Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: Nature and Relation to Non-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

- Provides a discussion and expansion on Beck (1970)
- Discusses methodological issues in comparisons of cognitive vs. behavioral techniques
- Reviews the role of cognitive change in CBTs for depression and anxiety

Since the introduction of Beck's cognitive theory of emotional disorders, and their treatment with psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral approaches have become the most extensively researched psychological treatment for a wide variety of disorders. Despite this, the relative contribution of cognitive to behavioral approaches to treatment are poorly understood and the mechanistic role of cognitive change in therapy is widely debated. We critically review this literature, focusing on the mechanistic role of cognitive change across cognitive and behavioral therapies for depressive and anxiety disorders.