The Emergence and Development of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in Australia: Observations from an Early Player

Abstract

As a contribution to celebrating the 40th Annual Conference of the Australian Association for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (AACBT), I would like to offer some reflections upon a number of the antecedents and early developments that led to the formation of, first, the Australian Behaviour Modification Association (ABMA) and subsequently its transformation into the AACBT. In doing this I will briefly refer to my experiences as both an undergraduate student (University of Adelaide, 1960–1963), my postgraduate training at the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London (1964–1966), and my first postqualification post at Guy’s Hospital, London (1966–1968). Reflecting upon these experiences will, I hope, provide some perspective on cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) today. I will then turn to historical developments in Australia from 1969 when I took up an academic appointment at The University of Melbourne, Department of Psychiatry.