Rhetorical Aspects of the Contention about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Abstract

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been promoted, in recent years, as the treatment of choice for mental health problems. However, its ascendency has also met with opposition, especially from clinical psychologists unconvinced by its merits. In this article, an explicit link is offered between the history of British empiricism and the emergence of CBT as a professional orthodoxy. After this link is made then a form of rhetorical inquiry is used to explore why that orthodoxy is currently controversial in the context of the professionalization of British clinical psychology. The rhetorical credibility of CBT rests upon notions of simplicity, objectivity and scientific evidence. However, its critics draw attention to its naivety, its lack of respect for diverse needs and its theoretical confusion and inadequacy. This contention is exemplified by the proposals from, and criticisms of, a multi-disciplinary report on ‘depression’, which has underpinned a policy shift involving increased access to psychological therapy in Britain.