The Case Formulation Approach To Cognitive-beha... May 2026

A comprehensive inventory of the patient's current symptoms, disorders, and life difficulties (e.g., housing, financial, or relationship issues).

The , championed by Jacqueline Persons and building on the work of Aaron T. Beck, is an idiographic (individualized) framework that allows therapists to apply evidence-based treatments to real-world clinical complexity. Unlike "manualized" therapy that follows a set protocol for a specific diagnosis, this approach uses a personalized hypothesis to understand the psychological mechanisms driving all of a patient's symptoms. 1. Identify the Core Components The Case Formulation Approach to Cognitive-Beha...

The "heart" of this approach is the mechanism hypothesis—a specific theory about why this particular patient is struggling. A comprehensive inventory of the patient's current symptoms,

The therapist and patient work as "co-scientists" to develop this hypothesis. Unlike "manualized" therapy that follows a set protocol

The historical life experiences, typically from childhood, that predisposed the individual to develop their specific psychological mechanisms. 2. Formulate the "Mechanism Hypothesis"