Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Aaron T. Beck’in onculugunu yaptigi Bilissel-Davranisci Terapi (BDT); insanin duygu, bedensel tepki ve davranislarina etki eden dusunce yapilarina vurgu yaparak; negatif duygu ve davranislara sebebiyet veren olumsuz dusunme bicimlerinden, bilissel carpitmalardan soz eder. Bu dusunme yanlisliklari, hafif duzeyde iletisim catismalarindan baslamak uzere ciddi ruhsal bozukluklara kadar uzanan bir yelpazede gucluklere aracilik ederek (akt. Turkum, 2003), kisiler arasi iliskilerde, is yasaminda ve toplumsal boyutta sorunlara yol acar. Gunumuz calisma hayatinda, cogu isletmede calisanlarin is tatminsizligi giderek artan bir mesele haline gelmektedir. Bu arastirmanin amaci, calisan yetiskinlerdeki bilissel carpitma duzeylerini bazi sosyo-demografik degiskenler acisindan incelemektir. Bu amacla arastirmaya 18’i kadin, 14’u erkek 32 birey dâhil edilmistir. Katilimcilara on bes sorudan olusan, Turkum (1996) tarafindan gelistirilmis Akilci Olmayan Dusunceler Olcegi'nin revizyondan gecirilmi...

"The role that the involvement of parents may play in the treatment outcome of their
children with anxiety disorders is still under debate. Some studies dealing with other
disorders have examined the role that the expressed emotion (EE) construct (parental
overinvolvement, criticism and hostility) may play in treatment outcome and relapse.
Given that some of these aspects have been associated with social anxiety for a long time,
it was hypothesized that EE may be associated with lower treatment outcome. The sample
was composed of 16 adolescents who benefited from a school-based, cognitive-behavioural
intervention aimed at overcoming social anxiety. Then, parents were classified with
high or low EE. The results revealed that the adolescents whose parents had low EE
showed a statistically significant reduction of their social anxiety scores at posttest, as
opposed to adolescents of parents with high expressed emotion. These findings suggest
that parental psychopathology (parents with high EE) should be taken into consideration
to prevent poor adolescent treatment outcome."

In order to better cope with the pressures and stresses of the current day, modern psychology is anxiously seeking to find new therapies to address the increasing disorders within the human psyche. In the process new fields of research, such as humanistic and transpersonal psychology, curiously appear to borrow more and more from the wisdom of the ages. This volume, containing eighteen articles by noteworthy expositors of the perennial philosophy such as Huston Smith, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and Frithjof Schuon, presents the spiritual psychology of the wisdom traditions as a much-needed antidote to the current impasse in modern psychology.

Some Endorsements for Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy:

“[Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy] is more than an anthology. It is a wisely crafted collection of classic and contemporary scholarship noting that what many are seeking is what has always been, a perennial philosophy, that remains foundational. As one of the authors, Tage Lindbom, properly notes, ‘Secularization is a fish in troubled waters.’ This book claims the waters and is essential reading for all those who may have forgotten or are simply ignorant of the rich foundation provided by the perennial philosophy.”
—Ralph W. Hood, Professor of Psychology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, past president of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association, co-founder of The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion and co-author of The Psychology of Religion

“A necessary and bracing critique of the assumptions and limitations of contemporary Western psychology, this generous volume is also a passionate call and learned guide towards a truer perspective that embraces man's spiritual nature.”
—Gabor Maté, M.D., and author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction

“Knowing the nature of the mind is perhaps the most difficult undertaking, especially in today’s world. To comprehend the nature of mind one needs to turn to the domain of religion and spirituality. Yet the truth of the mind and its complexity cannot explicitly be defined in words. Inner or transcendent wisdom sees the mind’s own nature without the duality of the seer. Suchness (tathatā) of mind is only experiential and not expressible. The words used to describe thought are themselves a product of thought, which is conditioned and limited. Thus, differences and contradictions are unavoidable. Therefore, a comparative study of different viewpoints and commentaries is immensely important to awaken the inner intelligence to see the mind as it is. Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy: Studies in Comparative Religion edited by Samuel Bendeck Sotillos is an outstanding effort in this direction.”
—Samdhong Rinpoche, former Prime Minister (Kalon Tripa) of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, author of Uncompromising Truth for a Compromised World: Tibetan Buddhism and Today’s World

“The rise of psychology has impacted the study and practice of spirituality, the experiences and attitudes relevant to ultimate human values that transcend ordinary behavior. Each chapter of this remarkable book demonstrates this interaction in a unique and provocative way. But rather than using psychology to reduce and ‘psychologize’ spiritual topics, its authors demonstrate how directives from the spiritual traditions can enhance and even illuminate the enduring importance of psychology in the 21st century.”
—Stanley Krippner, Saybrook University, co-author of Spiritual Dimensions of Healing

“The work at hand is a thinking and debating man’s delight. If you have any interest at all in attempting to include an educated and enlightened view of man’s higher functions in your purview of the world, you will learn from and enjoy this collection of essays. If you already have some knowledge in this area, brace yourself: you may see some of your favorites sharply criticized. A thought-provoking work.”
—Bruce W. Scotton, University of California, San Francisco, co-editor of Textbook of Transpersonal Psychiatry and Psychology

“This book, superbly edited by Samuel Bendeck Sotillos, is a masterful critique of the field of psychology and its loss of the sacred ground in which it once was rooted. It offers depth psychologists an opportunity to contemplate timeless truths echoed through the centuries by perennial philosophers who have always claimed psyche is subordinate to Spirit. Although ignored in depth psychology’s early years due to prejudice and lack of understanding, this is a message today’s psychotherapists must take seriously. Human beings need a deeper and wider transpersonal vision of who and what we are, which the saints and sages of the world’s spiritual traditions have always pointed to. In psychotherapy with a therapist committed to such a vision, patients penetrate into their unconscious depths and not infrequently awaken to the Ground of all Being. Their suffering itself occurred because they had turned away from Spirit. Above all, this volume passionately calls upon depth psychology to remember its origin in the perennial wisdom at the core of the great religions. There is something of a polemic in these pages. It deserves to be considered by depth psychologists of all persuasions.”
—Bryan Wittine, Transpersonal psychologist and Jungian psychoanalyst

“This anthology from Samuel Bendeck Sotillos is a must reference for anyone who is interested in psychology and its relationship to spirituality, and in developing an inclusive dialogue between disciplines that favor an integral outlook on the person and his or her potential. Selections in this anthology will inspire us to reexamine the metaphysical underpinnings of psychology, and remind us how important it is to rise above science’s attempt to reduce the human being to an epistemic object.”
—Sangeetha Menon, National Institute of Advanced Studies (Bangalore, India), Board Member of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA), author of The Beyond Experience: Consciousness in Bhagavad Gita

“This anthology has some of the most discerning essays and reviews on spirituality and psychology, which provide much-needed care and caution to all those engaged in bringing them together or who wish to do so in future. Therefore, it is a must-read for all those who teach, research, consult, or study in such frontier areas as transpersonal psychology, states of consciousness, mind-body relation, holistic health, Indian psychology, and so on. It will be an invaluable textbook for courses in these and other related areas. I congratulate the editor of the book.”
—Kiran Kumar K. Salagame, University of Mysore (India), Board Member of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA), author of The Psychology of Meditation: A Contextual Approach

“One of the finest collections of essays on the Perennial Philosophy—a must-read for all psychologists who are engaged with spirituality and transpersonal psychology. The essays which critique modern psychology (including transpersonal psychology, and the framework of Carl Jung), in the light of the Perennial Philosophy are a revelation and make compelling reading. The book serves as a corrective to the excesses of modern psychology, and to this end Sotillos has done a commendable job. I for one will include the book in some of the graduate courses that I teach.”
—Suneet Varma, University of Delhi, co-editor of Foundations of Indian Psychology

“To its credit modern science by-and-large is becoming more cognizant of the essential connection between spirituality and psychological health and well-being and most of all its positive implications within the field of psychology. While there is ample data to document this in a plethora of academic journals and books, this new book Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy adds a novel contribution to the dialogue between psychology and spirituality, which captures many nuances that for the most part go unnoticed within these discussions, and last but not least, it provides a keen eye of discernment to understand this intricate relationship on a deeper level that is crucially needed. This work will be a valuable asset to students and long term mental health practitioners and professors alike who seek to better understand the relationship between psychology and spirituality.”
—Harold G. Koenig, Duke University, Director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health, co-author of The Handbook of Religion and Health

This book is a theoretical and practical guide in the field of social skills and social competence, based on decades of experience gained by the authors as researchers and professionals in psychology. The book was written for students and professionals who are involved in some way improving individuals´ social skills in different contexts, such as clinical, educational, organizational and community settings. The authors present the conceptual foundations, procedures, techniques, strategies and practical guidelines for planning and conducting effective programs aimed to social skills and social competence.
In the first part of the book, key concepts and fundamentals on the area are presented, as well as the basic behavioral classes of social skills and their non-verbal and paralinguistic components. The authors also propose a portfolio for the assessment of clients’ social skills deficits and strengths to thereby define the aims and procedures of interventions.

The second part focuses on guidelines to select and use procedures and techniques for promoting social skills and social competence. The authors present experiential activities that they created in previous interventions and that were tested in their research, showing evidence of effectiveness. Suggestions on how to evaluate participants’ repertoires and how to use these ideas in intervention planning are also described.

Finally, in the third part of the book, the authors go further presenting practical guidelines for planning and conducting programs and sessions to promote social skills and social competence, in either group or individual settings.

In this study, we examine the philosophical bases of one of the leading clinical psychological methods of therapy for anxiety, anger, and depression, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).  We trace this method back to its philosophical roots in the Stoic, Buddhist, Taoist, and Existentialist philosophical traditions.  We start by discussing the tenets of CBT, and then we expand on the philosophical traditions that ground this approach.  Given that CBT has had a clinically measured positive effect on the psychological well-being of individuals, it becomes important to study the philosophical foundations on which this therapy is based.

This milestone text provides a comprehensive and state-of-the art overview of perfectionism theory, research, and treatment from the past 25 years, with contributions from the leading researchers in the field. The book examines new theories and perspectives including the social disconnection model of perfectionism and the 2 × 2 model of perfectionism. It also reviews empirical findings, with a special focus on stress, vulnerability, and resilience, and examines perfectionism in specific populations. Finally, it considers how perfectionism relates to physical health and psychophysiological processes and introduces new approaches to effective prevention and treatment. By increasing our understanding of perfectionism as a complex personality disposition and providing a framework for future explorations, this landmark publication aims to promote further research in this field. It will be invaluable reading for academics, students, and professionals in personality psychology, clinical and counselling psychology, applied psychology and related disciplines.

This downloadable PDF is designed to give to students or others being trained as counselors. There is a compehensive list of essential knowledge and skills for counselors focused on engagement with challenging clients with substance use and coexisting mental health issues.

Presenting ideas into what underlying causes could have manifested using four different therapeutic approaches. A hypothetical case that involves a forty-year old Hispanic female. The theoretical approaches I will be presenting are: "Person-Centered Therapy" developed by Carl Rogers, "Existential Therapy" developed by Viktor Frankl, "Gestalt Therapy" developed by Fritz and Laura Perls along with Paul Goodman.

The following is published on the www.takingtheescalator.com website but is also being made available on Academia.edu for review. It is designed for groups as an in-depth look at self esteem from a realistic perspective, with substance use issues in mind.

The vast majority of people in this world have heard about the idea of "hitting bottom" when it comes to addiction and making positve changes,  which can be a reality, but often can be a fallacy. "Topping Out" may be a more crucial consideration for young people who find themselves caught up in a lifestyle of drug and alcohol use, abuse and misuse

People abused by angry discipline as children, may tend to abuse or overly punish other people or themselves for perceived wrongs in their adult life. In some individuals, aggressive personality traits may be genetically inherited. The aggressive personality may feel weakened by having guidelines or boundaries for anger. Anger is a normal human emotion, and these guidelines can help express anger in a healthy way.

Mental disorders affect a great number of people worldwide. Four out of the 10 leading causes of disability in the world are mental disorders. Because of the scarcity of specialists around the world and especially in developing countries, it is important for primary care physicians to provide services to patients with mental disorders. The most widely researched and used psychological approach in primary care is cognitive behavioral therapy. Due to its brief nature and the practical skills it teaches, it is convenient for use in primary care settings. The following paper reviews the literature on psychotherapy in primary care and provides some practical tips for primary care physicians to use when they are faced with patients having mental disorders.

Background: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders and is usually associated with abdominal pain. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness and neurofeedback on quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Materials & Methods: The present study was a pretest-posttest control group design with a two-month follow-up. The study population included all women with irritable bowel syndrome referred to gastroenterology centers and clinics of Qazvin city in 2019. Patients were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned into two experimental and one control groups (n=45). The experimental groups underwent Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Neurofeedback (NFB). The Rome-III diagnostic criteria form and the WHOQOL-BREF were administered. Data were analyzed using repeated measure analysis of variance. Results: There was significant difference between NFB and control group for total quality of life and all its components. The Mean between-group Difference (MD) of total quality of life score in NFB compared to control group was 21.2±2.58 in post-test and 15.4±2.35 in follow-up (P<0.05). MBCT group was significantly different with the control group in component of general health both in post-test (MD= 0.93±0.53) and follow-up (MD=0.73±0.53), (P<0.05). Conclusion: NFB therapy considerably improved the quality of life of patients with IBS that was remained after two months of follow-up, while MBCT was only effective on improvement of general health in comparison with the control group.

Objectives Common mental disorders (CMDs) are a
major cause of rising disability benefit expenditures. We
urgently need evidence on programmes that can increase
work participation in CMDs. The aim of this study was
to evaluate the effectiveness of work-focused cognitive–
behavioural therapy (CBT) and individual job support for
people struggling with work participation due to CMDs.
Methods A randomised controlled multicentre trial
(RCT) including 1193 participants was conducted.
Participants were on sick leave, at risk of going on sick
leave or on long-term benefits. The intervention
integrated work-focused CBT with individual job support.
The control group received usual care. The main
outcome was objectively ascertained work participation
at 12 months follow-up, with changes in mental health
and health-related quality of life as secondary outcomes.
Results A larger proportion of participants in the
intervention group had increased or maintained their
work participation at follow-up compared to the control
group (44.2% vs 37.2%, p=0.015). The difference
remained significant after 18 months (difference 7.8%,
p=0.018), and was even stronger for those on long-term
benefits (difference 12.2%, p=0.007). The intervention
also reduced depression (t=3.23, p≤0.001) and anxiety
symptoms (t=2.52, p=0.012) and increased healthrelated
quality of life (t=2.24, p=0.026) more than usual
care.
Conclusions A work-focused CBT and individual job
support was more effective than usual care in increasing
or maintaining work participation for people with CMDs.
The effects were profound for people on long-term
benefits. This is the first large-scale RCT to demonstrate
an effect of a behavioural intervention on work
participation for the large group of workers with CMDs.
Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov,
registration number: NCT01146730.

The cognitive mental functions give humans a particular advantage in terms of creative solution development. Humans are constantly engaging in a process of internal dialogue across a variety of subject areas. Mental distress may be at least partly remedied by verbalizing, understanding, and perhaps modifying the internal dialogue. In persons suffering from chronic dependency as well as anxiety and depression the described technique may be useful.

According to cognitive models, obsessive compulsive symptoms result from catastrophic misinterpretations of commonly occurring intrusive experiences and the use of counterproductive strategies to manage them. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) related beliefs such as inflated responsibility, importance of thoughts and perfectionism increases the likelihood of such misinterpretations. Consistent with a growing body of literature supporting the usefulness of mobile delivered technologies in fostering cognitive behavior change, the present study assessed the effectiveness of a novel cognitive training exercise designed to challenge OCD-related beliefs. This mobile app training exercise consists of users having to pull statements challenging OCD beliefs towards themselves (downwards) and to throw away (push upwards) contra-productive self-statements. 36 third-year BA students started the trial. Twenty completed pre and post measures of OCD-beliefs, mood and OCD symptoms including relat...

The aim of the present study was to analyze the results of a cognitive-behavioral group therapy applied in an outpatient unit to treat drug addiction. The sample consisted of 130 males with an alcohol dependence disorder. Around 56% of the sample completed treatment – they were given therapeutic discharge. From those, 75.3% never resumed treatment, increasing to 77.7% when patients completed the check-up period after discharge. Follow-up from therapeutic discharge
varies from 2 to 18 years; 58% of patients with personality disorders completed treatment with therapeutic discharge. Cognitive-behavioral treatment, whose essential components are detailed in the present study, is effective for the group treatment of patients with alcohol dependence and a comorbid personality disorder.

This dissertation explores personal experiences of change occurring in two psychotherapy modalities—Psychoanalysis (PSA)/Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (PDT) and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)—from a theoretically informed qualitative research perspective.  It seeks to reframe the longstanding debate between Specific Factors and Common Factors as the “active ingredients” involved in bringing about beneficial change in psychotherapy.

Despite more than the 80-year history of the AA movement, there is a gap in academic knowledge about the essence of AA spiritual concepts. One particularly important lacuna about AA practice is weakness of theoretical frame for the often used measuring tools of spiritual variables in quantitative studies. The article argues that theological analysis of AA practice can be a very useful part of the empirical studies, if the researcher’s theological commitments favor studying non-confessional groups. A promising possible vein for future research is proposed.

A fifty one year old man&#39;s difficulties associated with hoarding are presented using a case study methodology. A psychological formulation and treatment plan is constructed following the work of a case study by Frost and Steketee, (1998). Despite some improvements in his functioning and clinical scores the overall reduction in clutter did not meet expectations. The focus of the discussion is the lack of published literature on hoarding behaviour, and the implications this has on interventions. Also highlighted are the issues associated with psychiatric diagnosis and the way in which this can influence decision making

Emerging technologies are now giving us unprecedented access to manipulate brain circuits, shedding new light on treatments for amblyopia. This research is identifying key circuit elements that control brain plasticity and highlight potential therapeutic targets to promote rewiring in the visual system during and beyond early life. Here, we explore how such recent advancements may guide future pharmacological, genetic, and behavioral approaches to treat amblyopia. We will discuss how animal research, which allows us to probe and tap into the underlying circuit and synaptic mechanisms, should best be used to guide therapeutic strategies. Uncovering cellular and molecular pathways that can be safely targeted to promote recovery may pave the way for effective new amblyopia treatments across the lifespan.

The present case study is about a 23 year’s old married man from a middle socioeconomic status Muslim family residing in Islamabad. He came with the signs of obsessive compulsive disorder such as obsessions, compulsions, superstitious thinking with comorbid depression, low mood, somatic complaints, anxiety, nervousness, tension, isolation and hostility. He was having these symptoms since 2006 to 2021. The present case study was conducted to assess the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for individuals suffering with obsessive compulsive disorder. Case study continued for 12 sessions of cognitive behaviors therapy. 3 (1-3) sessions were conducted in initial phase, 5 sessions (4-9) were conducted in middle phase and 3 (10-12) sessions were conducted in termination phase and 2 follow up sessions after termination phase. Patient’s improvement was started in middle phase of the treatment; he seemed hopeful and motivated in getting better. After the end of the middle phase, he w...

Einleitung und Themenüberblick
Wahrnehmung ist die grundlegende Form, über die unser Geist in Beziehung zur Welt steht. Wer
sich mit Wahrnehmung auseinandersetzt, lernt sich selbst, sein Innenleben und den Platz in der
physischen Welt bewusster kennen. Damit ist die Wahrnehmungstheorie eines der wichtigsten
Konzepte für die kognitive Psychologie1.
In dieser Arbeit beschäftige ich mich mit den Fragen: Was sind Erinnerungen und wie werden sie
zum Störbild, kann man Erinnerung manipulieren und ist das sinnvoll? Was passiert bei einem
Trauma, wie kann man es über die Wahrnehmung behandeln und muss es behandelt werden? Wie
schafft man es möglichst schonend, belastende Wahrnehmungsmuster zu durchbrechen?
Weiter beschäftige ich mich damit, ob man die eigene Wahrnehmung so schulen kann, dass man
seine Widerstandsfähigkeit gegenüber Trauma erhöht, oder sich dadurch schneller davon erholt.

La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) planteó en 2018, que 300 millones de personas a nivel mundial padecen de depresión (Trastornos Depresivos, TD) y 60 millones padecen Trastornos Bipolares (TB). Los TD ocupan el 6º lugar de discapacidad según el Institute for Health, Metrics and Evaluation (IHME, 2016). La prevalencia de las personas diagnosticadas con algún Trastorno de la Personalidad (TP) es del 9,1% variando entre 1,6% y 5,9% la del Trastorno Límite de la Personalidad (TLP) (APA, 2014). En el primer estudio epidemiológico realizado en Argentina en 2018, Cía. y colaboradores hallaron que la prevalencia en el curso de la vida de cualquier trastorno mental es del 21,1% y el riesgo proyectado a lo largo de la vida hasta los 75 años es del 31,7%.

El suicidio es una conducta de riesgo en los trastornos anteriormente mencionados. La OMS indica que 800.000 personas fallecen por suicidio, sumando a esta cifra la de aquellas que realizan intentos de suicidios no consumados (SNoC), independientemente de la edad (OMS, 2019). Cabe destacar que un grupo de SNoC es el que resulta enmascarado tras las autolesiones que se encuentran relacionadas con el TLP (si bien no exclusivamente) y ocupan el 7º lugar de muerte prematura en Argentina (IHME, 2016).

Los Trastornos del estado del ánimo (TA) se definen por tipos particulares de patrones de los episodios anímicos a lo largo del tiempo. Por su parte, el Trastorno Límite de la Personalidad presenta una tasa elevada de comorbilidad con el Trastorno Bipolar (Biskin, 2015; Ng et al., 2017; Rossi et al., 2001; Zimmerman et al., 2015; Zimmerman et al., 2009; Zimmerman, & Morgan, 2013; Zimmerman et al., 2010).

Los diagnósticos de TB, TD y TLP han suscitado controversias entre los profesionales de la salud mental (PSM), estimándose un alto porcentaje de subdiagnósticos y sobrediagnósticos de dichos cuadros nosológicos (Akiskal, 1996, Zimmerman et al., 2009; Zimmerman, & Morgan, 2013). Ante la certeza diagnóstica de algunos profesionales de la salud mental, otros proponen la necesidad de investigaciones de estos diagnósticos. Un grupo de PSM advierte acerca de la comorbilidad entre algunos de estos diagnósticos, justificándola en el posible solapamiento existente entre la sintomatología del TB con el TLP, así como del Trastorno Depresivo Mayor (TDM) con TB (Angst et al., 2012; Zimmerman, & Morgan, 2013; Diler et al., 2017; Hartman, 2017; Ng et al., 2017).

El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido explorar la problemática del solapamiento sintomático y la comorbilidad entre el TB, TDM y TLP, así como el diagnóstico diferencial.

Research on worry during the past 15 years has revealed a remarkable amount of knowledge about this pervasive human phenomenon. Worry involves a predominance of verbal thought activity, functions as a type of cognitive avoidance, and inhibits emotional processing. Worry also produces not only anxious experience but depressive affect as well. Recent evidence suggests that the very private experience of worry is developmentally connected to enmeshed childhood relationships with the primary caregiver and is currently associated with significant interpersonal problems, especially those involving tendency to be overly nurturing to others. At the physiological level, worry is characterized peripherally by parasympathetic deficiency and autonomic rigidity and centrally by left-frontal activation.

Mental illness is common in the United States. About one in four adults suffers from some form of mental illness in a given year (Holmes, 1/14/2015).

This level of occurrence is even higher for college students—perhaps as high as one in two according to the article, Delivering Cognitive Behavior Therapy to Young Adults with Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety Using a Fully Automated Conversational Agent (Woebot): A Randomized Controlled Trial (Fitzpatrick, et al., April-June, 2017.) In a related article, Depression and College Students, Michael Kerr points out that financial worries due to high debt and poor employment prospects coupled with failed relationships, lack of sleep, poor eating habits, and not enough exercise frequently result in the development of depression (Kerr, 3/29/2012). There are also many life transitions and challenges to a student’s identity.

In their effort to overcome this fear of stigma, Stanford researchers developed a virtual therapist, or conversational agent (often called a chatbot). The chatbot employs artificial intelligence and natural language processing to deliver cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to college students self-identified as suffering from significant depression and/or anxiety.

Stanford's virtual therapist is named Woebot. Like many chatbots, Woebot uses Natural Language Programming to process student responses to questions posed by the virtual therapist, then guides the conversation to an appropriate node of a decision tree to provide suggested actions.