Treatment - CBT Flashcards
What does cognitive behavioural therapy aim to do?
to change the way a client thinks, by challenging irrational and maladaptive thought processes and this will lead to a change in behavior as a responses to new thinking patterns
What does a cognitive therapist help clients to recognise?
negative thoughts and errors in logic that cause them to be depressed. The therapist also guide clients to question and challenge their dysfunctional thoughts, try out new interpretations, and ultimately apply alternative ways of thinking in their daily lives.
What does the client learn to do?
discriminate between their own thoughts and reality. They learn the influence that cognition has on their feelings, and they are taught to recognize observe and monitor their own thoughts.
What is the behaviour part of therapy?
homework for the client to do (e.g. keeping a diary of thoughts). The therapist gives the client tasks that will help them challenge their own irrational beliefs.
What is the idea behind setting the client homework?
the client identifies their own unhelpful beliefs and them proves them wrong. As a result, their beliefs begin to change. For example, someone who is anxious in social situations may be set a homework assignment to meet a friend at the pub for a drink.
What is a strength of this kind of therapy?
it has shown to be very effective in treating depression, in fact, it has shown to produce longer lasting recovery than antidepressants.
What is the issues with this therapy?
The precise role of cognitive processes is yet to be determined. It is not clear whether faulty cognitions are a cause of the psychopathology or a consequence of it.
What is an imprtant advantage of CBT?
it tends to be short (compared to psychoanalysis), taking three to six months for most emotional problems. Patients attend a session a week, each session lasting either 50 minutes or an hour.
