Wave 3: Cognitive behavioural

Question 1

Cognitive behavioural overview

Answer 1

• modernist

3 waves:

• behaviourism
• cognitive therapy
• acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT

Question 2

Behaviourism approach overview

Answer 2

• Skinner, Pavlov

individuals behaviour is a product of their learning.

old behaviour can be extinguished while new behaviours can be established.

brought hope: focus on environment meant anyone could become anything based on the way they respond.

Question 3

Behaviourism today

Answer 3

• classrooms (star charts, time outs, etc)
• prisons: token systems
• parenting
• drugs and alcohol.

extinguish learned maladaptive behaviours and replace with adaptive behaviours

Question 4

Cognitive approach overview

Answer 4

• Ellis (REBT), Beck (CBT)

thoughts are primary cause of problems: therapy focuses on thought patterns

essentially psychoeducation as clients learn new ways of thinking and coping.

Question 5

ABC model in cognitive therapy

Answer 5

how we think, feel and behave all interact.

humans are programmed to have rational and irrational thoughts.

A: activating event
B: perception of the event guided by rational/irrational beliefs
C: our beliefs determine the consequences

A does not cause B, but is influenced by C

Question 6

How does cognitive therapy support change?

Answer 6

• focus on present, not past.
• therapist identifies the ‘b’ causing the ‘c’
• identify specific goals for change
• assist clients in restructuring thoughts.

Question 7

Problems targeted by cognitive therapy

Answer 7

• schemas are the underlying core beliefs that act as filters and are often developed in childhood.
• adaptive/maladaptive schemas
• unhealthy schemas = prone to negative automatic thoughts (e.g., mind reading, overgeneralisation)

Question 8

Cognitive therapy techniques

Answer 8

• cognitive restructuring
• psychoeducation
• trace ‘stream of thought’ to identify core beliefs
• socratic questioning
• homework

Question 9

ACT approach overview

Answer 9

• Harris

questions the assumption of health normality.

psychological problems are maintained by excessive avoidance of painful experiences.

goal is to increase psychological flexibility

Question 10

Where do problems come from?

ACT

Answer 10

• “narrowing behavioural repertoire” gradually created due to unhelpful coping mechanisms.
• lack of psychological flexibility
• cognitive fusions (tangled in our thoughts and beliefs and responding based on them)
• experiential avoidance

Question 11

ACT techniques

Answer 11

• psychoeducation
• mindfulness and acceptance
• cognitive diffusions (picture a leaf floating on a lake)
• diffusion techniques (im noticing im having the thought..)