The purpose of this research is to examine cognitive behavioral theory of psychotherapy as put forward by Beck. The plan of the research will be to set forth the principal concepts that make up the theory, and then to show how these concepts fit together to form a coherent approach to psychopathology, especially as they serve to explain mental and emotional problems associated with relationships.
What has to be understood about the cognitive-behavioral theory of intervention in psychopathology is that its practitioners must take a careful look at the "interpersonal aspects of therapy" (21) in treatment of personality disorders of any kind. The patient has to be taken account of as a whole person and not simply as a mass of disorders. On the other hand, Beck identifies a number of interconnected but distinct features of behavior and psychological experience that can be useful in sorting out appropriate modes of diagnosis and treatment. In this regard, Beck refers not to disordered behavior as such but rather to strategies that the individual may employ as coping or indeed survival mechanisms: "Strategies in this sense may be regarded as forms of programmed behavior that are designed to serve biological goals" (25). The behavior strategies may be unconscious, or a feature of unconditional or basic beliefs about the external world on one hand and the ability to cope on the other. They may also be partly the result of interaction with others, particularly family members, who may either reinforce or discourage particular modes of behavior (43), and thereby confirm or be congruent with the validity of the basic beliefs in the first place.
Connected to the concept of coping strategies is the concept of schemas. As Beck describes the concept, it refers to structures of experience "that integrate and attach meaning to events" and more specifically structures "that are activated during disorders such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks,...