Understanding and Applying Cognitive Theory in Counseling

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Cognitions are the thoughts, beliefs, and the internal messages that individuals have about events within their lives (Gladding, 2005). This is the basis of cognitive theory and what counselors assist their clients in modifying. To execute this properly in helping clients professional counselors must know the major principles of cognitive theory, cognitive interventions, who may benefit from cognitive interventions, and examine case studies to identify and treat cognitive distortions that inhibit individuals.
The major principles of cognitive theory proposition that all of an individual’s moods are created by their thoughts, or cognitions. When an individual is experiencing maladaptive feelings, these thoughts are commanded by pervasive …show more content…

Cognitive interventions are explicitly intended to modify an individual’s automatic thoughts, drug related beliefs (in addictions counseling), and core beliefs (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2008). These cognitive techniques assist in changing an individual’s unhelpful thought patterns including understanding idiosyncratic meaning, challenging absolutes, reattribution, labeling of distortions, decatastrophizing, challenging all-or-nothing thinking, and cognitive rehearsal (Sharf, 2012). Each intervention uses its own techniques to focus on extracting and challenging an individual’s automatic thoughts. Understanding idiosyncratic meaning addresses the issue that different words may have different meanings to various individuals. You should not assume you know what a word means as a counseling professional and instead question the client to clarify their meaning. This will help the professional and the individual better understand the thinking process that is occurring. Challenging absolutes concentrates on the distress that an individual may …show more content…

These include eating disorders and various personality disorders including depression, anxiety, and OCD. Because there as many specific disorders, there are different recommended interviewing strategies, questionnaires, and protocols (Sharf, 2012). Cognitive counseling is also appropriate for various multicultural and gender populations (Gladding,

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