Techniques and interventions. There are many techniques that cognitive behavioral therapists use to promote change. Socratic questioning, role-playing, behavioral experiments, listing advantages and disadvantages of beliefs, problem-solving, decision-making skills, activity monitoring and scheduling, cognitive techniques, distraction and refocusing, and relaxation are some of the many techniques used in therapy (Beck, 2995). The techniques used in CBT encourage introspection and reflection on thoughts of core beliefs. Techniques are used to accomplish the following; uncover distorted and illogical thinking, reduce problems, restructure automatic thoughts, and teach the client how to be their own therapist (Beck, 1976). For many clients anxiety …show more content…
stems from a lack of decision-making skills and poor problem-solving (Beck, 1995). For this reason, therapists implement skills to teach clients how to become more decisive. With the therapist, the client develops a list of advantages and disadvantages of each possible choice. These choices are then evaluated in order to help the client come to a decision. Often the therapist will assign homework to complete in-between sessions (Hawley, et al., 2017). Prior to this, the therapist provides a rationale for the assignment and confirms that the client agrees and understands what is being assigned. Homework is never assigned if a client does not understand the purpose of what is being assigned or does not consent to complete it (Hawley, et al., 2017). Often cognitive behavioral therapists assign clients a behavioral experiment as homework. For example, a client who struggles with social anxiety would be encouraged to try speaking up more in a social setting, such as at school or at work. The client and therapist would go overall all possible outcomes and the client would rehearse what will be said to during class or at a work meeting. The client then would use what was practiced in therapy in a social setting and report back to the therapist the outcome of the behavioral experiment. Role playing and behavioral experiments give the client a space to test the validly of automatic thoughts. They are used to help the client evaluate thoughts and assumptions; it may even help with developing social skills (Beck, 1995). Socratic questioning is a form of dialogue used in cognitive behavioral therapy. The therapist follows each sentence or response, from the client, with a question in order to guide clients through questioning automatic thoughts. This technique also gives the client reassurance that the therapist is interested and understands what is being said (Beck, 1995). The therapist can use this form of dialogue to help clients see advantages and disadvantages of beliefs. Socratic questioning can be used in combination with other techniques. (Beck, 1995) Activity monitoring and scheduling can be done by using a chart to monitor activities, observe pleasure and mastery, monitor negative moods, schedule enjoyable activities or overwhelming responsibilities, and check hypotheses’ (Beck, 1995). Some therapists use this technique as a way to collect information about how the client spends their time. From this chart, both the therapist and the client can see patterns and make conclusions related to the client’s problems. Clients often have difficulty with problem-solving because of dysfunctional beliefs, which hinder the process (Beck, 1995). As a result of working through dysfunctional beliefs the client will become better at problem-solving on their own. Cognitive techniques are used to help clients identify dysfunctional thoughts and feelings (Beck, 1979). Once the client is able to recognize automatic thoughts the therapist can begin to help clients restructure and challenge these thoughts. One way to do this is by reality testing automatic thoughts. This helps the client redefine thoughts with a more accurate description of how things really are (Wenzel, et al., 2006). Once thoughts have been defined and challenged the client and therapist work together to find alternative solutions. A client experiencing severe depression has a rigid pattern of thing and a closed system of logic which prevents rational thinking (Wenzel, et al., 2006). At this point, the client begins to look at other solutions to problems by an active investigation. Some clients find it helpful to keep a record of dysfunctional thinking which makes patterns and themes more evident (Wenzel, et al., 2006). Clients are also encouraged to challenge thoughts with a more reasonable response. By using cognitive techniques the client is able to counter old ways of thinking which are automatic, unreasonable and dysfunctional, appears to be true, and involuntary making it difficult for the cline to redirect thoughts. By countering and practicing new ways of thinking the client’s symptoms start to decrease. (Beck, 1979) Distraction and refocusing techniques are used when experiencing overwhelming emotions and to help with staying on task. The therapist can help the client come up with activities to do when experiencing dysphoria (Beck, 1995). Distraction and refocusing should not be used to replace evaluating and modifying automatic thoughts; it is more of a contingency plan when the client is feeling particularly distressed. Relaxation techniques can be taught to the client while in the session so that they have a safe space to practice. A caveat to using relaxation techniques is that it can actually cause the client to become more anxious (Beck, 1995). This is why it should be practiced in session so that the therapist can intervene if the relaxation techniques backfire. (Beck, 1995) Termination. Cognitive behavioral therapy typically begins with weekly sessions and tapers down to fewer sessions as the symptoms begin to reduce (Beck, 1995). When the client begins to feel better the cognitive behavioral therapist prepares the client for possible setbacks and helps the client make a plan for what to do if the client begins to feel negative emotions again. The goal of therapy is not to create a dependent relationship on the therapy but to teach the client how to solve problems on their own with the therapist present. To prepare for termination the client and therapist begin to meet less frequently; this also helps in eliminating the potential for dependence to occur. Tapering towards termination is viewed as an experiment; it tests whether or not the client is ready to use the techniques on their own and for therapy to end. When the therapist determines that the client is ready for termination the therapist will review what has been learned throughout the client’s entire time in therapy as well as help the client create a self-therapy plan to utilize on their own after therapy has concluded. The client is encouraged to begin using these help-therapy sessions during the taper of scheduled sessions with the therapist to be sure the client understands how to perform self-therapy. After the client and therapist agree to terminate therapy the client is encouraged to schedule “booster” sessions for a couple of different reasons including; to process new problems that may have developed during the tapering process, to look at reemergence of old dysfunctional ways of thinking, and to alleviate anxiety that has been caused by nearing the end of counseling (Beck, 1995). Limitations Like all modalities of therapy, there is a limit to how far it can go and who it may work for. Cognitive behavioral therapy may not be effective for people diagnosed with severe mental health issues as well as those with learning disabilities (Weinrach, 1988). It also often does not account for age, socio-economic status, and culture. The focus of CBT is to uncover the client’s potential to change themselves; this often is too narrow and does not account for familial issues, personal history, and deeper emotional problems (Butler et al., 2006). Habitually CBT makes light of feelings while overemphasizing the legitimate and thought-arranged segments of a person’s psychological wellness. CBT may not work for those that are still in the pre-contemplative stage of change; often those who are mandated to treatment or therapy. This is because the therapist would not be able to help change thoughts that the client doesn’t really have in the first place because therapy is not sought out it is forced. Another limitation of cognitive behavioral therapy is that it can cause clients to believe that their distorted thinking and maladaptive behavior is attributed to flaws in their personality (Beck, 1979).
Clients can likewise come to trust that awful things transpire due to their nonsensical thoughts and emotions or begin to believe that because they have distorted thoughts they are an awful individual. CBT can also cause problems for severely anxious and depressed clients. For anxious clients, it could give them another thing to worry about, and could increase anxiety rather than alleviate it. CBT may keep depressed clients in low places for a long time and feel punitive because it is overly focused on the present whereas depressed individuals are often stuck in the past. CBT could also backfire when working with clients who have had significant trauma and are not at a point where they can handle talking about suppressed thoughts (Beck, 1979). In these circumstances, CBT would not be a helpful …show more content…
modality. Lastly, a major limit of Cognitive behavioral therapy is the length of time spent in therapy (Beck, 1995).
Because the focus of CBT is on positive thinking it may feel superficial to a lot of people because it minimizes the importance of the person’s history and only explores current problems. Often times CBT misses trauma or significant events that happened in childhood and often lead to underlying causes of mental health problems. Cognitive behavioral therapy attempts to help the client in as few sessions as possible; with the objective of teaching clients to take responsibility for their thoughts and emotions by becoming their own therapist (Beck,
1995). Faith and Spirituality Cognitive behavioral therapy significantly aligns with core principles of Christianity. Romans 12:2 states “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Holy Bible, NIV)”. This passage encompasses all that is CBT in that it encourages followers of God to turn their thoughts inward in order to make decisions about behavior based on Him and not on impulses that have been conditioned by the environment. Philippians also talks about changing thoughts “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Holy Bible, NIV)”. This passage urges Christians to focus on healthy thoughts and as a result, they will be filled with peace. The creators of cognitive behavioral therapy may not have been Christians, however, they were able to find a concept, that was developed thousands of years ago that works. This is because there is only one true way of alleviating unpleasant internalizing symptoms; which is filling our minds with pure thoughts and exhibiting behaviors that glorify God.
While CBT has many advantages, it alone does not encompass all of the concepts I believe are necessary to tackle a client’s needs. Therefore, I draw upon concepts from various theories to assist clients in achieving their goals. Pulling from Reality therapy, a key concept I utilize is focusing on what the client is doing and how to get them to evaluate whether they’re present actions are working for them. CBT does use some form of this in the sense that one must examine and establish their cognitive misconceptions; however, I prefer to extract this concept from Reality therapy because CBT tends to do so by focusing on the past. I am a firm believer that while the past can shape who you are, it does little good to remain focused on it. Focusing on overt behavior, precision in specifying the goals of treatment, development of specific treatment plans, and objective evaluation of therapy outcomes all come from Behavior therapy (Corey, 2013, p. 474). Behavior therapy is highly structured much like that of CBT. By utilizing this aspect of Behavior therapy, I am better able to closely observe where a client is currently and where they are headed. Lastly, I pull from Person-Centered therapy as the final key concept of my counseling approach. PCT focuses on the fact that client’s have the potential to become aware of their problems and resolve them (Corey, 2013). This Person-Centered therapy concept has overlap with CBT as
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a hands-on form of psychotherapy that is empirically based, which focuses on the interrelationship between emotions, behaviors, and thoughts. Through CBT, patients are able to identify their distorted thinking and modify their beliefs in order to change their behaviors. Once a patient changes their distorted thinking, they are able to think in a more positive and realistic manner. Overall, CBT focuses on consistent problem solving strategies and changing negative thought distortions and negative behavior. There are different types of CBT, which share common elements. Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a kind of CBT, which falls under the umbrella of CBT.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a short-term, goal-oriented therapy treatment that takes a hands-on, approach to problem-solving. The core foundation of this treatment approach, as pioneered by Beck (1970) and Ellis (1962),
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a counselling model based greatly on talking therapy. It focuses on peoples underlying thoughts and past experiences, and how they influence current habits and behaviours. CBT tries to correct these and learn alternative ways of processing information to alter the undesired behaviour and/or habits. This is done through a combination of cognitive therapy (looking at the ways and things you think) and behavioural therapy (looking at the things you do).
Some research states that because CBT doesn’t address the possible underlying causes of mental health conditions and only addresses current issues, the patient may not be getting the right treatment. In some cases individuals may have underlying issues such as an unhappy childhood which could be part of the reason they are feeling low or depressed. Also every patient and individual acts differently to the same events- we need to understand what a patient brings to and takes from a negative activating
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy provides a collaborative relationship between the client and the therapist with the ultimate goal of identifying irrational beliefs and disputing those beliefs in an effort to change or adapt behavior (Corey, 2013). The developers of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy saw humans as capable of both rational and irrational thoughts and able to change the processes that contribute to irrational thinking (Corey, 2013). CBT is a more direct approach than some other therapy theories practiced today in that it challenges the client to identify aspects about their self through cognitions. This therapy, as discussed in Corey (2013) also provides an educational component such that therapist teach clients tools to effectively change the way they think to a healthier way. There are a multitude of techniques associated with CBT such as shame attacking exercises, changing ones language...
In it's simplest form, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, (or CBT as it will be referred to from here on out), refers to the approach of changing dysfunctional behaviors and thoughts to realistic and healthy ones. CBT encompasses several types of therapy focusing on the impact of an individual's thinking as it relates to expressed behaviors. Such models include rational emotive therapy (RET), rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT), behavior therapy (BT), Rational Behavior Therapy (RBT), Schema Focused Therapy, Cognitive therapy (CT). Most recently a few other variations have been linked to CBT such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) (Harrington and Pickles, 2009). The main aspect that all of these branches of therapy share, is that our thoughts relate to our external behaviors. External events and individuals do not cause the negative thoughts or feelings, but, instead the perception of events and situations is the root cause (National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists, 2010).
These types encompass Cognitive Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), and Multimodal Therapy. For instance, an individual anguish from a quiet confidence that activates negative thoughts about his or her capacity or display. As a result of these patterns of negative thinking, the person might start averting social issues or passing up opportunities for advancement (Wedding & Corsini, 2014). Cognitive behavior therapy frequently adapted for clients who are comfortable with contemplation. For CBT to be efficient, the Client must be eager to evaluate his or her logic and feelings. Such rumination may be difficult, but it is an excellent way to acquire how internal states impact outward behavior. Cognitive behavior therapy is also appropriate for people looking for an interim alternative treatment that does not inevitably contain pharmacological medication. One of the assets of CBT that aid clients was developing coping strategies that may be beneficial both now and in the
Cognitive behavioral therapy commonly known as CBT is a systematic process by which we learn to change our negative thoughts into more positive ones. CBT is a combination of two types of therapy, Cognitive Therapy and Behavioral Therapy. Cognition is our thoughts, so cognitive behavioral therapy combines working with our thought process and changing our behavior at the same time. Cognitive behavioral therapists believe that our behavior and our feelings are influenced by the way we think; also our mood is affected by our behavior and thought process. So CBT tries to tackle our thoughts, feelings and behavior. Scientific research has shown that cognitive behavioral therapy is affective for a wide range of mental health problems. The purpose is to bring positive change by alleviating emotional distress such as depression. CBT starts by breaking down your problems into smaller components, often trying to identify particular problematic thoughts or behavior. Once these problems are broken down it is then suggested a straightforward plan in which the patient and therapist can intervene to promote recovery.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of treatment that focuses on examining the relationships between thoughts, feelings and behaviors (NAMI, 2012). It is designed to modify the individual’s normative dysfunctional thoughts. The basic cognitive technique consists of delineating the individual's specific misconceptions, distortions, and maladaptive assumptions, and of testing their validity and reasonableness (Beck, 1970). By exploring thought patterns that lead to maladaptive behaviors and actions and the beliefs that direct these thoughts, people with mental illness can alter their thought process to improve coping. CBT is different from oth...
The cognitive processes that serve as the focus of treatment in CBT include perceptions, self-statements, attributions, expectations, beliefs, and images (Kazdin, 1994). Most cognitive-behavioral based techniques are applied in the context of psychotherapy sessions in which the clients are seen individually, or in a group, by professional therapists. Intervention programs are designed to help clients become aware of their maladaptive cognitive processes and teach them how to notice, catch, monitor, and interrupt the cognitive-affective-behavioral chains to produce more adaptive coping responses (Mah...
Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the various different types of evidence based practices used in therapies today. It is a blend of two therapies: cognitive therapy
Modern CBT has been influenced by two major therapeutic approaches: firstly, ‘Behaviour Therapy’ as developed by Wolpe and others in 1950s and 1960s; and secondly, ‘Cognitive Therapy’ which was developed by A.T. Beck in the 1960s. As defined by Emery & Tracy (1987), CBT is “a series of strategies that relieve psychological suffering by correcting distorted and maladaptive thinking. The therapy is based on a theory of psychopathology that recognises the reciprocal interrelationship among the cognitive, behavioural, somatic and emotional systems”. Although CBT is often referred to as a unitary treatment, it is actually a diverse collection of complex and subtle interventions that must each be mastered and understood from the social learning perspective (Reinecke, Dattilio, & Freeman, 2003).
Students come in all shapes and sizes and they have their own uniqueness which makes them great individuals in their own way. Some of these individuals have a disability called EBD and they need a little more help to gain control of their anger and their behaviors. Research has been conducted to come up with ways to help assist the students with EBD be able to gain control over the behaviors that need to be changed so that they can feel accomplished in life and not have these emotional outbursts control the real person within. Cognitive Behavioral Interventions are strategies used to help student with EBD gain control of their actions and help deter their inappropriate behaviors.
A significant part of CBT work involves challenging distorted thinking; patterns of thinking that can lead a person to unreasonable and usually negative conclusions about events, themselves and other people. I've written a good deal about negative thinking and how to use Socratic methods and evidence to challenge distortions that typically lead to unreasonable distress and maladaptive behaviors.