From Church Street to CBT: The Day Temperament Lost the Spotlight

In this video, I share the true story of how a walk to my favorite shoe store on Church Street in the early 1990s led to a major shift in a counseling center — from temperament-based therapy to CBT and REBT. Along the way, you’ll hear how Albert Ellis himself became part of the story, profanity and all, and why the Christian audience loved him.

Temperament was once the star of the therapy world. From the 1950s through the 1970s, it shaped how psychologists and counselors understood clients — “easy,” “difficult,” and “slow-to-warm-up” became everyday terms in child development and beyond. But by the late 20th century, personality models, attachment theory, and skills-based approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) were changing the conversation.

In this mix of therapy history and personal narrative, I’ll explore why temperament faded from adult practice, where it still lives today, and what it was like to see the transition happen firsthand.

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