PRESS RELEASE
June 25, 2020
CONTACT
Sarah Fleming
sfleming@beckinstitute.org
BALA CYNWYD, PA – Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy (BI) will celebrate the 99th birthday of its co-founder and President Emeritus, Dr. Aaron T. Beck, on July 18th. Dr. Beck is globally recognized as the father of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), after developing the revolutionary therapy at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1960s. CBT has been found to be effective in treating a wide range of psychiatric disorders, psychological problems, and medical conditions with psychological components in over 2,000 clinical studies. In recognition of his work, The American Psychologist has called him “one of the five most influential psychotherapists of all time.”
“My father continues to be an inspiration to health and mental health practitioners, researchers, and academics all over the world,” said Dr. Judith Beck, President of Beck Institute and Dr. Beck’s daughter. “Even at 99 years of age, he is intellectually as sharp as ever, and is passionate about continuing his life’s work of alleviating human suffering through the development of evidence-based psychological therapies.”
A prolific and productive researcher with a career spanning more than 70 years, Dr. Beck has published over 600 articles and authored or co-authored 25 books. He is also the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2006 Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research and the Gustave O. Lienhard Award from the Institute of Medicine for “outstanding national achievement in improving personal health care services in the United States.”
His most recent work is the development of Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R), a revolutionary new practice that may change the future of psychotherapy. Originally developed to empower individuals given a diagnosis of schizophrenia, CT-R extends the principles of traditional CBT to help individuals suffering from extensive behavioral, social, and physical health challenges. Practitioners and researchers are now applying the underlying principles of CT-R to the treatment of depression, anxiety, substance use, self-injury, aggression and more. Dr. Beck is lead author on the upcoming book Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy for Serious Mental Health Conditions.
About Beck Institute
Beck Institute is a 501(c)3 nonprofit with the mission of improving lives worldwide through excellence and innovation in Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy. It was established in 1994 by Dr. Aaron T. Beck and Dr. Judith S. Beck. As the leading source for CBT training and resources, Beck Institute has provided more than 20,000 clinicians around the world with state-of-the-art training in CBT, the most highly researched and widely adopted psychotherapy. In 2019, Beck Institute opened the Beck Institute Center for Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R) to train professionals, staff, and peers who work with individuals diagnosed with serious mental health conditions. For more information, visit www.beckinstitute.org.
Photo © 2019 Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy
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