# 04 - Preface

# 01 - Preface

# Preface

xiii 
I
’m excited to introduce this third edition of Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond to you. Before beginning this revision, I asked 
for feedback on the second edition from health and mental health 
practitioners all over the world. What would they like to see improved? 
What worked and what didn’t? The responses I received were excellent 
and really helped me conceptualize the changes and additions I chose 
to make. This edition incorporates the feedback I received from many 
readers and reflects the most recent research and current directions 
for the field of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT).
Readers consistently commented that they wanted to see a more 
complex client to serve as the key example throughout the book. “Abe,” 
the client illustration in this edition, is more severely depressed than 
“Sally,” the client who appeared throughout the second edition. In 
addition to depression, Abe also struggles with moderate anxiety and 
complicating problems including unemployment and a recent divorce. 
I have also included a second client example, “Maria,” who has borderline personality traits. I’ve included links so you can watch videos 
of full and partial therapy sessions with Abe and you can download 
worksheets.
Another important change is that I’ve revised much of the material to include both our traditional orientation and also a recovery 
orientation. Recovery-oriented cognitive therapy (CT-R) is a cuttingedge evidence-based treatment for individuals diagnosed with severe 
mental illness, including schizophrenia, many of whom have been 
hospitalized for decades. CT-R was developed, and is currently being 
PREFACE

researched, by my father, Dr. Aaron T. Beck, and his research/training 
group, which is now part of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Our other clinician/educators and I have been adapting 
this approach for use with our nonhospitalized clients who experience a wide range of psychiatric disorders, psychological problems, 
and medical conditions with psychological components. The recovery 
orientation focuses on identifying clients’ values and aspirations (and 
the meaning of their aspirations) and helping them create a sense of 
purpose and empowerment in their lives by taking steps each week in 
pursuit of their goals. We also focus on helping clients reach positive 
conclusions about themselves, others, and their future as a result of 
taking these positive actions, and we identify and reinforce their positive qualities, skills, and resources. We emphasize experiencing positive emotion both in and out of sessions. We expect that the recovery 
movement will play a large role in shaping the future of CBT, and 
psychotherapy in general, in the coming years and decades.
Finally, I have written this edition in a more reader-friendly style. 
When I teach workshops at the Beck Institute in Philadelphia, or 
online courses, I often include anecdotes from my own clinical practice. I also encourage participants to take part in interactive activities, 
where I ask them to role-play with another participant, respond to 
questions, and present their own challenging cases for feedback and 
discussion. Most participants find these interactive components to be 
very meaningful and inspiring. In this edition of the book, I not only 
use a more personal approach in my writing but also have included 
clinical tips from my own practice, reflection questions, and suggested 
activities to help readers engage with the material.
I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. 
I always say that learning CBT is a lifelong endeavor. No matter where 
you are on your journey, I hope this book inspires you to learn more 
about CBT.
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Preface