COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOUR THERAPY

Question 1

• Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy is defined as a form

Answer 1

•of intervention that is concerned with reducing maladaptive behaviours through the identification and modification of apparent distorted patterns of thinking (Zarb, 1992: Schrodt & Fitzgerald, 1987).

Question 2

• Practitioners of Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy work collaboratively with their clients focussing on the areas of

Answer 2

behaviour,
cognition
and affect to facilitate changes in behaviour (Kendall & Braswell, 1985).

Question 3

• The process concerns itself with both the individual’s

Answer 3

• external environments and their internal processing of the world (Kendall & Panichelli-Mindel, 1995).

Question 4

• The Cognitive-Behavioural Therapist examines external behaviours,

Answer 4

• recognising the significance of client cognition in the process of behaviour change

Question 5

• Through the process of therapy the therapist encourages the client to analyse

Answer 5

• maladaptive thought processes to assist the client in identifying faulty patterns of thinking.

Question 6

• The client is further encouraged to replace these thought patterns

Answer 6

• with rationally centred cognitions (Wilde, 1996).

Question 7

CHALLENGING THE CLIENT

Answer 7

• There are times when the counsellor must challenge the client’s thoughts or beliefs as part of the process of bringing about change.
• Sometimes the client’s beliefs or perceptions of the world may be significantly impeding their capacity to achieve their goals or find personal satisfaction.
• While the counsellor must avoid imposing their own values on the client, it is appropriate at times to confront the client regarding particular thoughts or attitudes that may be negatively affecting them.
• The counsellor can assist in raising the client’s awareness of particular beliefs or thought processes that may be adversely affecting their situation through confrontation.

Question 8

CONFRONTATION

Answer 8

• At times a client may choose to divert their attention from an issue or problem because it may be too painful or the client may struggle to take responsibility for it.
• As part of the counselling process a counsellor can use the skill of confrontation to deal with this dynamic.
• Confrontation is a skill used to raise the client’s awareness about a particular issue they may be failing to acknowledge or identify.
• Confrontation involves the counsellor communicating in a non-threatening way, information that helps the client recognise or come to terms with issues surrounding a problem or the problem itself.
• ‘Metaphorically speaking, the art of good confrontation is to help the client to swallow ‘bad medicine’ voluntarily…’ to assist them in genuinely acknowledging their experiences (Geldard & Geldard, 2001, p. 152).
• The development of rapport is often foundational to the counsellor successfully using the skill of confrontation.
• ‘Timing’ is another important factor to consider when choosing
to confront the client about a particular issue or problem

Question 9

A counsellor can use the skill of confrontation when the client:

Answer 9

a) is avoiding an issue that seems to be troubling them;
b) fails to recognise their own self-destructive or self-defeating behaviour;
c) is failing to recognise the seriousness of the consequences of their behaviour;
d) is contradicting themselves in their communication;
e) is unable to focus on the present because they are focussed excessively on the past or the future;
f) is focussing repeatedly on the same issues and the counsellor perceives this is stunting the client’s capacity to move forward and;
g) may be becoming excessively dependent on the counsellor or where certain dynamics in the counselling relationship need confronting.