Professor Ross G. Menzies is
highly committed to the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) paradigm. As the
current NSW (and past National) President of the Australian Association for
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (AACBT), Professor Menzies is an experienced
practitioner of CBT, as well as a highly published and leading researcher and
theorist in this area. In 2002 he was appointed the international expert trainer
in CBT at the National University of Singapore. He is the Convenor of the 29th
National Conference of the AACBT in Sydney in 2006, and the editor of
Australia's national CBT scientific journal, Behaviour Change.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is
a scientifically established psychological approach to the management of
dysfunctional behaviour that does not involve medication. CBT has been shown, in
numerous scientific trials around the world, to produce clinically significant
improvements in a wide range of mental illnesses. CBT is based upon the
relationship between a patient's thoughts, feelings and behaviours. In CBT, the
patient and practitioner work closely together to identify, analyse and
understand the patient's condition in terms of the interaction of these three
constructs. Treatment typically focuses on thoughts and behaviours that are
presently causing distress or interfering with an individuals life. CBT pivots
around the development of a shared view of the patient's problems by both
patient and practitioner. Once this has been achieved, the practitioner is able
to develop a customised treatment protocol with identified goals and strategies.
The principal thrust of CBT is to empower the patient to generate cognitive and
behavioural solutions to problematic aspects of his or her life. This often
requires the patient to do "homework" between sessions. Typically this involves
changing specific habits and behaviours, and reappraising negative or unhelpful
thinking patterns.
