Introduction

This chapter explains that the problem with using words like counseling or psychotherapy is that these words suggest there is only one method of therapy. Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a relatively new therapy. Behavior Therapy came first in the mid-1950s, aimed at helping people deal with the symptoms of anxiety by changing the things that they did. Although Behavior Therapy was a movement forward as it provided many people with real benefits, it also became apparent that something was lacking, and this turned out to be the attention to the person's individual thoughts that accompanied his or her behavior. There are now many studies supporting the view that the best treatment for a range of conditions is CBT and, indeed, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Health Service (NHS) have both recommended CBT as the treatment of choice when working with conditions such as depression and anxiety.