Judith S. Beck, PhD and Norman Cotterell, PhD Pam, a retired home health aide, asked her family to bring her to the emergency room when she experienced a panic attack, characterized by a racing heart, lightheadedness, and shortness of breath. She had experienced similar, though slightly less severe symptoms in the past, when she was in a situation or place where there was no easy exit. Her symptoms always decreased once she left. But this time, because she stayed in a supermarket for a longer period of time, the symptoms became more severe. This time she believed her symptoms meant that she wa ..read more

Dr. Judith Beck was honored to write the foreword for Racism and African American Mental Health: Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy to Empower Healing by Dr. Janeé M. Steele, now available for pre-order. Read the full foreword below, and pre-order your copy today! Racism and African American Mental Health: Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy to Empower Healing is a very important book in the evolution of CBT. Janeé Steele has meticulously researched how CBT needs to be adapted for African American clients who have been exposed to racism, often from a very early age. Research shows that repeated e ..read more

Sue Schonberg, PhD, ABPP Beck Institute Faculty When individuals reflect on a feeling of loss, they often associate it with the death of a cherished friend or relative. While grief is one type of loss, there are many other types of losses people experience that elicit similar automatic thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. Sometimes people become stuck in unhelpful thinking and behavior that can prevent them from coping with their loss. This blog will explore a range of different types of losses, associated automatic thoughts and behaviors, and their shared commonalities. Loss of a Person Through ..read more

In modern Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), discovering and developing individuals’ strengths, values, and aspirations are emphasized throughout treatment, drawing on important principles from Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R). Connection, meaning, and purpose become powerful tools that motivate people to overcome challenges, learn important skills, and develop resilience as they work toward their goals. Recently, we connected with New Leash on Life, a nonprofit organization in Philadelphia that uses animal-assisted therapy to help justice-impacted individuals tap into their strengths ..read more

Allen R. Miller, PhD, MBA When violent conflict erupts, it is natural for the public to react strongly. People who bear witness feel a range of emotions, including anger, sorrow, disgust, horror, fear, and grief. Violence is not new. Throughout history, violence has been a common way to resolve differences among individuals, groups, and nations. Nations have conquered nations, rival groups have fought for supremacy, and intimate partners have controlled one another with threats and actions. Imposing one’s will on others can force immediate compliance, but the long-term consequences are often ..read more

Stefanie T. LoSavio, PhD, ABPP, Beck Institute Faculty Trauma is ubiquitous in mental health settings, and many clients suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Fortunately, PTSD is treatable, especially with Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). Clinical practice guidelines recommend CBT that is “trauma-focused,” which involves approaching the trauma memory directly so that recovery can occur. In CBT, we work to identify key cognitions—thoughts that, if addressed, are most likely to lead to symptom improvement. When considering key cognitions to address in trauma-focused CBT, it’s impor ..read more

Beck Institute hosts on-demand and live virtual trainings in CBT and Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R) throughout the year. Our expert faculty present courses on a wide range of conditions, helping health and mental health practitioners develop skills to help their clients more effectively.   In addition to our various on-demand courses and webinars, there are many interesting live trainings coming up to take advantage of.  CBT Training Online: Course Categories  Bipolar Disorder | Chronic Pain | Insomnia | Relationships | Depression | Trauma CBT for Bipolar Disorder Wo ..read more

Catastrophic Thinking: A Transdiagnostic Process Across Psychiatric Disorders Norman Cotterell, Ph.D. Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy Beck and Gellatly (2016) propose that catastrophic thinking is a central feature in psychopathology. Such thinking magnifies both the immediate and eventual consequences of any perceived threat. A variety of disorders can be conceptualized as such: Clients magnify external threats (accidents, attacks, arson) but most notably misinterpret and magnify perceived internal threats. Sensations, thoughts, and emotions are seen as signs of immediate physi ..read more

Patrick McElwaine, PsyD, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and a Beck Institute CBT Certified Clinician. Dr. McElwaine is an Associate Professor and the program director of the Graduate Counseling Psychology Program at Holy Family University and is a faculty member at Beck Institute. Dr. McElwaine has taught 33 workshops at Beck Institute.  Dr. McElwaine has been working in the psychology field for more than 25 years. His expertise lies in suicide prevention, depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, and substance use disorder (SUD). He has seen all sid ..read more

Rosanna Sposato, PsyD, specializes in CBT for a variety of disorders and presenting problems. She has led Beck Institute workshops geared toward mental health professionals as well as organizations. In her work with our Training for Organizations program this year, she has provided trainings focused on treating veterans, active-duty military, and their families for Cohen Veterans Network, Fort Hood, and the US Air Force. Prior to providing trainings for BI, Dr. Sposato completed her postdoctoral internship studying under Dr. Aaron T. Beck at UPenn and stayed on as a staff member. She began wor ..read more