A cognitive approach

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The post-war psychological theory came with a demand for even more rigorous scientific methodologies, and psychoanalysis was subject to several studies. Aaron Beck was one among a number of psychoanalysts who became disillusioned with the psychodynamic methods of therapy, shifting his focus from what he saw as irrational theories of the subconscious to cognitive processes.

Akin to Albert Ellis, believed that mood disorders were caused by negative thoughts, which could be treated by helping patients to identify and understand how they think. He applied this method of therapy to treat cases of depression, which was widely considered to result from what he called the cognitive triad – three negative beliefs about oneself, the world, and the future. These formed a vicious cycle, leading from the thought ‘I am worthless’ to the belief ‘I am worthless because I never can be anything good’.

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