ABSTRACT
All therapy models must have goals, but the behavioural tradition has always held that such goals should be overt (Hudson & Macdonald, 1986). Problem solving in cognitive therapy is one of the inheritances from the behavioural model (Beck, 1970b). The emphasis on problem solving can clearly be seen in the comments by Beck and Emery (1985) on how to keep therapy manageable referred to earlier. They stress working on manageable problems and offer an important rationale for brevity:
Because cognitive therapy is time-limited, many of the patient's problems will remain unsolved at the end of treatment. By the time treatment ends, the patient will have enough psychological tools to approach and solve problems on his own, knowing that the therapist is available for booster sessions if necessary.
