[1] Lazarus was a leader in the self-help movement beginning in the 1970s writing books on positive mental imagery and avoiding negative thoughts.
After episodes of being bullied by his brother-in-law, Lazarus took up body building and boxing, leading to a life long interest in health and nutrition.
[3] As a graduate student at Stanford University, Lazarus extended his knowledge beyond the typical psychological views of the time and is credited with coining the term for the growing field of "behavioral therapy."
MMT is based on the idea that humans have modalities to their personality that must be addressed separately in order to properly treat a mental disorder.
The modalities are referred to with the acronym BASIC ID which stands for Behavior, Affect, Sensation, Imagery, Cognition, Interpersonal Relationships, and Drugs/Biology.
Founded in partnership with his son Clifford and daughter-in-law Donna, the mission of TLI was to broaden Cognitive-Behavior CHIPS Therapy; their motto "Think Well - Act Well - Feel Well - Be Well" reflects their focus on CBT.