Robert L. Smith, the editor of Practical Cognitive Therapy: A Guide to Treatments, is the author of the book. Leahy received his education at Yale University (B.A., M.S., Ph.D.) and the University of Pennsylvania Medical School's Center for Cognitive Therapy, where he collaborated with Dr. Aaron Beck. He has taught at the New School for Social Research, New York University, and Hofstra University, and is now a Clinical Associate Professor at Cornell University Medical College's Department of Psychiatry. In New York City, Dr. Leahy launched the American Center for Cognitive Therapy in 1985. He is the founding director of the Institute and the editor of the Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy. He is also the author of Cognitive Therapy: Basic Concepts and Applications.