Who have been the most influential scholars/thinkers in addressing the limitations and problems with CBT?

PROMPT
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has exploded as a field and practice since it merged cognitive and behavioral strategies to mental health in the 1980s, consisting of a wide range of practices and approaches that are applied in a variety of settings. So, too, has the body of scholarly research, which is incredibly vast. While the benefits of CBT have been widely touted, there are also some limitations. Who have been the most influential scholars/thinkers in addressing the limitations and problems with CBT? How has their work been significant to our understanding of the drawbacks and weaknesses of CBT (i.e. what specific insights and arguments have they made? What answers have they provided?).

*Please be sure to use and reference at least 6 academic works (e.g. journal article, book, book chapter) in answering these questions. Devote a paragraph to discuss each scholar and their insights (co-authored or multiple authored publications equals one scholar). You can use direct quotes but do so wisely and judiciously.

Finally, are there any conflicting insights? Who do you agree or disagree with? How will your research project contribute to this conversation?

Let’s make the full turn now to your research topic and questions! For the State of the Field Essay, you’ll write a 3-4 page paper (double-spaced, approx. 1,000 words) to demonstrate that you have a working understanding of the key insights that have been made on your topic—the “they say.” Similar to a qualifying exam in graduate study (that earns you a M.A. degree in a field), I’ve provided you with a prompt—a specific set of questions that I want you to answer by drawing on and referencing the most relevant academic works (e.g. books and/or peer-reviewed scholarly articles.

why should you care what others have to say? Why does it matter what this or that scholar has to say about my topic? The reason it matters is because it serves to propel your own argument—and, more importantly, it’s necessary for making a good argument.

Specific Guidelines & Grading Criteria
This assignment is a big one! It is, in essence, your “qualifying exam.” You’ll have to showcase your ability to both summarize (report the important information in the source) and synthesize (organize the information in a way that sufficiently answers the questions). More specifically, you’ll need to:
1) identify leading scholars in your field and the most relevant existing research that addresses your main question in some way
2) detail and compare/contrast main insights and arguments (what the leading scholars are saying) in that existing research
3) discuss what is missing from this conversation and how your research will contribute to it: how will you evolve it?
The goal is to demystify scholarly discussions, learn ways to enter generatively into debates, and help students get a better sense of what they are trying to argue in their capstone project.
You must reference at least 4 academic sources to answer the questions. Please cite the sources using proper and consistent citation style.
You will be graded based on how effectively you meet the above guidelines as well as on clarity and organization. Thus, make sure that the paper is well-structured and well-organized and that your writing is clear and adopts a scholarly (as opposed to casual) tone, using correct grammar, spelling, formatting (e.g. spacing, font, etc.), and sentence structure.

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