Robert L. Leahy Recorded Webinar: Regret: A Cognitive Behavioral Approach (December 1, 2022)

Thursday, December 1, 2022

11:00 am- 12:30 pm Eastern/ 10:00 am – 11:30 am Central/ 9:00 am – 10:30 am Mountain/ 8:00 am – 9:30 am Pacific

1.5 CE Credits Awarded

$15 Student ABCT Members / $25 ABCT Members / $35 Non-Members

Abstract:

Although regret is a central element in depression, procrastination, indecision, self-criticism, worry, rumination, and avoidance, it has received little attention in the CBT literature. In contrast, regret has been a focus in decision theory and research indicating that when people make decisions, they often anticipate the possibility of post-decision regret and, therefore, attempt to minimize this experience. Regret is not always a negative process. Insufficient regret processes result in impulsive behavior and failure to learn from past decisions. During manic episodes there is underutilization of anticipatory regret. We will view regret as a self-regulatory process where too much regret or too little regret may be problematic. In addition, some decision makers have idealized beliefs about decisions, rejecting ambivalence as an inevitable part of the trade-offs underlying decision-making under uncertainty. Specific decision styles are more likely to contribute to regret, including maximization, emotional perfectionism, existential perfectionism, intolerance of uncertainty, and overvaluation of "more" information rather than relevant information. In this presentation we will examine how regret is linked to hindsight bias, maximization rather than satisfaction strategies, intolerance of uncertainty, rejection of ambivalence, refusal to accept trade-offs, excessive information demands, and ruminative processes. Specific techniques will be elaborated to balance regret with acceptance, future utility, and flexibility to enhance more pragmatic decision processes, reverse ruminative focus on the past, and replace self-criticism with adaptive self-correction. 

About the Presenter:

Robert L. Leahy was educated at Yale University (BA,MS,MPHIL, PHD) and is the Founder and Director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy in NYC, Clinical Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College, and Past-President of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, The Academy of Cognitive Therapy, and The International Association of Cognitive Therapy. He is the recipient of the Aaron T. Beck Award for outstanding contributions in CBT. Leahy is the author of 29 books and is a frequent keynote speaker and presenter of workshops worldwide. His new book is If Only...Finding Freedom from Regret, published by Guilford Books.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this webinar, the learner will be able to:

1. Identify the role of anticipatory and retrospective regret in decision making;
2. Describe how regret impacts procrastination, risk aversion, indecision, rumination, and self-criticism;
3. Explain how to assist clients in accepting uncertainty and risk in order to make more pragmatic and effective decisions;
4. Describe how to assist clients in reducing post-decision regret, self-criticism and rumination and accept trade-offs in making decisions while enhancing satisfaction with imperfect outcomes.

Recommended Readings

Bell, D.E. (1982). Regret in decision making under uncertainty. Operations Research, 30, 961-981. 

Leahy, R.L. (2022) If Only…Finding Freedom From Regret. New York: Guilford.

Leahy, R.L. (2015). Emotional Schema Therapy: A practitioner's guide. New York: Guilford.

Leahy, R.L. (2017). Cognitive therapy techniques (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford.

Roese, N. J., & Summerville, A. (2005). What we regret most … and why. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , 31, 1273–1285. doi:10.1177/0146167205274693.

Zeelenberg, M., & Pieters, R. (2007). A Theory of Regret Regulation. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 17(1), 3–18.

Zeelenberg, M., van den Bos, K., van Dijk, E., & Pieters, R. (2002). The Inaction Effect in the Psychology of Regret. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(3), 314–327.

About the Moderator: Lily Brown, PhD, is Director of the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research and clinical work focuses on the intersection of anxiety and suicide risk.

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All attendees will receive a certificate of completion when the course requirements are satisfied. Certificates of completion is included in the cost of the webinar

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For more information, contact:

Rachel Lamb, ABCT Membership and Marketing Manager
212-647-1890 ext. 209
rlamb@abct.org

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