ABSTRACT
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is the most widely evaluated form of psychological therapy for anxiety disorders and has been demonstrated to be a highly effective treatment (e.g. Otto et al, 2004; Butler et al, 2006). This chapter describes how anxiety disorders are assessed and treated from a cognitive behavioural perspective. At the heart of the cognitive approach is the hypothesis that anxiety disorders are the result of beliefs that overestimate the dangerousness of particular situations, thoughts and feelings. Obviously, if a person feels threatened or in danger, they will take action to reduce that threat. This chapter begins by elaborating on this simple premise by outlining in more detail Beck’s (1976, 1985) cognitive theory of anxiety disorders and the main treatment components of CBT. A brief overview of the main anxiety disorders is then presented followed by the goals and methods of assessment utilized when treating anxiety disorders with CBT. In order to illustrate the nature of CBT, the chapter concludes with a detailed description of CBT for panic disorder.
