Theory and Research

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was created by two central figures, Albert Ellis and Aaron T. Beck, both of whom contributed uniquely to its contemporary formulation. Since its inception, CBT’s research and clinical applications have spanned thousands of scientific papers and assisted many more children, adolescents, and families. This chapter discusses CBT’s theoretical development and the differing and converging views of its central theorists and describes three major theoretical conceptualizations: rational-emotive behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, and a general model. This chapter then reviews CBT’s research effectiveness for a wide range of internalizing and externalizing disorders, including anxiety, depression, autism, oppositional defiant disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. It concludes with a case study delineating the two major theoretical approaches.