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Critical Thinking Therapy: Overview & Learning Opportunities


April 2025

Critical Thinking Therapy
For Mental Health, Self-Actualization, Creative Potential, and Intellectual and Ethical Character Development

In our pathological world, mental suffering comprises an epidemic of the human spirit. Critical Thinking Therapy assumes that gaining healthy command of one's life requires developing competent control of one's thinking, and it therefore uses the explicit concepts and principles of critical thinking to help humans take stewardship of their emotional lives, achieve mental wellbeing, and realize all of which they are capable as unique individuals.

In both self-therapy and professional therapy, cultivating the skills and traits of the critical thinker is imperative to reinforcing one's mental wellness and decision-making abilities in the face of the immense challenges before us in modern times, both as individuals and collectively.

Page Contents

 

Foundational Concepts in Critical Thinking Therapy


The Book
Critical Thinking Therapy: For Happiness and Self-Actualization

Learning Opportunities in Critical Thinking Therapy


Interviews and Presentations on Critical Thinking Therapy

Foundational Concepts in Critical Thinking Therapy

Poor Mental Health and Irrationality: Widespread and Intertwining Problems

Our deeply flawed human world can demoralize and exhaust us. We create masses of social rules and admonitions, many ridiculous, and then impose them on ourselves and each other. Few people are taught how to reasonably pursue and balance basic needs and goals, such as how to manage time, health, and finances; how to solve complex problems in our lives; how to navigate conflict; and how to justly and effectively parent a child. Few people learn to deeply examine their capacities and develop as unique authentic individuals.

Given these realities, people engage with the world and their own thoughts, desires, and emotions in pathological ways, creating a feedback loop that further undermines their own wellness and that of others.


Characteristics of Mentally Healthy Persons and Critical Thinking Therapists

Geniune mental health is based on honesty to oneself, consideration for others, and the desire to achieve high levels of positive, creative self-expression. It is based in understanding and respecting the needs of oneself to grow and develop in one's own right, while also respecting the rights of other people and sentient creatures.

To be mentally healthy in our complex and commonly pathological world requires a relatively high level of command of one’s own reasoning and of how that reasoning leads to one’s own actions. In therapy involving adults and adolescents, the therapists’ emphasis on reasoning should be primary, and focus specifically on clients taking full command of their reasoning using the tools of critical thinking. In the case of child therapy, the emphasis should still be on the reasoning of the clients themselves (in this case, the children), but must also include a focus on the reasoning of the adults caring for the children. This is because the problem often lies with the parents’ reasoning or the reasoning of both parents and children, as well as others in the family with influence or power over the child.

Mentally healthy people who rely on explicit tools of criticality are able to consistently and accurately assess their own reasoning as well the reasoning of relevant others in their lives, the reasoning of politicians, writers, great thinkers, indeed anyone they choose and in any context they choose. Again, to assess reasoning, they routinely use intellectual standards that come to us through critical thinking – standards such as clarity, accuracy, relevance, significance, logicality, depth, breadth, sufficiency, justifiability, and fairness.

To be mentally healthy in our multifaceted world also requires that we be intellectually independent or autonomous thinkers. Therapists who make clients depend upon them are not doing the most for their clients and are frequently harming them. Therapeutic programs for mental health should be designed to, as soon and as much as possible, move the client away from routine professional therapy sessions and toward healthy self-control and self-development using the tools of critical thinking. Critical Thinking Therapists are interested in ideas and how ideas affect behavior. They are coaches assisting clients in internalizing ideas that make sense and stand the test of reason. They are facilitators of self-empowerment through the tools of reasonability.

In addition to learning the fundamentals of critical thinking theory as it relates to therapy or self-therapy, there are a number of important domains of human thought within which all of us should learn to reason, if we are to enjoy the highest degrees of mental health, or what has been termed self-actualization or self-realization. Clients should come to appreciate 1) the tools of criticality we all need to function in a complex world, 2) the pathologies and neuroses of human thought to which all humans fall prey as well as those to which they particularly fall prey as individuals, and 3) the domains of life especially important to them, as individuals, in achieving self-realization


What Is Critical Thinking?

Though we should never seek to boil critical thinking down to a single definition trying to explain and entail all of its complexities, it is useful to consider a beginning description.

Critical thinking refers to reasoning (thinking which seeks to pursue purposes effectively, to answer questions, to understand, to solve problems) that adheres to standards of excellence (criteria for thinking). It entails the ability to explicitly take one’s thinking apart (into elements such as assumptions, questions, data, inferences, etc.) and examine each part for quality through intellectual standards (such as clarity, accuracy, relevance, breadth, depth, logicality, fairness, significance, sufficiency, etc.) It includes fairmindedness, since critical thinkers strive to consider relevant viewpoints in good faith, as well as to regard the rights and needs of others.

The cultivation of fairminded critical thinking necessitates working toward the embodiment of intellectual virtues such as intellectual empathy, intellectual humility, intellectual integrity, intellectual courage, confidence in reason, and intellectual autonomy. Critical thinking implies understanding one’s own native egocentric and sociocentric tendencies, and actively combatting them throughout daily life. Critical thinking also entails understanding the intimate relationships between thinking, feelings, and desires. It moreover involves a creative dimension that enables people to improve their thinking and the quality of their lives, contribute to the development of human ideas and practices, and achieve self-fulfillment and self-actualization.


Drawbacks of Conventional Mental Health Therapies

Being mentally healthy implies living a reasonable life. One cannot be emotionally healthy while also being an unreasonable person. To be a reasonable person requires critical thinking. Yet mental health professionals generally lack an understanding of critical thinking and its vital importance to effective mental health therapies.

It isn’t that mental health professionals never use critical thinking; in fact, all the best therapeutic approaches to mental health have a direct relationship with critical thinking. Clinicians, however, often do not choose the best mental health therapies, because they are frequently unclear as to the standards they should use in deciding on the best counseling strategies. Moreover, even when therapists select the best mental health therapies, they often don't apply them effectively  – for this also requires critical thinking. And even the best approaches to mental health have limitations, the identification of which again demands critical thinking.

Given the description of critical thinking in the previous section, it is clear that therapists typically neither use nor impart a comprehensive, explicit conception of critical thinking to clients because they are rarely, if ever, taught such a conception. They may themselves think critically to some degree on any number of topics, but they are limited by their lack of explicit knowledge of critical thinking theory when attempting to advance critical thinking in the therapeutic setting (assuming they are even making such an attempt). This in turn limits their ability to foster critical reasoning skills in clients’ thinking, which is what is done – either implicitly or explicitly – in a successful therapeutic setting aimed at mental health.

Thinking as an object of study has been given insufficient notice by psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and counselors throughout the histories of these professions. In fact, critical reasoning has never been at the heart of most mental health programs. There are some notable exceptions, but those exceptions are frequently given short shrift by mainstream mental health professionals. Instead of relying on the cultivation of critical, creative, and ethical reasoning for mental health, counselors still frequently rely on practices dubious or outright harmful. These include:

1. Asking people to re-create “bad memories” from their past and re-live them over and over, as in traditional analytic psychology using Freud’s approach.

2. Insisting that clients focus narrowly and shallowly on "feeling good," rather than on taking responsibility for their problematic thinking and behaviors, even where they cause problems for themselves or others.

3. Prescribing psychiatric medications uncautiously, often in amounts or for durations insufficiently tested in clinical settings, frequently with limited effectiveness, and sometimes causing great harm to clients.

4. Using such archaic tools as the Rorschach inkblot test, which has no scientific evidence to support its employment; in the process, these clinicians make illogical deductions that can lead the patient in fruitless or even dangerous directions.

Therapists oftentimes ignore the essential role of ethical reasoning in the healthy person, being themselves frequently unclear as to the distinction between ethics and social ideologies. Many seem still to prefer to having their clients talk things out without clear direction, returning week after week to do so. But while a supportive therapeutic setting does seem to help those with mental health problems, a kind conversational partner will not change the overall structure and quality of clients’ reasoning; this requires the tools of critical reasoning. And even in cases where clinicians do introduce a few concepts relevant to critical reasoning, this is usually hit-or-miss and occurring at the implicit, rather than explicit, level.


How Critical Thinking Therapy Is Different

Critical Thinking Therapy stresses the importance of 1) learning the explicit tools of critical thinking for mental health, 2) understanding the complex and rapidly-changing world to which most humans now must adapt, 3) relying on the best thinking done throughout history to address how best to live today, both individually and collectively, and 4) helping clients forge the best path for their own self-fulfillment and achievement at the highest levels of which they are capable.

Consequently, in addition to teaching clients explicit critical thinking tools, Critical Thinking Therapists are able, through their own developed critical thinking skills, to select and employ the best therapeutic approaches that have come to us through such diverse fields as psychology, philosophy, sociology, biology, the fine arts, and anthropology. They do not rely uncritically on any given field or school of thought, but rather learn to appropriate and build upon the best ideas relevant to mental health that important thinkers (past and present) from various fields have offered.

In short, Critical Thinking Therapy relies both on foundational universal tools for reasoning, and on the best thinking that has been done about mental health by theoreticians across various fields of study. Consider these examples:

  • We advocate for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, because it offers sound therapeutic techniques for taking command of one’s neuroses and mental pathologies by employing some essential critical thinking concepts.
  • We highlight parts of existentialism as linked to the vital importance of finding and pursuing one’s higher purposes in life.
  • We rely on some classic works from antiquity for early critical thinking theory, including Socratic thought and Stoic philosophy.
  • We see the importance of learning to navigate the many essential domains of human thought within which all of us must reason well to be mentally healthy – including how we think about and manage money, how we think about the economic systems that drive much of what humans do, how we think about sexuality, love, parenting, education, learning, technology, creativity, how we think about ourselves in relationship with the rest of the world, and how we relate to ourselves.

Critical Thinking Therapy focuses on the importance of living according to the meaning and purpose that one gives to one’s life, as well as the human responsibility to live ethically. It recognizes humans as living in nature, as part of nature, and apprehends the significance of appreciating and protecting nature if we are to benefit from it in the ways that our physical and mental health require. Critical Thinking Therapy acknowledges the dangers posed by addiction to social media, gaming, and other virtual realities; recreational drugs; processed foods; and any other numbing escape which impedes humans in their ability to create significant meaning in life that brings inborn pleasure and a sense of fulfillment. All of these understandings are essential to mental health.

In closing, through Critical Thinking Therapy, clinicians are able to directly use explicit tools of critical thinking to help clients intervene in pathological or neurotic thinking. Clients themselves are encouraged to internalize and use the tools of critical thinking as a central part of becoming mentally well. Further, through a robust conception of critical thinking, therapist and clients alike can learn to effectively assess all existing therapeutic techniques which purport to improve one’s mental health.


The Book
Critical Thinking Therapy: For Happiness and Self-Actualization

Synopsis

This book introduces a substantive theory of critical thinking to the field of mental health therapy. It details a broad, integrated set of critical thinking tools for use in self-therapy and professional therapy. It is for the individual seeking a more enlightened, more fulfilled, less fearful, and less self-defeating orientation to the world. It is also for those who are aware that they are not now reaching their potential and who seek a self-actualizing frame of mind. To this point, only some of the many tools of critical thinking have made their way into mental health therapies, mainly through cognitive behavioral therapies; this book addresses that shortfall by vastly broadening and deepenening the critical thinking concepts and principles explicitly available to therapists. It is therefore recommended for use by therapists with clients, as well as for clients and individuals working alone.

Critical Thinking Therapy: For Happiness and Self-Actualization employs the most powerful concepts in critical thinking, offers an integrated and integrating theory of mind, provides essential tools for critiquing all other therapies, and advances the broad range of critical thinking skills within mental health. This new therapy has the potential to revolutionize how we see mental health therapies across the board, and even how we conceptualize mental health itself.



Reviews from Experts

“Who doesn’t want to live a happier life in work, parenting, friendships, finances and all of its dimensions? In Critical Thinking Therapy, Linda Elder blends her extensive theoretical knowledge and teaching experiences to guide readers on new ways to achieve these goals–using explicit tools for better thinking. Her sane advice and easy exercises, if taken seriously, should help pave the way towards better mental well-being and greater self-fulfillment.”

~Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine; named by the APA as one of the 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century



“This book is written with immense skill and clarity, is beautifully set out, including many activities and exercises that encourage self-awareness and knowledge, with delightful photos and images—this book could be considered by many as a Self-Help Workshop, Nourishment for the Intellect, and in parts—a Spa for the Mind! Incorporating many elements of the pioneering and groundbreaking approach of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, yet primarily focused on presenting Critical Thinking’s unique and particular aspects, elements and emphases, this book can indeed be a significant and powerful contribution to people who choose to create more meaningful and satisfying lives."

~Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis, Psychologist and Coauthor with Albert Ellis of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy



“I have often wished there was a ‘magic wand’ that I could wave over the world to help people transition from being mere believers in all forms of nonsense to become effective critical thinkers. Linda Elder’s clear and instructive book is as close to the magic wand as we’re likely to get, a gift for which we can be grateful. Leading readers along the path to develop the profound skills of increasing the quality of our thinking and our mental health, Elder illuminates how to integrate these skills into managing the challenges of living we all inevitably face. Don’t just read this valuable book—study it and discover the many rewards of knowing how to better use your mind’s potential.”

~Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., Psychologist, author of Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression



“A tour-de-force application of critical thinking to psychotherapy! The human change processes are fraught with mysteries and unpredictability, but the tools in this book ensure those uncertainties are minimized. It presents a strong and important foundation for psychotherapists interested in helping people outside the failed medical and disease model of human distress. A must read!"

~Chuck Ruby, Ph.D., Psychologist and author of Smoke and Mirrors: How You Are Being Fooled About Mental Illness—An Insider’s Warning to Consumers; Executive Director, International Society for Ethical Psychology and Psychiatry


Sample Activity 1


Sample Activity 2



Learning Opportunities in Critical Thinking Therapy



Upcoming Online Courses

Beginning in the Fall of 2025, we will offer online courses in Critical Thinking Therapy, both for mental health professionals and for anyone interested in leveraging critical thinking toward greater happiness and self-actualization.

Registration for the first online Critical Thinking Therapy course will open by May 1st, 2025. The course will meet every other Tuesday from 2:00 - 3:30 Eastern Time, seven times in total, from August 12 - November 4, 2025.

Custom Professional Development for Mental Health Practitioners

We offer online professional development customized to the needs of mental health therapists, faculty in mental-health education, and anyone seeking to apply practical reasoning tools to mental health in the context of their work.

Download the Program in PDF Format

To inquire further, please contact us at cct@criticalthinking.org.

Upcoming Certification Program

We will soon offer a program for mental health practitioners to become certified in their understanding of critical thinking fundamentals in the context of mental health. This will bear important similarities to our more general Critical Thinking Certification program, but with a focus on practitioners' knowledge of how to apply critical thinking to mental health therapy.

A White Paper on this certification program will be published by July 1st, 2025.

Weekly Online Meetings: Critical Thinking Therapy for Happiness and Self-Actualization

Beginning May 7, 2025, we will begin hosting weekly meetings, titled, "Critical Thinking Therapy for Happiness and Self-Actualization," for those interested in discussing how critical thinking can be applied to mental wellness and self-actualization.

Meetings will occur each Wednesday from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time and will be open to the public until a core group is formed after several meetings. These will be open discussions with suggested homework readings and activities, and each will be facilitated by one of our Fellows, Scholars, or someone certified in our approach.

Attendees are encouraged to purchase a copy of Critical Thinking Therapy: For Happiness and Self-Actualization, in which the group will likely be working regularly.

If you are interetsed in joining, please email Mr. Jon Kalagorgevich at jon@criticalthinking.org.

Interviews and Presentations on Critical Thinking Therapy


Ideas That Matter Podcast


February 24th, 2025

See Dr. Gregory B. Sadler, an APPA certified philosophical counselor, interview Dr. Elder about the history of critical thinking, what has become of critical thinking in recent years, the mission of the Foundation for Critical Thinking, and Critical Thinking Therapy as a force for mental wellness.

The Rational Egoist Podcast


March 6th, 2025

See Dr. Elder and Michael Liebowitz discuss Critical Thinking Therapy. In this conversation, mainstream mental health practices are critically analyzed and evaluated, and Dr. Elder explains how Critical Thinking Therapy can play a central role in the pursuit of mental health and self-actualization.

AILACT Speakers Forum

 

March 14, 2025

See Dr. Elder present to the Association for Informal Logic and Critical Thinking on the importance of critical thinking in professional therapy, relationships, and everyday life. She also discusses how we can use the elements of reasoning and intellectual standards to address sociocentric and egocentric thinking, both harmful to mental wellness when left unchecked.

Public Webinar: Critical Thinking Therapy

 

On Wednesday, April 22nd at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Dr. Linda Elder will discuss how Critical Thinking Therapy’s concepts can serve as foundations for improved mental health and self-actualization, both in the context of professional therapy and for those pursuing their own wellness. She will then take your questions. The webinar recording will afterwards appear here.



Please do not pass this message by.

CRITICAL THINKING IS AT RISK.

Here are some of the big reasons why:

  1. Many people believe that critical thinking should be free and that scholars qualified to teach critical thinking should do so for free. Accordingly, they do not think they should have to pay for critical thinking textbooks, courses, or other resources when there is "so much free material online" - despite how erroneous that material may be.
  2. There are many misguided academicians, and some outright charlatans, pushing forth and capitalizing on a pseudo-, partial, or otherwise impoverished concept of critical thinking.
  3. Little to no funding is designated for critical thinking professional development in schools, colleges, or universities, despite the lip service widely given to critical thinking (as is frequently found in mission statements).
  4. Most people, including faculty, think they already know what critical thinking is, despite how few have studied it to any significant degree, and despite how few can articulate a coherent, accurate, and sufficiently deep explanation of it.
  5. People rarely exhibit the necessary level of discipline to study and use critical thinking for reaching higher levels of self-actualization. In part, this is due to wasting intellectual and emotional energy on fruitless electronic entertainment designed to be addictive and profitable rather than educational and uplifting.
  6. On the whole, fairminded critical thinking is neither understood, fostered, nor valued in educational institutions or societies.
  7. People are increasingly able to cluster themselves with others of like mind through alluring internet platforms that enable them to validate one another's thinking - even when their reasoning is nonsensical, lopsided, prejudiced, or even dangerous.
  8. Critical thinking does not yet hold an independent place in academia. Instead, "critical thinking" is continually being "defined" and redefined according to any academic area or instructor that, claiming (frequently unsupported) expertise, steps forward to teach it.

As you see, increasingly powerful trends against the teaching, learning, and practice of critical thinking entail extraordinary challenges to our mission. To continue our work, we must now rely upon your financial support. If critical thinking matters to you, please click here to contribute what you can today.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO CONTINUE OUR WORK.

Thank you for your support of ethical critical thinking.