Intervention: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

This paper discusses a popular intervention called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT involves the restructuring and reframing of distorted thoughts with positive thoughts that are conducive to an individual’s well-being (Beck, 2011; Greene & Roberts, 2002; Cohen, Mannarino, Berliner, & Deblinger, 2000). Although there are many techniques to CBT such as, rehearsal, modeling, and coaching, CBT is useful for issues of anger management, social problem solving and social skills training.
I chose CBT as my intervention because of the extensive body of literature that supports CBT for victims of trauma, and sexual abuse, and the residual effects from those experiences such as, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cognitive distortions, and depression and anxiety. For example, with regard to cognitive distortions, victims of sexual abuse begin to self-blame for the maladaptive behaviors of a perpetrator (Miller, Handley, Markman, & Mille, 2010). If this type of ‘self-damnation’ is not addressed the perpetuation of self-blame will continue to: 1. keep the victim in an abusive relationship and in a victim role and, 2. not address the maladaptive behaviors of the perpetrator and victim. Furthermore, victims of trauma, in particularly, sexual abuse, suffer from PTSD. In turn, a great deal of inhibition may develop as a defense mechanism (Cohen, Mannarino, Berliner, & Deblinger, 2000; Hill, et al., 2004; Miller, Handley, Markman, & Mille, 2010). In other words, they remove themselves from activities that might remind them of the traumatic experience.
Cohen, Mannarino, Berliner, & Deblinger (2000) discuss trauma-focused therapy with emphasis on four specific CBT techniques: a) exposure, b) cognitive processing and reframing, c) ...

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...en, J. A., Mannarino, A. P., Berliner, L., & Deblinger, E. (2000, November). Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for children and adolescents: An empirical update. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 15(11), 1202-1223. doi:10.1177/088626000015011007
Greene, G. J., & Roberts, A. R. (2002). Social workers' desk reference. Oxford University Press, Inc.
Hill, E. E., Kubany, E. S., McCaig, M. A., Owens, J. A., Spencer-Iannce, C., Tremayne, K. J., & Williams, P. L. (2004). Cognitive trauma therapy for battered women with PTSD (CTT-BW). Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72(1), 3-13. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.72.1.3
Miller, A. K., Handley, I. M., Markman, K. D., & Mille, J. H. (2010). Deconstructing self-blame following sexual assault: The critical roles of cognitive content and process. Violence Against Women, 16(10), 1120-1137. doi:10.1177/1077801210382874