A Retrospective on 50+ Years of Behavior Therapy

Abstract

Abstract This paper traces the significant metamorphosis occurring within the behavioral tradition over the last 50 plus years. It reviews the growth of available therapeutic tools for behavior therapists and cognitive behavior therapists. It details the growing pains felt by early practitioners as treatments evolved over the years. The paper moves from the initial strictly behavioral approaches available in the seventies, to the cognitive movement to the more recent phenomena of acceptance, mindfulness and emotional enhancement. It highlights the increasing importance of the therapeutic relationship in current cognitive behavioral thinking.