Acceptance and Defusion

The waves and generations of behavioral and cognitive therapy are normal features of a progressive science. Two of the key processes in modern CBT are briefly examined: defusion and acceptance. Both had important antecedents in the work of Aaron Beck, among others; at the same time, they both represent meaningful changes. This dialectic of continuity and change is to be celebrated—it means our current work stands on the shoulders of past intellectual giants. The entire field owes a permanent debt of gratitude to Aaron T. Beck.