Some Contributions of Piaget's Genetic Epistemology and Psychology to Cognitive Therapy.

Cognitive therapists are presently striving to establish a theoretical foundation for their therapeutical practice. Having shown the efficacy of cognitive therapies in the treatment of certain psychiatric disorders and having refined their intervention techniques, these therapists are seeking a theory-based understanding of the psychological mechanisms subtending the changes occurring during therapy. The absence of a directly relevant cognitive theory led us to consider how certain concepts of Piaget's constructivism-essentially a theory of knowledge change-might contribute to the issue. Our paper is thus not an instance of applying Piagetian theory to cognitive psychotherapy but of its use as an epistemic instrument. Egocentrism and decentration, the growth of awareness and action, and the relations between cognition and emotion are elements of Piagetian theory as well as nodal points in the area of cognitive therapy. Some clinical examples illustrate our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]