Cognitive psychotherapy, as originally conceived and developed by Beck and his followers (Beck 1963, 1964, 1976, 1985), is a now well-estabished method of treatment in many countries, where active training and research centres contribute to its further refinement and diffusion. National societies of cognitive psychotherapy have been established, meetings and symposia occur frequently, and a number of specialized journals are regularly issued. During recent decades substantial evidence has been accumulating that lends support both to the theoretical basis of cognitive psychotherapy and to its therapeutic effectiveness in the treatment of various kinds of psychopathological disorders. Its place among the powerful methods of treatment is properly acknowledged in modern psychiatric textbooks.