Fellows Spotlight

Ray W. Christner - An interview conducted with ABCT Fellow Ray W. Christner, Psy.D., NCSP, ABPP, licensed psychologist, certified school psychologist, and co-host of the Psyched to Practice podcast.

Carmen P. McLean - An interview conducted with ABCT Fellow Carmen P. McLean, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, National Center for PTSD, Clinical Professor (Affiliate) at Stanford University School of Medicine, current Editor-in-chief, Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, and co-author of Retraining the Brain: Applied Neuroscience in Exposure Therapy for PTSD.

Nick Salsman - An interview conducted with ABCT Fellow Nick Salsman, Ph.D., a board certified licensed clinical psychologist and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)-Linehan Board of Certification clinician... professor and director of the Psychological Services Center (PSC) at Xavier University, a trainer and consultant by Behavioral Tech, a psychologist at the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VA), and a private practitioner and consultant focusing largely on DBT.

Maureen Whittal - This is the first of a series of articles meant to spotlight current Fellows of ABCT. Meet Maureen Whittal, who is a Fellow and also a Member of the ABCT Fellows Committee.

Related Information

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What Is Cognitive Behavior Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a type of treatment that is based firmly on research findings. It places emphasis on changing your cognitions (thoughts) or behaviors (actions) in order to effect change in how you feel. These approaches help people in achieving specific changes or goals.

Changes or goals might involve:

A way of acting: like smoking less or being more outgoing;
A way of feeling: like helping a person to be less scared, less depressed, or less anxious;
A way of thinking: like learning to problem-solve or get rid of self-defeating thoughts;
A way of dealing with physical or medical problems: like reducing back pain or helping a person stick to a doctor’s suggestions.

Cognitive behavioral therapists usually focus more on the current situation and its solution, rather than the past. They concentrate on a person’s views and beliefs about their life. CBT is an effective treatment for individuals, parents, children, couples, and families. The goal of CBT is to help people improve and gain more control over their lives by changing behaviors that don’t work well to ones that do.

How to Get Help

If you are looking for help, either for yourself or someone else, you may be tempted to call someone who advertises in a local publication or who comes up from a search of the Internet. You may, or may not, find a competent therapist in this manner. It is wise to check on the credentials of a psychotherapist. It is expected that competent therapists hold advanced academic degrees. They should be listed as members of professional organizations, such as the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies or the American Psychological Association. Of course, they should be licensed to practice in your state. You can find competent specialists who are affiliated with local universities or mental health facilities or who are listed on the websites of professional organizations. You may, of course, visit our website (www.abct.org) and click on “Find a CBT Therapist”

The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) is an interdisciplinary organization committed to the advancement of a scientific approach to the understanding and amelioration of problems of the human condition. These aims are achieved through the investigation and application of behavioral, cognitive, and other evidence-based principles to assessment, prevention, and treatment.