Cognitive Therapy

Question 1

Who founded cognitive therapy and describe the founder.

Answer 1

Aaron Beck
- originally trained in the psychoanalytic tradition
- approach heavily rooted in empiricism
- developed popular instruments, including Beck Depression Inventory & Beck Anxiety Inventory
- Approach was similar to Ellis

Question 2

Differences/similarities between REBT and cognitive therapy

Answer 2

• different terminology
• CT emphasizes empiricism to greater extent that RBT
• CT relies more on evidence to alter beliefs while REBT focuses more on philosophical conversion
• CT is more structured

Question 3

Description and assumptions of cognitive therap

Answer 3

• insight-focused therapy
• emphasizes changing negative thoughts and maladaptive beliefs
  Assumes:
• people’s internal communication is accessible through introspection

Question 4

Basic theory

Answer 4

To understand the nature of an emotional episode or disturbance. It is essential to focus on the cognitive content of an individual’s reaction to the upsetting event or stream of thoughts.

Question 5

Goals of CT

Answer 5

To change the way clients think by using their automatic thoughts to reach the core schemata and begin to introduce the idea of schema restructuring.

Question 6

List some cognitive distortions

Answer 6

• all-or-nothing thinking
• over-generalizing
• mental filtering (only paying attention to certain types of evidence)
• disqualifying the positive (discounting the good things that have happened or that you have done for some reason or another)
• emotional reasoning
• using critical words like “should” or “must”
• labelling
• personalization (blaming yourself or taking responsibility for something that wasn’t completely your fault)

Question 7

Beck’s Cognitive Triad

Answer 7

Client holds pattern that triggers depression.

1. Clients hold a negative view of themselves (“I am a lousy person”)
2. Selective abstraction. The client interprets life events through a negative filter.
3. Client holds a gloomy view of the future.

Question 8

Theory of Psychopathology

Answer 8

• similar to REBT’s theory of psychopathology
• maladaptive cognitions & dysfunctional attitudes cause psychopathology
• underlying cognitions vary specifically with behavioral disorder (cognitive specificity)

Question 9

Describe the therapeutic processes

Answer 9

• after symptoms begin to subside, treatment shifts to underlying cognitions
• identification of problem schemas and their remedidation

Successful clients pass through stages:
- become aware of thinking
- recognize what thoughts are awry
- substitute accurate for inaccurate judgments
- receive feedback on effectiveness of change

Question 10

Describe cognitive restructuring

Answer 10

Basic questions:

1. What’s the evidence?
2. What’s another way of looking at it?
3. So what if it happens?

Question 11

Describe the therapeutic relationship

Answer 11

Collaborative empiricism: shared mission to determine dysfunctional thoughts & pursue better ones

• client is an active partner
• therapist provides support and direction; however, empathy is not necessary or sufficient for success