therapy was born out of a surge of research into cognition-focused approaches to mental health that was inspired by empirical studies of memory, learning, and perception. While its theories are grounded in Freudian psychoanalysis, they have been modernized with insights about the mind such as emotions’ role and cognitive biases that perpetuate mental illness.

These theories were combined with behavioral and other types of psychotherapy to form second-wave cognitive therapy (CBT). CBT primarily focuses on the relationship between thoughts and behaviors in patients with mental health disorders, and has been found to be particularly successful at treating depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, phobias, and other anxiety disorders.

The third wave of CBT is evolving and includes new treatments like acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, functional analytic psychotherapy, and extended behavioral activation. Studies have found this type of CBT particularly successful at treating certain anxiety disorders as well as psychosomatic symptoms like fibromyalgia.