CBT

The Impact Of The Experience Of Working With Cbt On Counseling Psychologists' Professional Identity



The Impact Of The Experience Of Working With Cbt On Counseling Psychologists' Professional Identity

The Scope of the Proposed Research

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the term for a number of therapies that are designed to help solve problems in people's lives, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or drug misuse.

CBT was developed from two earlier types of psychotherapy:

* Cognitive therapy, designed to change people's thoughts, beliefs, attitudes and expectations.

* Behavioural therapy (also called behaviourism, designed to change how people acted.

American psychotherapist Aaron Beck helped to develop CBT and believed that the way we think about a situation affects how we act. In turn, our actions can affect how we think and feel. It is therefore necessary to change both the act of thinking (cognition) and behaviour at the same time(Fairburn, et al., 1995). This is known as cognitive behavioural therapy.

Cognitive therapy suggests that psychological distress is caused by distorted thoughts about stimuli giving rise to distressed emotions. The theory is particularly well developed (and empirically supported) in the case of depression, where clients frequently experience unduly negative thoughts which arise automatically even in response to stimuli which might otherwise be experienced as positive. For instance, a depressed client hearing "please stop talking in class" might think "everything I do is wrong; there is no point in even trying".

The same client might hear "you've received top marks on your essay" and think "that was a fluke; I won't ever get a mark like that again", or he might hear "you've really improved over the last term" and think "I was really abysmal at the start of term"(Fairburn, 1997). Any of these thoughts could lead to feelings of hopelessness or reduced self esteem, maintaining or worsening the individual's depression.

Usually cognitive therapeutic work is informed by an awareness of the role of the client's behaviour as well (thus the term 'cognitive behavioural therapy', or CBT). The task of cognitive therapy or CBT is partly to understand how the three components of emotions, behaviours and thoughts interrelate, and how they may be influenced by external stimuli -- including events which may have occurred early in the client's life.

Psychotherapy is a form of treatment for emotional and psychological problems where a person talks with a mental health professional such as a psychiatrist, psychologist or counsellor. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that helps a person to change unhelpful or unhealthy thinking habits, feelings and behaviours.

CBT involves the use of practical self-help strategies, which are designed to bring about positive and immediate changes in the person's quality of life.

Aim of Study

CBT aims to teach people that it is possible to have control over one's thoughts, feelings and behaviours. CBT helps the person to challenge and overcome automatic beliefs, and use practical strategies to change or modify their behaviour. The result is more positive feelings, which in turn lead to more positive thoughts and ...