Cognitive therapy: Looking backward, looking forward

This article reviews some of the historical factors associated with the unp recedented strength and popularity of cognitive therapy. and offers predict ions for the next half-century of this approach to treatment. It is predict ed that the future will bring with it increased demands on cognitive therap y for evaluation of processes of change (including identification of therap eutic specifics and nonspecifics. technical specification of the process of therapy, and examination of therapist and patient predictors of change), a nd accountability and efficiency in the public and private sectors. With th e increase in personal autonomy, globalization, and technology, the demands from the general public also will increase. One possible risk of the trend towards increased technology is that cognitive therapy may become overly t echnical. Although specific therapy techniques are crucial to delivering ef fective treatment, it is also the "nonspecifics" of therapy that add to the "art" of psychotherapy. The final challenge of cognitive therapy also may be the most difficult-to continue to be an empirically based science while maintaining its role in the art of healing. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons. Inc .