PHILADELPHIA Aaron T. Beck, MD, emeritus professor, Department of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and director of the Aaron T. Beck Psychopathology Research Center, has been awarded the Prince Mahidol Award for "exemplary contributions in the field of medicine." The award is bestowed by the Thai Royal Family for outstanding achievements in medicine and public health worldwide. Thai Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Chaiyong Satjipanon, will present Beck with the award at a special ceremony on Wednesday, August 22 at 6:30 p.m.

Aaron T. Beck, MD, emeritus professor, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and director, Aaron T. Beck Psychopathology Research Center

Thai Ambassador H.E. Chaiyong Satjipanon

WHERE:

International House South American Room 3701 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104

WHEN:

August 22, 2012 6:30 p.m.

Dr. Beck has been honored for his lifetime achievement in developing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Often referred to as The Father of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Beck pioneered this form of psychotherapy, which revolutionized the fields of psychology and psychiatry, moving away from the Freudian and behavioral theories that dominated the professions in the 1950s and 1960s. CBT has transformed the understanding and treatment of a wide variety of disorders, including depression, suicidal behavior, generalized anxiety, panic attacks, and schizophrenia.

The Prince Mahidol Award was founded in 1991 to honor the memory of His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol of Songkla, a member of the Thai royal house who obtained a doctorate in medicine from Harvard University in 1928 and worked diligently to bring the concepts of modern public health to his homeland before his untimely death at the age of 37. Of the 59 previous winners, two subsequently have been named Nobel laureates.

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Father of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Penn Medicine's Aaron Beck, MD, Receives International Award for Contributions ...