ABSTRACT
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a historical problem-solving approach: the client's distressing feelings are identifying and changing his current maladaptive thinking and behaviour that serves to support these feelings and not by him exploring and blaming unchangeable past events for these feelings. However, clinical attention Shifts to the past in two circumstances. One when patients express a strong preference to do so, and a failure to do so could endanger the therapeutic alliance. Two, when patients get "stuck" in their dysfunctional thinking, and an understanding of the childhood roots of their beliefs potentially help them change their rigid ideas. Now, in therapy, developing a new belief which is self-nurturing, balanced and compassionate which helps to mitigate her painful childhood memories. While the learning history behind a client's dysfunctional beliefs may need explored, the 'crucial thing is for him to give up these now held ideas so that tomorrow's existence better than yesterday's'.
