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Assumptions And Key Concepts Of Cognitive Behavioral Theory

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Assumptions and Key Concepts of Cognitive Behavioral Theory The philosophy of cognitive behavioral therapy is that “think and feeling are connected people are creative (Halbur & Halbur, 2015, p.47)”. The key aspects of theory are to challenge the irrational beliefs that we hold about ourselves. Aaron Beck the primary founder of cognitive behavior theory assumed that people can control how they feel and what they think. He believed that our inner thoughts and beliefs affected how we are affected on the outside. One of the key concepts is that the client’s dysfunctional thinking can be derived from an erroneous internal process or bias. In the case of Amy, her inner-dialog is telling her that she is not good enough and that she is going nowhere. Her negative self talk is affecting her emotions and feelings. She truly does not believe that anything could go her way. She believes that nothing is going to get better, which is common among people who suffer from depression. Amy most likely feels like no one else feels like she does, which is also common with depression. Her assumptions may have even kept her from seeking treatment for so long. She also most likely has the assumption that no matter what she does, she is still going to be a burden on her friends and family. Part of gaining rapport and help Amy will be helping her to challenge her current beliefs. Goals and Therapeutic relationship According to Seligman & Reichenberg (2014), the goals of cognitive-behavioral

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