Robert L. Leahy

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Robert L. Leahy
Robert L. Leahy.jpg
Born (1946-03-08) 8 March 1946 (age 77)
Alexandria, Virginia, United States of America
Alma mater Yale University
Occupation(s)Psychologist, author

Robert L. Leahy is a psychologist and author and editor of 29 books dedicated to cognitive behaviour therapy. He is Director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy in New York [1] and Clinical Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Leahy was born in Alexandria, Virginia, the son of James J Leahy, a salesman, and Lillian DeVita, an executive secretary. His parents separated when he was 18 months old and his mother moved Robert to New Haven, Connecticut. [3] He was educated at Yale University (B.A, M.S, MPhil., PhD) and later completed a Post-doctoral Fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School under the direction of Aaron T. Beck, M.D., the Founder of Cognitive Therapy.

Career and research interests

Leahy became interested in Beck's Cognitive Therapy model after becoming disillusioned with the psychodynamic model which he felt lacked sufficient empirical support. [3] Many of his clinical books have been instrumental in disseminating the cognitive therapy model in its application to the treatment of depression, [4] bipolar disorder, [5] [6] anxiety disorders, [7] [8] [4] jealousy, [9] and emotion regulation. [10] In addition, he has published widely on the application of the cognitive model to the therapeutic relationship, [11] transference and counter-transference, resistance to change, [12] and beliefs about emotion regulation [10] [13] that may underpin problematic strategies for coping with or responding to emotions in the therapeutic context. [14] His clinical and popular audience books have been translated into 21 languages. Leahy has expanded the cognitive model with his social cognitive model of emotion which he refers to as Emotional Schema Therapy. [15] [16] [14] According to this model individuals differ in their beliefs about the legitimacy of certain emotions, their duration, the ability to express emotions, the need to control emotions, how similar their emotions are to those of others and the ability to tolerate ambivalent feelings. [14] These beliefs and the strategies connected to them are referred to as "emotional schemas". [15] [14] The Emotional Schema Model draws on Beck's cognitive model, the metacognitive model advanced by AdrIan Wells, the Acceptance and Commitment Model advanced by Steven C. Hayes, and on social cognitive research on attribution processes and implicit theories of emotion. Leahy has described how his model can help in understanding and treating jealousy, [9] envy, [9] ambivalence and other emotions [8] and how these emotional schemas can impact intimate relationships and affect the therapeutic relationship. [11]

In addition to his work on emotional schemas, Leahy has written about problematic styles of judgment and decision making [17] that are relevant in depression and anxiety disorders. These include biased evaluations in over-estimating or under-estimating risk, sunk-cost effects, regret anticipation, rumination over regret, and inaccurate predictions of emotions following anticipated outcomes. [17]

Awards and achievements

In 2014, Robert L. Leahy received the Aaron T. Beck Award from the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. [18] In 2021 he received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Organisational affiliations

He is Past President of The Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, [19] The Academy of Cognitive Therapy, [20] and The International Association of Cognitive Therapy. [21] He is the former Editor of The Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy and current Associate Editor of the International Journal of Cognitive Theapy.

Books

Related Research Articles

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

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psycho-social intervention that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective means of treatment for substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders. CBT 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 to treat depression, its uses have been expanded to include many issues and the treatment of many mental health 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of psychology articles</span>

Psychology is an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of human mental functions and behavior. Occasionally, in addition or opposition to employing the scientific method, it also relies on symbolic interpretation and critical analysis, although these traditions have tended to be less pronounced than in other social sciences, such as sociology. Psychologists study phenomena such as perception, cognition, emotion, personality, behavior, and interpersonal relationships. Some, especially depth psychologists, also study the unconscious mind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Beck</span> American psychiatrist and academic (1921–2021)

Aaron Temkin Beck was an American psychiatrist who was a professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. He is regarded as the father of cognitive therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). His pioneering methods are widely used in the treatment of clinical depression and various anxiety disorders. Beck also developed self-report measures for depression and anxiety, notably the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), which became one of the most widely used instruments for measuring the severity of depression. In 1994 he and his daughter, psychologist Judith S. Beck, founded the nonprofit Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, which provides CBT treatment and training, as well as research. Beck served as President Emeritus of the organization up until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Generalized anxiety disorder</span> Long-lasting anxiety not focused on any one object or situation

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental and behavioral disorder, specifically an anxiety disorder characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about events or activities. Worry often interferes with daily functioning, and individuals with GAD are often overly concerned about everyday matters such as health, finances, death, family, relationship concerns, or work difficulties. Symptoms may include excessive worry, restlessness, trouble sleeping, exhaustion, irritability, sweating, and trembling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cognitive restructuring</span> Type of psychological therapy

Cognitive restructuring (CR) is a psychotherapeutic process of learning to identify and dispute irrational or maladaptive thoughts known as cognitive distortions, such as all-or-nothing thinking (splitting), magical thinking, overgeneralization, magnification, and emotional reasoning, which are commonly associated with many mental health disorders. CR employs many strategies, such as Socratic questioning, thought recording, and guided imagery, and is used in many types of therapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT). A number of studies demonstrate considerable efficacy in using CR-based therapies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emotional reasoning</span>

Emotional reasoning is a cognitive process by which an individual concludes that their emotional reaction proves something is true, despite contrary empirical evidence. Emotional reasoning creates an 'emotional truth', which may be in direct conflict with the inverse 'perceptional truth'. It can create feelings of anxiety, fear, and apprehension in existing stressful situations, and as such, is often associated with or triggered by panic disorder or anxiety disorder. For example, even though a spouse has shown only devotion, a person using emotional reasoning might conclude, "I know my spouse is being unfaithful because I feel jealous."

Acceptance and commitment therapy is a form of psychotherapy, as well as a branch of clinical behavior analysis. It is an empirically based psychological intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies along with commitment and behavior-change strategies to increase psychological flexibility.

The cognitive behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy (CBASP) is a talking therapy, a synthesis model of interpersonal and cognitive and behavioral therapies developed by James P. McCullough Jr. of Virginia Commonwealth University specifically for the treatment of all varieties of DSM-IV chronic depression. McCullough writes that chronic depression, particularly the type beginning during adolescence (early-onset), is essentially a refractory mood disorder arising from traumatic experiences or interpersonal psychological insults delivered by the patient's significant others.

Cognitive therapy (CT) is a type of psychotherapy developed by American psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck. CT is one therapeutic approach within the larger group of cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) and was first expounded by Beck in the 1960s. Cognitive therapy is based on the cognitive model, which states that thoughts, feelings and behavior are all connected, and that individuals can move toward overcoming difficulties and meeting their goals by identifying and changing unhelpful or inaccurate thinking, problematic behavior, and distressing emotional responses. This involves the individual working with the therapist to develop skills for testing and changing beliefs, identifying distorted thinking, relating to others in different ways, and changing behaviors. A cognitive case conceptualization is developed by the cognitive therapist as a guide to understand the individual's internal reality, select appropriate interventions and identify areas of distress.

Leslie Samuel Greenberg is a Canadian psychologist born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is one of the originators and primary developers of Emotion-Focused Therapy for individuals and couples. He is a professor emeritus of psychology at York University in Toronto, and also director of the Emotion-Focused Therapy Clinic in Toronto. His research has addressed questions regarding empathy, psychotherapy process, the therapeutic alliance, and emotion in human functioning.

Emotionally focused therapy and emotion-focused therapy (EFT) are a family of related approaches to psychotherapy with individuals, couples, or families. EFT approaches include elements of experiential therapy, systemic therapy, and attachment theory. EFT is usually a short-term treatment. EFT approaches are based on the premise that human emotions are connected to human needs, and therefore emotions have an innately adaptive potential that, if activated and worked through, can help people change problematic emotional states and interpersonal relationships. Emotion-focused therapy for individuals was originally known as process-experiential therapy, and it is still sometimes called by that name.

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.

Guided imagery is a mind-body intervention by which a trained practitioner or teacher helps a participant or patient to evoke and generate mental images that simulate or recreate the sensory perception of sights, sounds, tastes, smells, movements, and images associated with touch, such as texture, temperature, and pressure, as well as imaginative or mental content that the participant or patient experiences as defying conventional sensory categories, and that may precipitate strong emotions or feelings in the absence of the stimuli to which correlating sensory receptors are receptive.

Supportive psychotherapy is a psychotherapeutic approach that integrates various therapeutic schools such as psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral, as well as interpersonal conceptual models and techniques.

Schema therapy was developed by Jeffrey E. Young for use in treatment of personality disorders and chronic DSM Axis I disorders, such as when patients fail to respond or relapse after having been through other therapies. Schema therapy is an integrative psychotherapy combining theory and techniques from previously existing therapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy, psychoanalytic object relations theory, attachment theory, and Gestalt therapy.

Experiential avoidance (EA) has been broadly defined as attempts to avoid thoughts, feelings, memories, physical sensations, and other internal experiences — even when doing so creates harm in the long run. The process of EA is thought to be maintained through negative reinforcement — that is, short-term relief of discomfort is achieved through avoidance, thereby increasing the likelihood that the avoidance behavior will persist. Importantly, the current conceptualization of EA suggests that it is not negative thoughts, emotions, and sensations that are problematic, but how one responds to them that can cause difficulties. In particular, a habitual and persistent unwillingness to experience uncomfortable thoughts and feelings is thought to be linked to a wide range of problems.

Cognitive emotional behavioral therapy (CEBT) is an extended version of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) aimed at helping individuals to evaluate the basis of their emotional distress and thus reduce the need for associated dysfunctional coping behaviors. This psychotherapeutic intervention draws on a range of models and techniques including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness meditation, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and experiential exercises.

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.

Vittorio Filippo Guidano was an Italian neuropsychiatrist, creator of the cognitive procedural systemic model and contributor to constructivist post-rationalist cognitive therapy. His cognitive post-rationalist model was influenced by attachment theory, evolutionary epistemology, complex systems theory, and the prevalence of abstract mental processes proposed by Friedrich Hayek. Guidano conceived the personal system as a self-organized entity, in constant development.

References

  1. ↑ "The American Institute for Cognitive Therapy - Home". www.cognitivetherapynyc.com. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  2. ↑ "Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D. | Weill Cornell Medicine". weillcornell.org. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  3. 1 2 Leahy, Robert (October 2017). "Standing on the shoulder's of giants". Advances in Cognitive Therapy Newsletter. 17: 2 and 14.
  4. 1 2 Leahy, Robert L. (2012). Treatment plans and interventions for depression and anxiety disorders. Holland, Stephen J., McGinn, Lata K. (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press. ISBN   978-1-60918-649-4. OCLC   743275897.
  5. ↑ Psychological treatment of bipolar disorder. Johnson, Sheri L., Leahy, Robert L. New York: Guilford. 2005. ISBN   1-59385-230-4. OCLC   61528890.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. ↑ Bipolar disorder : a cognitive therapy approach. Newman, Cory Frank., American Psychological Association. (1st ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. 2002. ISBN   1-55798-789-0. OCLC   46725727.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. 1 2 Schillinger, Liesl (2005-10-30). "Taking Anxiety Down a Notch". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  8. 1 2 Leahy, Robert L. (2005). The worry cure : seven steps to stop worry from stopping you (1st ed.). New York: Harmony Books. ISBN   1-4000-9765-7. OCLC   57531355.
  9. 1 2 3 Leahy, Robert L. The jealousy cure : learn to trust, overcome possessiveness & save your relationship. Oakland, CA. ISBN   978-1-62625-975-1. OCLC   993999601.
  10. 1 2 3 DeGrush, Elizabeth (May 2013). Geller, Jeffrey L. (ed.). "Emotion Regulation in Psychotherapy: A Practitioner's Guideby LeahyRobert L., Ph.D., TirchDennis, Ph.D., and NapolitanoLisa A., Ph.D., J.D.; New York, Guilford Press, 2011, 304 pages, $33.18". Psychiatric Services. 64 (5): e04. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.640507. ISSN   1075-2730.
  11. 1 2 The therapeutic relationship in the cognitive behavioral psychotherapies. Gilbert, Paul, 1951 June 20-, Leahy, Robert L. London: Routledge. 2007. ISBN   978-0-415-38437-7. OCLC   68693817.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  12. ↑ Leahy, Robert L. (2003) [2001]. Overcoming resistance in cognitive therapy (Pbk. ed.). New York: Guilford. ISBN   1-57230-936-9. OCLC   53708256.
  13. ↑ Leahy, Robert L. (2011). Emotion regulation in psychotherapy : a practitioner's guide. Tirch, Dennis D., 1968-, Napolitano, Lisa A. New York: Guilford Press. ISBN   978-1-60918-483-4. OCLC   712765603.
  14. 1 2 3 4 LEAHY, ROBERT L. (2019). EMOTIONAL SCHEMA THERAPY. [S.l.]: GUILFORD. ISBN   978-1-4625-4079-2. OCLC   1083714823.
  15. 1 2 3 Edwards, Emily R.; Wupperman, Peggilee (2019). "Research on emotional schemas: A review of findings and challenges". Clinical Psychologist. 23 (1): 3–14. doi:10.1111/cp.12171. ISSN   1742-9552.
  16. 1 2 Jill H. Rathus, Ph.D. "Treatment Plans and Interventions for Depression and Anxiety Disorders, Second Edition" (PDF). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Book Reviews.
  17. 1 2 Contemporary cognitive therapy : theory, research, and practice. Leahy, Robert L. New York: Guilford Press. 2004. pp. 116–140. ISBN   1-59385-062-X. OCLC   55228722.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  18. ↑ "Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies Lifetime Achievement Aw - Academy of Cognitive Therapy". www.academyofct.org. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  19. ↑ "ABCT | Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy". www.abct.org. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  20. ↑ "Past Presidents - Academy of Cognitive Therapy". www.academyofct.org. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  21. ↑ "About IACP". www.the-iacp.com. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  22. ↑ Jill H. Rathus, Ph.D. (2014). "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Book Reviews" (PDF).
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