ABSTRACT
This chapter presents philosophical underpinnings; personality development (PD)-nature of humans, role of the environment and model of mental health; personality change (PC) —basic principles, client's role, counselor's role, and counseling stages and techniques; and major contributions and limitations related to cognitive counseling. Since the 1960s Beck and others have been developing cognitive therapy, an active, problem-focused approach to psychotherapy in which mental health practitioners target the cognitive aspect of the personality to affect constructive change aspects: emotional, behavioral, motivational, and physical. From a cognitive perspective, personality change occurs when a person's core beliefs change. For the cognitive therapist, environment refers to both a person's physical and social surroundings. Regarding assessment, cognitive therapists use both objective and subjective approaches throughout the course of therapy. Cognitive therapists consistently employ verbal and behavioral strategies to help clients develop the skills to identify, evaluate and reformulate dysfunctional cognitions and relationship between the relative functionality of their beliefs and level of distressing emotions and behaviors.
