Donald Meichenbaum

Last updated
Donald Meichenbaum
Born
Donald H. Meichenbaum

(1940-06-10) June 10, 1940 (age 84)
Alma mater City College of New York (BA), University of Illinois (MA, PhD)
Known for Cognitive-behavioural therapy; stress inoculation training
Awards CPA Award for Distinguished Contribution to Psychology as a Profession (1990);

CPA Lifetime Achievement Award (1997); APA Clinical Division Lifetime Achievement Award (2000);

Honorary president of the

Contents

Canadian Psychological Association (2004)
Scientific career
Fields Cognitive-behavioural therapy, Clinical psychology, Developmental psychology

Donald H. Meichenbaum (born June 10, 1940) is an American psychologist and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Waterloo, Ontario. [1] He is also a research director of the Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention and Treatment at the University of Miami. [2] Meichenbaum is known for his research and publications on psychotherapy and his contributions to the development of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). [3] In 1982, a survey of 800 members of the American Psychological Association voted Meichenbaum the tenth most influential psychotherapist of the 20th century. [4] At the time of his retirement from the University of Waterloo in 1998, Meichenbaum was the most-cited psychology researcher at a Canadian university. [5]

Education

Meichenbaum was educated at William Howard Taft High School in New York City. He then entered the City College of New York in 1958 with the intention of becoming an engineer, before changing course and graduating in 1962 as a psychology major. [6] He was accepted into the graduate psychology program at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. [6] He wrote his dissertation titled How to Train Schizophrenics to Talk to Themselves, having shown an interest in the topic of self-talk since childhood. He graduated with an MA and PhD in clinical psychology with minors in the subjects of developmental psychology and physiology in 1966, working as a research assistant at a Veterans Health Administration hospital in Danville, Illinois alongside his studies. [6]

Career

Meichenbaum became assistant professor of psychology at the University of Waterloo in 1966. During his tenure at Waterloo he began a research program exploring the role of cognitive and emotional factors in the behavior change process. Several papers and books authored by Meichenbaum during his tenure at Waterloo focused on the use of self-instruction to affect behavior change, which became a core principle of cognitive behavioral therapy. Meichenbaum applied this concept to numerous areas of psychotherapy, including post-traumatic stress disorder, impulsivity in school children, test anxiety in college students, and adults with chronic pain, anger issues, and substance abuse issues. [6] [7] [8] [9] In 1977, Meichenbaum co-founded and served as the associate editor of the journal Cognitive Therapy and Research. [10] Meichenbaum's 1985 clinical handbook Stress Inoculation Training is used by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as a treatment for PTSD in veterans. [11] He received the Canadian Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Contribution to Psychology as a Profession in 1990, receiving their Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.

Following his retirement from the University of Waterloo in 1998, Meichenbaum joined the Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention and Treatment of Victims as research director, which is based at the University of Miami's School of Education and Development, where Meichenbaum also worked as distinguished visiting professor. [12] In 2012, Meichenbaum published Roadmap to Resilience: A Guide for Military, Trauma Victims and Their Families, a handbook to help service members reintegrate into civilian life and for clinicians translating evidence-based interventions into clinical guidelines for patients. [13] Meichenbaum has been a frequent critic of the proliferation of non-evidence-based techniques in the field of psychotherapy; his 2018 article How to Spot Hype in the Field of Psychotherapy, co-authored with Scott Lilienfeld, was chosen as the "most valuable contribution to the general field of psychotherapy" of that year by the Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy which reviewed articles across 81 journals. [14] [15]

Role in developing cognitive behavioral therapy

The cognitive revolution in psychology, which emphasized the importance of mental processes, emerged in the 1960s. However, the integration of cognitive and behavioral approaches in clinical psychology became more prominent in the mid-1970s. [16] Building on Albert Ellis' rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) and Aaron T. Beck's cognitive therapy, Donald Meichenbaum developed cognitive behavior modification. In 1977, Meichenbaum published Cognitive Behavior Modification: An Integrative Approach, which outlined this therapeutic method. [17]

Cognitive behavior modification is a framework for treatments designed to alter overt behaviors by addressing underlying thought patterns and cognitive processes. While closely related to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), these approaches share similar assumptions and methods but emphasize different outcomes. Cognitive behavior modification focuses specifically on behavioral change as a therapeutic goal, whereas CBT primarily targets cognitive change with the expectation that behavioral change will follow. [18]

Meichenbaum was recognized for his contributions to psychotherapy, being named the tenth most influential psychotherapist of the 20th century in a 1982 survey. His book, Cognitive-Behavior Modification, was also voted as one of the most representative works in counseling and psychotherapy at the time. Among his significant contributions to the field are self-instructional training (SIT) and stress inoculation training, both of which are considered foundational cognitive behavioral therapies in the Handbook of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (4th ed.) (Dobson, 2019). [19]

In addition to his clinical contributions, Meichenbaum explored the role of spirituality in trauma recovery. He described spirituality as a means of finding meaning and direction, emphasizing its role in fostering forgiveness, empathy, and personal growth. He acknowledged, however, that spirituality or religion is not a universal solution but can be a valuable component in helping individuals recover from trauma. [20]

Publications

Books

Articles

Meichenbaum has published extensively in academic journals and conferences. A comprehensive archive of these publications is maintained at the Melissa Institute website.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cognitive behavioral therapy</span> Type of therapy to improve mental health

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression, PTSD and anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on challenging and changing cognitive distortions and their associated behaviors to improve emotional regulation and develop personal coping strategies that target solving current problems. Though it was originally designed as an approach to treat depression, CBT is often prescribed for the evidence-informed treatment of many mental health and other conditions, including anxiety, substance use disorders, marital problems, ADHD, and eating disorders. CBT includes a number of cognitive or behavioral psychotherapies that treat defined psychopathologies using evidence-based techniques and strategies.

Psychotherapy is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome problems. Psychotherapy aims to improve an individual's well-being and mental health, to resolve or mitigate troublesome behaviors, beliefs, compulsions, thoughts, or emotions, and to improve relationships and social skills. Numerous types of psychotherapy have been designed either for individual adults, families, or children and adolescents. Some types of psychotherapy are considered evidence-based for treating diagnosed mental disorders; other types have been criticized as pseudoscience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dialectical behavior therapy</span> Psychotherapy for emotional dysregulation

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that began with efforts to treat personality disorders and interpersonal conflicts. Evidence suggests that DBT can be useful in treating mood disorders and suicidal ideation as well as for changing behavioral patterns such as self-harm and substance use. DBT evolved into a process in which the therapist and client work with acceptance and change-oriented strategies and ultimately balance and synthesize them—comparable to the philosophical dialectical process of thesis and antithesis, followed by synthesis.

Clinical psychology is an integration of human science, behavioral science, theory, and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development. Central to its practice are psychological assessment, clinical formulation, and psychotherapy, although clinical psychologists also engage in research, teaching, consultation, forensic testimony, and program development and administration. In many countries, clinical psychology is a regulated mental health profession.

Behaviour therapy or behavioural psychotherapy is a broad term referring to clinical psychotherapy that uses techniques derived from behaviourism and/or cognitive psychology. It looks at specific, learned behaviours and how the environment, or other people's mental states, influences those behaviours, and consists of techniques based on behaviorism's theory of learning: respondent or operant conditioning. Behaviourists who practice these techniques are either behaviour analysts or cognitive-behavioural therapists. They tend to look for treatment outcomes that are objectively measurable. Behaviour therapy does not involve one specific method, but it has a wide range of techniques that can be used to treat a person's psychological problems.

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a form of alternative therapy aimed at treating trauma and stress-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The primary goal of SE is to modify the trauma-related stress response through bottom-up processing. The client's attention is directed toward internal sensations rather than cognitive or emotional experiences. Peter A. Levine developed the method.

Somatic psychology or, more precisely, "somatic clinical psychotherapy" is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on somatic experience, including therapeutic and holistic approaches to the body. It seeks to explore and heal mental and physical injury and trauma through body awareness and movement. Wilhelm Reich was first to try to develop a clear psychodynamic approach that included the body.

Exposure therapy is a technique in behavior therapy to treat anxiety disorders. Exposure therapy involves exposing the patient to the anxiety source or its context. Doing so is thought to help them overcome their anxiety or distress. Numerous studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in the treatment of disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and specific phobias.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of psychotherapy</span>

Although modern, scientific psychology is often dated from the 1879 opening of the first psychological clinic by Wilhelm Wundt, attempts to create methods for assessing and treating mental distress existed long before. The earliest recorded approaches were a combination of religious, magical and/or medical perspectives. Early examples of such psychological thinkers included Patañjali, Padmasambhava, Rhazes, Avicenna and Rumi.

Emotionally focused therapy and emotion-focused therapy (EFT) are related humanistic approaches to psychotherapy that aim to resolve emotional and relationship issues with individuals, couples, and families. These therapies combine experiential therapy techniques, including person-centered and Gestalt therapies, with systemic therapy and attachment theory. The central premise is that emotions influence cognition, motivate behavior, and are strongly linked to needs. The goals of treatment include transforming maladaptive behaviors, such as emotional avoidance, and developing awareness, acceptance, expression, and regulation of emotion and understanding of relationships. EFT is usually a short-term treatment.

A clinical formulation, also known as case formulation and problem formulation, is a theoretically-based explanation or conceptualisation of the information obtained from a clinical assessment. It offers a hypothesis about the cause and nature of the presenting problems and is considered an adjunct or alternative approach to the more categorical approach of psychiatric diagnosis. In clinical practice, formulations are used to communicate a hypothesis and provide framework for developing the most suitable treatment approach. It is most commonly used by clinical psychologists and is deemed to be a core component of that profession. Mental health nurses, social workers, and some psychiatrists may also use formulations.

Common factors theory, a theory guiding some research in clinical psychology and counseling psychology, proposes that different approaches and evidence-based practices in psychotherapy and counseling share common factors that account for much of the effectiveness of a psychological treatment. This is in contrast to the view that the effectiveness of psychotherapy and counseling is best explained by specific or unique factors that are suited to treatment of particular problems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald H. Baucom</span> American psychologist

Donald H. Baucom, is a clinical psychology faculty member at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He is recognized for founding the field of Cognitive-Behavioral Couples Therapy. Baucom is also recognized as one of the top marital therapists and most prolific researchers in this field. Currently, Baucom's National Cancer Institute funded study, CanThrive, has the largest observationally coded sample of any couples study to date.

Clinical behavior analysis is the clinical application of behavior analysis (ABA). CBA represents a movement in behavior therapy away from methodological behaviorism and back toward radical behaviorism and the use of functional analytic models of verbal behavior—particularly, relational frame theory (RFT).

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts and memories, dreams or flashbacks of the event; avoidance of people, places and activities that remind the individual of the event; ongoing negative beliefs about oneself or the world, mood changes and persistent feelings of anger, guilt or fear; alterations in arousal such as increased irritability, angry outbursts, being hypervigilant, or having difficulty with concentration and sleep.

Metacognitive therapy (MCT) is a psychotherapy focused on modifying metacognitive beliefs that perpetuate states of worry, rumination and attention fixation. It was created by Adrian Wells based on an information processing model by Wells and Gerald Matthews. It is supported by scientific evidence from a large number of studies.

Eclectic psychotherapy is a form of psychotherapy in which the clinician uses more than one theoretical approach, or multiple sets of techniques, to help with clients' needs. The use of different therapeutic approaches will be based on the effectiveness in resolving the patient's problems, rather than the theory behind each therapy.

Marvin R. Goldfried is an American psychologist and retired distinguished professor of clinical psychology at Stony Brook University. His area of interest include psychotherapy integration and LGBT issues. He is married to Anita Goldfried and has two sons, Daniel and Michael.

References

  1. "Our People - Emeritus | Emerita". University of Waterloo. August 2014. Archived from the original on 2015-09-12. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  2. "Scientific Board – The Melissa Institute".
  3. Ruggiero, Giovanni M.; Spada, Marcantonio M.; Caselli, Gabriele; Sassaroli, Sandra (2018-12-01). "A Historical and Theoretical Review of Cognitive Behavioral Therapies: From Structural Self-Knowledge to Functional Processes". Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy. 36 (4): 378–403. doi:10.1007/s10942-018-0292-8. ISSN   1573-6563. PMC   6208646 . PMID   30416258.
  4. Smith, Darrell (1982). "Trends in counseling and psychotherapy". American Psychologist. 37 (7): 802–809. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.37.7.802. ISSN   1935-990X. PMID   7137698.
  5. "Pioneer of cognitive behavioral therapy". University of Waterloo. 5 July 2012. Archived from the original on 2021-04-15. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Meichenbaum, Donald (2017). The evolution of cognitive behavior therapy : a personal and professional journey with Don Meichenbaum. Abingdon, Oxon. ISBN   978-1-317-60756-4. OCLC   973222940.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. Meichenbaum, Donald H.; Goodman, Joseph (1971). "Training impulsive children to talk to themselves: A means of developing self-control". Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 77 (2): 115–126. doi:10.1037/h0030773. ISSN   1939-1846. PMID   5550424.
  8. 1 2 Meichenbaum, Donald (1994). A clinical handbook/practical therapist manual : for assessing and treating adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Waterloo, Ont., Canada: Institute Press. ISBN   0-9698840-0-1. OCLC   31809208.
  9. 1 2 Meichenbaum, Donald (2020). Treating individuals with addictive disorders : a strengths-based workbook for patients and clinicians. New York, NY. ISBN   978-1-000-07025-5. OCLC   1156991140.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  10. Meichenbaum, Donald (2003-02-01). "Cognitive–Behavior Therapy: Folktales and the Unexpurgated History". Cognitive Therapy and Research. 27 (1): 125–129. doi:10.1023/A:1022546915731. ISSN   1573-2819. S2CID   29133357.
  11. "VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder" (PDF). 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-11-14. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  12. "Educational Training – The Melissa Institute" . Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  13. 1 2 Meichenbaum, Donald (2012). Roadmap to resilience : a guide for military, trauma victims, and their families. Clearwater, FL: Institute Press. ISBN   978-0-9698840-2-6. OCLC   798617091.
  14. Overholser, James C. (2019-12-01). ""The Nominees for Best Article …": Awards for the Most Valuable Papers on Psychotherapy in 2018". Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. 49 (4): 273–281. doi: 10.1007/s10879-019-09433-8 . ISSN   1573-3564. S2CID   175642868.
  15. Meichenbaum, Donald; Lilienfeld, Scott O. (February 2018). "APA PsycNet". Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. 49 (1): 22–30. doi:10.1037/pro0000172. S2CID   148807068 . Retrieved 2021-07-18.
  16. "Cognitive-behavior modification : an integrative approach | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  17. "Cognitive-behavior modification : an integrative approach | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  18. "Cognitive-behavior modification : an integrative approach | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  19. "Cognitive-behavior modification : an integrative approach | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  20. "Cognitive-behavior modification : an integrative approach | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  21. Meichenbaum, Donald (1977). Cognitive-behavior modification : an integrative approach. New York: Plenum Press. ISBN   0-306-31013-9. OCLC   2894019.
  22. Meichenbaum, Donald (1983). Coping with stress. Mel Calman, Anne Cope, Christopher Fagg. London: Century Pub. ISBN   0-7126-0083-3. OCLC   16022872.
  23. Stress reduction and prevention. Donald Meichenbaum, Matt E. Jaremko. New York: Plenum Press. 1983. ISBN   0-306-41066-4. OCLC   8928158.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  24. Turk, Dennis C. (1983). Pain and behavioral medicine : a cognitive-behavioral perspective. Donald Meichenbaum, Myles Genest. New York: Guilford Press. ISBN   0-89862-002-3. OCLC   8554039.
  25. Meichenbaum, Donald (1985). Stress inoculation training. New York: Pergamon Press. ISBN   0-08-031596-8. OCLC   11623852.
  26. Meichenbaum, Donald (1987). Facilitating treatment adherence : a practitioner's guidebook. Dennis C. Turk. New York: Plenum Press. ISBN   0-306-42638-2. OCLC   16091704.
  27. Meichenbaum, Donald (1998). Nurturing independent learners : helping students take charge of their learning. Andrew Biemiller. Newton, Mass.: Brookline Books. ISBN   1-57129-047-8. OCLC   38120589.
  28. Meichenbaum, Donald (2001). Treatment of individuals with anger - control problems and aggressive behaviors : a clinical handbook. Clearwater, Fla.: Institute Press. ISBN   0-9698840-1-X. OCLC   48845565.