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Istituto Beck is a center for cognitive-behavioral therapy that was founded in Rome in 2001 by Doctor Antonella Montano. The center was named after Professor A.T. Beck, the well-known father of cognitive therapy. Professor Beck gave permission for his name to be used based on his high regard for Doctor Montano and her work.
In agreement with the Philadelphia-based American center – of the same name -, “ Istituto A.T. Beck ” of Rome aims to offer the public its own unique contribution in the field of mental health.
The idea for Istituto Beck was developed by a group of local therapists in 1997. This group was led by Doctor Montano (a member of the prestigious Academy of Cognitive Therapy whose honorary head is A.T. Beck). All the members of this group of cognitive behavioral therapists belong to the “Associazione Italiana Analisi e Modificazione del Comportamento e Terapia Comportamentale e Cognitiva” (AIAMC), in affiliation with the European Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy (EABCT) and the Collegium Internationale Activitatis Nervosae Superiori (CIANS).
The scientific and professional orientation of Istituto Beck is based on the most up-to-date and current developments in the field of modern cognitive behavioral therapy, pioneered by Ellis in the 1950s, with his Rational Emotive Therapy (RET).
A new boom in cognitive-behavioral therapy started in the early 1960s with Beck's work on depression. This trend continued in the 1970s, with the works of Mahoney (Cognitive and Behavior Modification, 1974), Beck (Cognitive Therapy and Emotional Disorders, 1976) and Meichenbaum (Cognitive-Behavior Modification, 1977).
Today, the therapists at the Istituto use the cognitive model and principles in carrying out their work in clinical practice, research and training. They apply the basic fundamentals of modern cognitive-behavioral therapy such as:
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the collaborative relationship between patient and therapist (Beck's “collaborative empiricism”);
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the assumption that emotional and behavioral disorders are caused (in the majority of cases) by disturbances in the cognitive processes;
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targeting changes in the thought processes to produce the desired modification in affectivity and behavior;
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educational treatment method, generally with time limits, that targets the problems with specific goals.
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More precisely, the scientific literature overwhelmingly agrees that all therapy should be based on the importance of:
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cognitive restructuring in modifying maladaptive thought patterns;
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problem solving programs as systematic approaches in the resolution of personal problems;
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the teaching of coping skills (or the ability to face anxiety-producing situations in everyday life) and stress inoculation (stress immunization).
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The work of the therapists at Istituto Beck , therefore, is based on application and training in diagnosing various disorders, the cognitive formulation of each case, the therapeutic relationship, the structure and format of the first session and the following ones, setting the therapist's and patient's goals, therapy planning, identification and treatment of automatic thoughts, dysfunctional feelings and core beliefs , distorted imaginative content, the therapist's repertoire of cognitive and behavioral techniques, the creation and assignment of homework , the use of standardized assessment tools (psycho-diagnostic questionnaires), the use of sheets and materials that will lead to therapy progress, preparation for the end of therapy, and training aimed at relapse prevention.
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