Aaron Beck
Born 1921
American

Psychologist. Albert Ellis's rational/emotive therapy and Aaron Beck's cognitive therapy are two of the earliest forms of cognitive therapy, one of the more dominant forms of emotional therapy today. The core idea is that our emotions and cognitions (thoughts) are so closely connected that changing our thoughts, internal dialogues, and actions will help change our emotions. Although negative thoughts are themselves hard to change, they are more accessible than emotions, and close consideration of them will usually reveal that they are unfactual (non-empirical), illogical, or both. Once this is perceived, the patient must learn to talk back to him or herself. Cognitive therapy thus emphasizes the value of empiricism and logic, and suggests that we should rely on these modes of thinking to guide our lives. Unlike Ellis's form of cognitive therapy, Beck's is non-directive, seeks to help the patient come to sound conclusions without labeling, pushing, or especially bossing.

Contemporaries
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