Evolution and Development of Cognitive Therapy

Psychology is a relatively young science. Though it has roots in philosophy and other humanities, it has only been an official science for a little over a century. Moreover, the different treatment modalities in psychology are also relatively new. However, in a short period of time, some treatments have grown to preeminence in the field, so much so that, even though they are relatively young, they are considered the standards by which other treatments are judged. These two approaches are psychoanalysis and behavior therapy, and they have been used, with some success for decades. However, in the 1960s, a new therapeutic approach emerged: cognitive therapy. Cognitive therapy focused on the role that thoughts played in behavior and disorders, with the premise that changing thoughts would result in behavior and symptom change.

Of course, like other areas of psychology, it is important to understand that...
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