The History of Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Thanks to World of Psychology, I found an excellent article by American Scholar on Dr. Aaron Beck, the founder of Cognitive Behavior Therapy. The article describes, not just Dr. Beck, but the early history of CBT. It's well worth reading.
I have been an enthusiastic supporter of CBT ever since I discovered it ten or so years ago. I like to think that my enthusiasm stems not from any bias caused by my legal cases, but from my time as a social worker in the early 80s. I spent a lot of time working with abused children and dysfunctional families, and became quite disenchanted with traditional psychoanalysis. It seemed to me to be analogous to using a treadmill instead of going on a hike -- the exercise might be good for you, but you always find yourself in the same place.
