Cognitive-Behavioral and Mindfulness-Based Couple and Family Therapy

Question 1

Who are the main founders of cognitive-behavioral therapy?

Answer 1

• Gerald PATTERSON and Marion Forgatch
• Neil Jacobson and Andrew Christensen
• Norman EPSTEIN
• John Gottman
• Frank DATTILIO

Question 2

Where did the concept of mindfulness originate?

Answer 2

• Buddhism
• Associated with Buddhist forms of meditation
• Most world religions have some form of mindfulness (e.g., centering prayer for Christian/Catholic)

Question 3

Are there any multicultural concerns for cognitive-behavioral therapy?

Answer 3

• Yes
• Carefully apply this approach with diverse populations to avoid conflicts in values and relational styles
• Men in certain cultural groups (e.g., Latinx, Asians, & Native Americans) often prefer active, directive therapy
• CBT’s help clients conform to dominant cultural values

Question 4

What are some main concepts of CBT?

Answer 4

• Examines how family members reinforce each other’s behaviors, symptoms, and relational patterns
• Main focus on parental training
• Roots in behaviorism; its premises are still widely used with phobias, anxiety, and parenting
• Counselor takes a directive/expert role

Question 5

What are 2 key concepts in parent training?

Answer 5

• Reinforcement: positive or negative responses from environment shape future behavior
• Consistency: reinforcing very time is the key, especially in the beginning

Question 6

What are the 4 steps to “the process” in CBT?

Answer 6

• Assessment
• Target behaviors/thoughts for change
• Educate
• Replace and retrain

Question 7

What are some main interventions for CBT?

Answer 7

• Encouragement and compliments
• Contingency contracting
• Point charts and token economies
• Behavior exchange and Quid pro quo
• Communication and problem solving
• Challenging irrational beliefs
• Socratic method and guided discovery
• Thought records
• Homework

Question 8

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 8

• Associating a voluntary behavior and a consequence (e.g., a lab rat presses a lever when a green light is on, they receive a food pellet as a reward. When they press the lever when a red light is on, they receive a mild electric shock. As a result, they learn to press the lever when the green light is on and avoid the red light)
• Shaping: reward successive small steps

Question 9

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 9

• The procedure is technically described as conditioned and unconditioned stimuli and responses (e.g., dog salivating & expecting food at sound of bell since he has been conditioned to hear the bell and get food)

Question 10

What are some main concepts of mindfulness therapy?

Answer 10

• Mindfulness
• Acceptance
• Compassion
• Shift relationship to problem
• Buddhism and constructivism
• Change the way client’s relate or view their problem; encourage acceptance

Question 11

What are some main interventions of mindfulness therapy?

Answer 11

• Observe present moment experience: focus in the present moment while quieting the mind’s inner chatter
• Compassionately welcome ALL experiences: avoid judging as good or bad and the self when mind wanders
• Observer position: develops ability to experience mind in action from the position of an observer