Cognitive therapy of depression: what to do, when to do it, and why - Hollon - Busting 6 myths

Cognitive therapy of depression: what to do, when to do it, and why - this is a rare opportunity to learn from one of the leading international experts on cognitive therapy for depression. Steve Hollon brings decades of experience and learnings to this all-day workshop.
Busting the 6 myths and misconceptions regarding the use of cognitive therapy.
In the half century since the classic treatment manual Cognitive Therapy of Depression was first published, much has changed in our understanding of depression: it is far more prevalent than previously believed and may represent an adaptation that evolved to serve a function. Cognitive therapy has itself evolved to address these new perspectives and has expanded to facilitate the treatment of patients with depressions superimposed on personality disorders. In our 2024 revision of the original manual, we address the myths and misconceptions regarding the use of cognitive therapy in the treatment of depression and provide an overview of the major ways in which the approach has evolved to address these concerns.
* Myth #1: Cognitive therapy de-emphasizes affect: We consider affect to be “the royal road to the cognition”;
* Myth #2: Cognitive therapy ignores behaviours: The most powerful way to change a belief is to encourage patients to use their own behaviours to test its accuracy;
* Myth #3: Cognitive therapy has no lasting effect: Cognitive therapy has an enduring effect that cuts risk for subsequent relapse or recurrence by half;
* Myth #4: Cognitive therapy does not teach lasting skills: Skill acquisition underlies cognitive therapy’s enduring effect;
* Myth #5: Cognitive therapy is too simplistic to treat patients with complicated comorbidities: Cognitive therapy has evolved to incorporate childhood antecedents and the therapeutic relationship to treat such patients, including those with underlying personality disorders (the biggest evolution in the nature of the treatment).
* Myth #6: Combined treatment retains the advantages of both modalities: Adding medications may interfere with cognitive therapy’s enduring effect. These issues and more are addressed with an emphasis on the treatment of two patients; the first with recurrent depression but no other comorbidities and the second with a trauma history and long-standing personality disorder.