Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is largely self help where the therapist (clinical psychologist) aims to help the patient develop skills not only to overcome the current problems, but also any similar problems in future. The major part of the therapy is practiced in daily life, with the patient putting into practice what has been discussed in treatment sessions.
Collaborative nature of the therapeutic relationship– The patient participates actively in the therapy by collecting information, giving feedback on the effectiveness of recommended techniques and making suggestions for improved effect
Components of CBT– CBT has two main components– a) Behavior Therapy and b) Cognitive Therapy
Behavior Therapy emphasizes on learning principles. The focus is on correcting maladaptive behaviors and learning new adaptive behaviors.
Behavior therapy works on the basic premise that behavior can be learned and similarly maladaptive behaviors can be unlearned based on the same principles of learning.
In behavior therapy, environment of the individual plays a vital role. Changes or manipulation of the environmental variables will bring a reduction in symptoms of the client. It stands with the scientific principles of being observable, measurable and repeatable in nature. The basic concept is that symptom are mostly controllable by effective and suitable methods of behavior therapy techniques.
Behavior therapy concentrates on behavior itself (that is affecting the person’s adjustment) and less on a presumed underlying cause. Maladaptive behaviors are, to a considerable extent, acquired through learning, in the same way that any behavior maybe learned. These learning principles, can be extremely effective in modifying maladaptive behavior. Behavior therapy does not hold that maladaptive responses arise from a disturbed personality.
Behavior Therapy concentrates on the present. Behavior Therapists are considerably more likely to accept the clients presenting complaints as valid with a realization that they would not have sought professional help if they did not suffer from these complaints.
Behavior therapy is a combination of scientifically tested and proven techniques that are practiced universally.
Who Can Benefit?
Persons suffering from psychological problems such as
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorders
- Phobias or Fears
- Social Anxiety
- Generalized Anxiety
- Anger Management Issues
- Lack of Assertiveness
- Lack of interpersonal skills
The goal of the therapist is to work with the client to help address the specific problems that are affecting the functioning of the client.
Cognitive Therapy—The cognitive component of the CBT is based on the premise that that changes or improvements or relief of symptoms in the client is not a superficial change. It works with the innermost thought processes (belief system) of clients that are dysfunctional at the moment and which can be changed using rational methods of therapeutic techniques like cognitive therapy.
The goal of cognitive therapy is not simply to make clients think differently or feel better. Goal is to teach clients a process of evaluating their goals, thoughts, behaviors and moods so that they can learn methods for improving their lives. In a broader perspective, Cognitive therapy is conceptualized by
- Cognitive (Thinking) Factors such as thought images, memories that are intimately related to dysfunctional behavior
- Modification of such factors as an important mechanism for producing behavior change
- Patients/Clients learn to objectively identify, evaluate and examine their thoughts and images in relation to specific distressing behaviors or events
- Patients are taught to weigh such cognitions against objective evidence and correct distortions or dysfunctional assumptions