Reference:http://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitivetherapy.html
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be used to treat
people with a wide range of mental health problems.
CBT is based on the idea that how we think (cognition),
how we feel (emotion) and how we act (behavior) all
interact together. Specifically, our thoughts determine our
feelings and our behavior.
Therefore, negative - and unrealistic - thoughts can cause
us distress and result in problems. When a person suffers
with psychological distress, the way in which they
interpret situations becomes skewed, which in turn has a
negative impact on the actions they take.
CBT aims to help people become aware of when they
make negative interpretations, and of behavioural
patterns which reinforce the distorted thinking. Cognitive
Therapy helps people to develop alternative ways of
thinking and behaving which reduce the psychological
distress.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is, in fact, an umbrella term
for many different therapies that share some common
elements.
Two of the earliest forms of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
were Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT),
developed by Albert Ellis in the 1950s, and Cognitive
Therapy, developed by Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s.
Cognitive Therapy
Assumptions:
• Abnormal behaviour is caused by abnormal thinking
processes
• We interact with the world through our mental
representation of it
• If our mental representations are inaccurate or our ways
of reasoning are inadequate then our emotions and
behaviour may become disordered
The cognitive therapist teaches clients how to identify
distorted cognitions through a process of evaluation. The
clients learn to discriminate between their own thoughts
and reality. They learn the influence that cognition has on
their feelings, and they are taught to recognise observe
and monitor their own thoughts.
The behaviour part of the therapy involves setting
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. The idea is that
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.
Differences between RET and Beck’s
Cognitive Therapy
• Ellis views the therapist as a teacher and does not think
that a warm personal relationship with a client is essential.
In contrast, Beck stresses the quality of the therapeutic
relationship.
• RET is often highly directive, persuasive and confrontive.
Beck places more emphasis on the client discovering
misconceptions for themselves.
• RET uses different methods depending on the
personality of the client, in Beck’s cognitive therapy, the
method is based upon the particular disorder.
Strengths of CBT
1. Model has great appeal because it focuses on human
thought. Human cognitive abilities has been responsible
for our many accomplishments so may also be responsible
for our problems.
2. Cognitive theories lend themselves to testing. When
experimental subjects are manipulated into adopting
unpleasant assumptions or thought they became more
anxious and depressed (Rimm & Litvak 1969))
3. Many people with psychological disorders, particularly
depressive , anxiety , and sexual disorders have been
found to display maladaptive assumptions and thoughts
(Beck et al 1983).
4. Cognitive therapy has been very effective for treating
depression, and moderately effective for anxiety
problems.
Limitations of CBT
1. The precise role of cognitive processes is yet to be
determined. The maladaptive cognitions seen in
psychologically disturbed people could be a consequence
rather than a cause.
2. The cognitive model is narrow in scope - thinking is just
one part of human functioning, broader issues need to be
addressed.
3. Ethical issues: RET is a directive therapy aimed at
changing cognitions sometimes quite forcefully. For some,
this may be considered an unethical approach.
Behavioral Therapy
by Saul Mcleod, published 2010
Behaviourism see psychological disorders as the result of
maladaptive learning, as people are born tabula rasa (a
blank slate). They do not assume that sets of symptoms
reflect single underlying causes.
Behaviourism assumes that all behaviour is learnt from the
environment and symptoms are acquired through classical
conditioning and operant conditioning.
Classical conditioning involves learning by association and
is usually the cause of most phobias. Operant conditioning
involves learning by reinforcement (e.g. rewards) and
punishment, and can explain abnormal behavior should as
eating disorders.
Consequently, if a behavior is learnt, it can also be
unlearned.
Therapies
Behavioral therapies are based on the theory of classical
conditioning. The premise is that all behaviour is learned;
faulty learning (i.e. conditioning) is the cause of abnormal
behavior. Therefore the individual has to learn the correct
or acceptable behavior. An important feature of
behavioral therapy is its focus on current problems and
behaviour, and on attempts to remove behaviour the
patient finds troublesome. This contrasts greatly with
psychodynamic therapy (re: Freud), where the focus is
much more on trying to uncover unresolved conflicts from
childhood (i.e. the cause of abnormal behaviour).
Examples of behavior therapy include:
• Systematic Desensitisation
• Aversion Therapy
• Flooding
The theory of classical conditioning suggests a response is
learned and repeated through immediate
association. Behavioral therapies based on classical
conditioning aim to break the association between
stimulus and undesired response (e.g. phobia, additional
etc.).
Behavior Modification
Therapy
Behavior modification is a set of therapies / techniques
based on operant conditioning, i.e. the reinforcement of
desired behaviors and ignoring or punishing undesired
ones. This is not as simple as it sounds — always
reinforcing desired behavior, for example, is basically
bribery.
Behavior modification therapy is much used in clinical and
educational psychology, particularly with people with
learning difficulties. In the conventional learning situation
it applies largely to issues of class- and student
management, rather than to learning content. It is very
relevant to shaping skill performance, however. It applies
at the micro-level: student feedback of high marks for
good work is only behavior modification in the broadest
and weakest sense, whereas attention and praise at the
second-by-second level are much more likely to follow its
principles.
A simple way of giving positive reinforcement in behavior
modification is in providing compliments, approval,
encouragement, and affirmation; a ratio of five
compliments for every one complaint is generally seen as
being the most effective in altering behavior in a desired
manner. Examples of behavior modification therapy
include token economy and behavior shaping