ABSTRACT
Unfortunately, there is a growing tendency to divorce cognitive and behavioural theory from practice. A recent study found that whilst many probation officers had been trained in the use of particular CBT techniques and strategies, many were unclear about the theoretical underpinnings of the techniques (Home Office 1997). This places limitations on the ability to use theory to create solutions to novel problems, an important skill in
clinical practice. There is also growing concern that the term ‘CBT’ is sometimes used over-inclusively. This is a worrying trend, and may undermine evaluations of treatment effectiveness and outcome. With this in mind it seems important to provide a brief overview of the three psychological theories that underpin CBT.
