The Work of Aaron Beck

Analytical Essay # 113567

Medical and Health
Psychology > Behaviorism
Psychology > Theory
Psychology > Therapies

This paper looks at the work of Dr. Aaron Beck in the medical field and concentrates on his cognitive positive therapy.

1,068 words () | 2 sources | APA | 2008 France

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses Aaron Temkin Beck, who was born in 1921 and is a psychiatrist and professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania. The writer points out that Dr. Beck is also known as the father of cognitive positive therapy and widely recognized for his significant contributions towards mental health care. This paper examines Dr. Beck's contribution to medicine and science by reflecting on how cognitive behavior therapy developed, and by exploring several key theories that have significantly influenced positive medical outcomes in mental health fields. The writer maintains that cognitive behavioral therapy has gained an important position in healthcare treatments because of its successful outcomes in a wide variety of disorders. The writer concludes that as such, Dr. Aaron Beck has gained a significant place in contemporary medical fields, thus earning him a place in the history of humanity's fight against disease and medical disorders.

Outline:
Introduction
The Development of Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The core insight of CBT, therefore, is the idea of thoughts mediating between stimuli or information that is external, such as people, events, and situations, and inner emotions. As such, thoughts are seen as the motor driving outer behavior. For example, a stimulus provokes a thought that elicits an evaluative judgment, which, in turn, rouses an emotional response. In other words, it is not the stimulus that provokes an emotional response but the thought or evaluation that preceded it - an idea that has been further explored in rational emotive behavior therapy."

Sample of Sources Used:

National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists (2008). Online article: "Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy." Retrieved 11/25/2008 from:< http://www.nacbt.org/whatiscbt.htm>
The Beck Institute (2008). Online article: "Dr. Aaron T. Beck's Biography." Retrieved 11/25/2008 from:<http://www.beckinstitute.org/Library/InfoManage/Zoom.asp?InfoID=302&RedirectPath=Add1&FolderID=196&SessionID={533DA26E-EF45-42A7-8EED-70119B4FE678}&InfoGroup=Main&InfoType=Article&SP=2>