Introduction to Aaron Beck

 

Aaron Temkin Beck is an American psychiatrist who is professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. He is regarded as the father of both cognitive therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Early Life

Aaron Temkin Beck was born on July 18, 1921, in Providence, Rhode Island. He was the youngest of five children. Both of his parents were Russian Jewish immigrants to the United States. Two of Beck's siblings had died before his birth, an older brother in childhood and an older sister in the influenza pandemic of 1919. As a result of these tragedies, Beck's mother was chronically depressed for several years and became overprotective of her youngest son. Beck came to think that he was a replacement for his sister, and that his mother was disappointed that he was not a girl. Beck developed several phobias in the course of his childhood. One was a blood/injury phobia, which he related to his experience with surgery for his broken arm at age seven. During Beck's medical training years later, he had to fight anxiety and a tendency to feel dizzy while assisting with operations. He dealt with his blood/injury phobia by exposing himself gradually to the sights and sounds of an operating room, and by keeping busy while he was assisting with surgery.

Beck went on to graduate from Brown University in 1942 where he majored in English and Political Science. Following graduation from Brown, Beck went to medical school at Yale University, where he completed his degree in 1946. Beck then decided to specialize in neurology. While he was completing a required rotation in psychiatry, he became interested in some of the recent developments in the treatment of mental illness. Beck then decided to become a psychotherapist. In 1950, Beck married Phyllis W. Beck he had met her when she was an undergraduate at Brown and he was completing his medical internship and the couple went on to have four children.

Contribution to Psychology

Aaron T. Beck contributed to the growth of cognitive psychology in many ways. His theory opened the door for many new ideas in the world of psychology. From his original theory, many other theories have been created by other professionals in the field. But, it all started with the work of Aaron Beck. His work includes:

·         Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

·         Beck Depression Inventory

·         Beck Hopelessness Scale

·         Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideas

·         Beck Anxiety Inventory

·         Beck Youth Inventories 

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