01-Thomas & Drake-4286-Ch-01.indd

This chapter will cover some of the background to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) principles using the device of common questions and answers. Perhaps one view that needs to be challenged right at the beginning of the text is the invidious belief that CBT is an instrumental approach lacking the degree of human contact and empathy which are often highlighted in other therapeutic approaches. This is not a new criticism and this continuing negative perception of CBT may, in part, be due to the protocol-driven case formulations which are increasingly used in practice. These are tested formulations with proven effectiveness which are applied to specific conditions or problems and have pre-set guidance, even down to a specific session’s content, and can be observed in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programmes currently in vogue. This text demonstrates the application of some