CBT is an offshoot of REBT, basically the same idea--change the thinking, change the behavior.

What I like about this approach is they work to change you directly, modifying your thoughts and behaviors. Which of course, is what most of us want to do. (That is, feel better, act "normal").

That's what these lists are about...when depressed we tend to think things like "I'm a loser" or I'll never feel better" or "why does everyone hate me". We begin to accept these statements as true. CBT and REBT teach you to recognize these kinds of thoughts and challenge them as a way of getting rid of them.

I think a lot of psychologists are unconfortable with this kind of thing, because it resembles classical conditioning, and tends to reduce the patient to a set of responses to a set of stimuli.

I have to ask though, if it makes me happier and more functional, what's wrong with that?

DJ