Introduction: From Kraepelin to Beck to us; Part I: THEORY;
1. Aaron. T. Beck: His life and the development of the principles of cognitive therapy;
2. Problem areas in psychological functioning are marked out by specific cognitive themes and processes;
3. Cognitive therapy addresses a variety of levels and types of cognition: We begin with Beck’s discovery of ‘automatic thoughts’;
4. Cognitive distortions play a key role in psychological problems;
5. Cognitive organisation is underpinned by deep modes, schemas, beliefs, and assumptions; 6: Cognitive therapy draws richly on evolutionary theory;
7. Images also reflect key elements of cognitive distortions;
8. Cognition, emotion, behaviour, and physiology interact with mutual and reciprocal influence on each other;
9. Safety behaviours, including avoidance, over-preparation, and reassurance-seeking, play a major role in maintaining anxiety;
10. Understanding the role of negative biases in attention strengthens cognitive therapy;
11. Metacognitive analysis strengthens our understanding of psychopathology;
12. Mindfulness has added power and subtlety to cognitive therapy;
13. Cognitive therapy is a formulation-driven and conceptualisation-driven form of psychological therapy;
14. Beckian epistemology has a clear research process for developing appropriate therapeutic knowledge;
15. Therapy protocols have played a role in the development of the cognitive approach; Part II: PRACTICE;
16. Cognitive therapy requires a collaborative therapeutic relationship;
17. Cognitive therapists, like other therapists, use conceptualisations to tackle interpersonal and alliance issues;
18. Cognitive therapy is, at least initially, a time-sensitive and relatively structured form of therapy;
19. Cognitive therapy is problem- and goal-oriented, and is focused, initially at least, on ‘here and now’ functioning;
20. Cognitive therapy has an educational focus and uses regular homework;
21. Cognitive therapy has a well-identified set of methods and skills;
22. Cognitive therapy builds on the identification of unhelpful automatic thoughts;
23. Cognitive therapists teach clients to evaluate and then respond to their negative thoughts;
24. Cognitive therapists have developed methods for identifying beliefs and schemas;
25. Cognitive therapy has methods for working on unhelpful beliefs and schemas;
26. Cognitive therapy has been strengthened by including interventions focused on emotions and imagery;
27. Cognitive therapists use a variety of methods to promote behaviour change;
28. Cognitive therapy has developed new ways of working with cognitive processes, especially via mindfulness;
29. Cognitive therapists are key participants in large systems delivering psychological therapy;
30. Cognitive therapy aspires to be a unifying model: Both in terms of using concepts and skills from other therapies, and of offering them its own methods; Concluding comments: Let’s all raise a glass to Aaron ‘Tim’ Beck