Individual and Cultural Diversity

Chapter 11 provides a focus on multicultural competencies related to the practice of cognitive and behavioural psychology consistent with the core foundational competencies in professional psychology, especially with regard to individual and cultural diversity. It provides a unique perspective for cultural competency focusing on the principle of self- awareness, as well as respect for how an individual’s past and current functioning is impacted by a wide breadth of multicultural and individual factors. It also discusses the implications for assessment, intervention, and therapeutic alliance.

Professional Identification

Chapter 12 provides a bridge between the specialty’s early years and its current practice, and the evolution of cognitive behavioural psychology as a specialty over the past 75 years. It focuses on a shift from a mechanistic to more holistic approach, and offers suggestions for participation in various organizations and activities that contribute to the experience of maintaining competence through life-long learning and peer interaction.

Common Ethical and Legal Challenges in Cognitive and Behavioral Practice

Chapter 10 discusses how competence in professional psychology requires knowledge and adherence to the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct put forth by the APA, most recently revised in 2002, and how the challenges for psychologists who must navigate ‘grey’ areas and embrace these principles in day-to-day practice can differ from specialty to specialty. It also provides a unique view of these ‘grey’ areas frequently encountered in cognitive behavioural practice and offers insights regarding how best to direct clinical decisions toward these ethical issues.

Interpersonal Interactions

Chapter 9 discusses how the specialty of cognitive behavioural psychology is well known for development of evidence-based interventions and strong empirical support, but has also occasionally received unfair criticism from those unfamiliar with the specialty who tend to view cognitive behavioural techniques as very limited in focus on the therapy relationship and importance of therapist interpersonal skills. It also illustrates the central importance of the therapeutic relationship in cognitive and behavioural practice.

Assessment in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology

Chapter 4 discusses how behavioural assessment procedures have evolved from both classical and instrumental conditioning models and include functional analysis of behaviour, behavioural tests, physiologic measurement, as well as social behaviour coding systems, self-report of cognition and emotion, and standardized tests. It also illustrates how cognitive behavioural psychologists use all of these assessment strategies to a greater or lesser degree, based upon their particular training, area of focus, and access to technology, and how many clinicians integrate these strategies in an individualized approach to assessment, a hallmark of cognitive behaviour therapy.

Scientific Research Foundations

Chapter 3 summarizes much of the research relevant to the specialty through the methodology of meta-analysis, and provides information concerning journals that are relevant to the specialty and likely to helpful in researching cognitive and behavioural assessment and treatment. It additionally describes the methodologies in single case designs, as another hallmark of research in the cognitive and behavioural tradition. Lastly, an example is used to illustrate how research in the specialty bridges the gap between theory and practice.

Applied Behavioral Analytic Interventions

Chapter 7 provides examples of applied behavioural analysis strategies that have been shown to be effective in both single case and group settings, which may include ways to increase the likelihood of a patient learning new associations or functional contingencies, inhibition of a patient’s previous associations through extinction learning, reduction or extinction of patient behaviours that have been previously reinforced, or fostering the patient’s learning of new skills or adaptive behaviour.

Psychotherapeutic Interventions

Chapter 6 assumes the challenge of describing cognitive and behavioural interventions and clinical strategies that are required for competent practice without reducing the specialty to a menu of techniques applied to specific problems. It describes a range of interventions that represent the application of learning theories to reduce symptoms and increase skills, with the overall goal of improving quality of life. In addition to the techniques that have their hallmark in basic learning theory, it also presents interventions that have their origins in information processing theory and reflect how the specialty expanded in the 1970s to add a strong social-cognitive focus. Lastly, it discusses the influence of the past few decades to include the importance of affect regulation, and targeted avoidance of negative thoughts and emotions in what has been referred to as the ‘third wave’ of cognitive behavioural intervention.

Introduction

Chapter 1 traces the converging paths and unique characteristics of the specialty of cognitive and behavioural psychology beginning with foundational learning theories and the emergence of behaviourism in the United States and the rest of the world. It also covers the numerous factors that contributed to the specialty’s evolution, and how the approach was focused on applying a scientific method to understanding and treating psychopathology. It also illustrates the path from the specialty’s early roots to its present day, and the formal recognition of the specialty by the Commission for the Recognition of Specialties and Proficiencies in Professional Psychology (CRSPPP), which is associated with the American Psychological Association (APA), and the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP).

Consultation, Supervision, and Teaching

Chapter 8 provides cognitive and behavioural specialists with important heuristics that may increase the success of their consultation experience with regard to changing problematic behaviour in many different contexts, including mental health practice, hospitals and health promotion, courts, prisons, schools, public safety, and trauma relief. It also provides useful information for cognitive and behavioural specialists concerning training, supervision, and teaching activities.