A Survey into the Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Self-Practice and Self-Reflection amongst Cognitive Behavioural Therapists (CBT) and the Implications for Future Training

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION1

Background1

Problem Statement2

Research Questions3

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS4

SPSS T-Test for Data Analysis4

Quantitative Analysis4

Qualitative Analysis13

Cross Reference Analysis17

CONCLUSION26

LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE IMPLICATIONS28

REFERENCES30

INTRODUCTION

Background

A well developed reflective system may help therapists to reflect on the information they have about their patients from different perspectives. Through this reflective system, the clinicians' expertise is enhanced as they have personal experience and reflection on a particular therapy. Self-practice and Self-reflection (SP/SR) contributes to personal growth and development (Sutton, 2007, p.387). In CBT, the therapists make use of SP/SR in order to engage themselves in such practice in several ways. Initially they target particular aspects of therapy or practice skills which they aim to control over the duration of the programme. After that they engage with the techniques of CBT.

Co-therapy is an especial psychotherapy practice in which a patient or group of patients is treated by two therapists or more than two therapists. Co-therapy is mainly a profession based relation that has the potential to deepen and develop overtime and to alter and affect deeply the lives of the practitioners. The co-therapy elucidates the main benefits for patients and therapists alike. In a co-therapy practice, the major points are analyzed to allow the selection process of co-therapists. Several helpful tools are used for this purpose. The successful co-therapy is carried out when there exist equality, computability and communication among the team members (Bolton, 2001). For successful delivery of a therapeutic course, the therapists are required to practice personal therapy for themselves. Personal therapy grants skills, aptitudes and/or knowledge necessary for experienced therapeutic performance. For this research SP/SR has been selected as a training tool as this plays a major, indeed fundamental role in the practice of cognitive behaviour therapy. The clients of CBT mainly focus on their individual practice and do not essentially consider the clinical implications. Nowadays, there is no proof to indicate the effect of individual therapy on practice of CBT (Laireiter, 2003, p.19). Individual therapy is mainly a deeper and longer process as compared to SP/SR. This is the main reason that why it is not much targeted as the training tool.

Problem Statement

Self practice and self reflection is negatively related to treatment response. In cognitive behavioural therapy, specifically, the same relation appears to hold true. Higher initial symptom severity is associated with poorer outcome. There is a lack of focus and ability among the cognitive behavioural therapists about the self-awareness in order to lead processes in human development where there is holistic integration of the separate parts. The practice of practitioners demands ability to do more than employ the tools, technologies, and methodologies of cognitive therapy. Communication is an integral component of the practice of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and consequently all therapy training. Whether in the context of fostering trainees' general psychotherapeutic, skills and attitudes or focusing on the more technical skills and interventions considered being important to a particular therapeutic ...