Aron Temkin Beck (born July 18, 1921) is an American psychiatrist and a professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. He is widely regarded as the father of cognitive therapy, and his pioneering theories are widely used in the treatment of clinical depression.
In 1997 Beck discovered key idea's in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, he explains different disorders were associated with different types of distorted thinking.Distorted thinking has a negative effect on our behavior no matter what type of disorder, he explains that successful interventions will educate a person to understand and become aware of their distorted thinking and how to challenge its effects. Beck discovered that frequent negative automatic thoughts reveal a persons core beliefs. He explains core beliefs are formed over lifelong experiences; we “feel” these beliefs to be true.
His Cognitive Triad Theory consists of; negative views of yourself, negative
views of the future and negative views of the world. These views come
from negative schema that have built up throughout childhood consisting
of past experiences in practical and emotional events. This may include
parental criticism, criticism from teachers and family members and peer
rejection. This theory links with the social learning / behavioral
approach.For example, a person fails an exam, his negative views would be the following:Negative view of self - "I'm a failure"
Negative view of the world - "Everyone is against me"
Negative view of the future - "I'll never be good at anything"
The view of the self in this case could affect the view of the future as they don't believe they can change. Alternatively they may believe that because everyone is against them (negative view of the world) that makes them a failure.
His Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which the therapist and the client work together as a team to identify and solve problems. Therapists use the Cognitive Model to help clients overcome their difficulties by changing their thinking, behavior, and emotional responses. It has found to be useful in many fields of psychology, such as depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and substance abuse, among others, and it is currently being tested for personality disorders. It has also been demonstrated to be effective as an adjunctive treatment to medication for serious mental disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
CBT is one of the most effective treatments for depression and is a way of talking about how you think about yourself, your environment and the people within it. Using CBT you can also discuss what it is that affects your thoughts and feelings. Once you understand the factors that are causing your depression, CBT can help you make positive changes to overcome it. As a treatment for depression, the CBT helps you to change how you think ('Cognitive') and what you do ('Behaviour'). These changes can help you to feel better. Unlike some of the other talking treatments, it focuses on the 'here and now' problems and difficulties. Instead of focusing on the causes of your distress or symptoms in the past, it looks for ways to improve your state of mind now.
