Dr. Beck 's Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Counselling and psychotherapy are very different areas of speciality than psychiatry or psychology. Yet it is from these two health practices that counselling and psychotherapy practice emerged. The emergence and beginning of this takes us back initially to 1887, when the specialism of psychotherapy emerged in psychiatry. In the nineteenth century there was a general shift towards science and

This essay is based upon a study of my personal reflections, emotions and opinions of the five major psychotherapy theoretical frameworks that I have studied over a five week period as part of a postgraduate diploma in psychology: psychoanalysis; behaviour therapy; person-centred and humanistic therapies; cognitive behaviour therapy; and family therapy. The purpose is to assist in determining which framework is the best fit for me as a future therapist based on my personality, life experiences and beliefs. The main basis of this evaluation is a weekly reflective journal (refer to Appendix A) I have maintained in which I recorded a range of background theoretical information, ‘gut’ reactions, pertinent life experiences and reports on practical ‘homework’ activities. I begin by undertaking a qualitative analysis of my journal which provides the insight to make the most appropriate selection of psychotherapy theory. Once the selection is made, I then provide a more focused evaluation of the chosen theoretical framework, based on a review of the literature, interwoven with pertinent elements from my journal.

Unlike Person-Centred therapy Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a scientific model founded in the 1960’s by Aaron Beck. It joins the theories of both Cognitive therapy and behavioural. He noticed that many of his counselling clients had an “Internal dialogue” (Beck, 1979) that was often negative and self-defeating and influenced behaviour. He realised that by working on these internal dialogues and making them positive it could effectively lead to positive changes in the behaviour of the clients. CBT focuses on the images, self-belief and attitudes held by the client and how these things can affect the client’s

Therapy has been used for many generations as a mean to resolve dilemmas in a persons’ life. Unfortunately, due to cultural aspects, therapy is generally centered on an individual. We typically presume that any problem that one may exhibit can be solved through personal realizations. However, society and therapists alike are

Aaron Beck developed the cognitive therapy concept in the 1960s. Beck was very ill as a child and perceive his mother to be depressed and unpredictable due to losing two children in their infancy due to illness. Beck graduated from Brown University and Yale Medical School. According to Beck’s daughter Judith, cognitive therapy is based on the ideas of the stoic philosophers in Greece and Rome (Seligman et al, 2014, p. 294) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy was founded by Donald Meichenbaum, a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. While he was working on his dissertation for his doctoral degree, he noticed that people with schizophrenia who were taught healthy self-talk fared better in other measures than those with schizophrenia who were not talk about healthy self talk.

Over the past years, many randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have been conducted to assess the effectiveness and/or the efficacy of numerous psychotherapies for various outcomes (1-5). Published meta-analyses, a quantitative synthesis of aggregated data, have shown that most of the psychotherapies could be considered effective (1-5) especially in the case of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (5, 6). The findings from those meta-analyses are widely used to inform and guide clinical and policy practices. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), for example, strongly relies on the conducted meta-analyses to develop recommendations on psychotherapies for various disorders (http://www.nice.org.uk).

Research in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has had recent success in effectively making CBT one of the most—if not the most—empirically supported psychotherapy (Spiegler, 2010). The more research in CBT, the more effective and understood the therapies are. Without a thorough understanding of how and why therapies work, it can be difficult to know which therapy would be most effective with a given patient. Additionally, the success of new innovations in third generation psychotherapies, such as acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions, is greatly attributed to research in CBT. Also, there is a growing amount of research of various minimally supported treatments within CBT

Today, there is still much debate over the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; however, most researchers agree that the therapy is effective. According to Beck Institute, “Cognitive behavior therapy is one of the few forms of psychotherapy that has been scientifically tested and found to be effective in hundreds of clinical trials for many different disorders”. The therapy is more of a long-term solution for the individual seeking treatment because it provides them with skills that they may apply to their daily lives. Throughout the therapy term and even after, the individuals learn to identify their dysfunctional thinking patterns, correct their way of thinking about the situation, and move on with a new outlook and more positive behavior.

Constant assessment of the clients’ problems and cognitions is very important in evaluating if techniques are being effective. Often in the beginning there is an extensive interview process that can last several hours. This interview gives the therapist insight into the client’s past, what the current problems are, and client goals. The interview will allow the therapist to set up a structured plan for how the therapy will proceed.

As identified above the approach I used in my placement was Cognitive behavioural therapy. In this section of the learning journal I will discuss the appropriateness of CBT in working with this client group. I will begin by discussing my learning from attending the Men’s support group. I will then use examples from these men’s narratives to identifying where I see the benefits of a CBT approach. Common Therapeutic factors such as The importance of Unconditional positive regard will be discussed as element that is essential to the development of the therapeutic relationship. It will also be identified in the

“Case conceptualisation is a process whereby therapist and client work collaboratively to first describe and then explain the issues a client present in therapy using cognitive-behavioural theory. Its primary function is to guide therapy in order to relieve client distress and build client resilience” (Kuyken, Padesky, and Dudley, 2009).

Psychotherapy and counselling are inseparable. The effectiveness of a counselling program is not just based on the connectedness and interaction between a therapist and a client, but also the framework of the counselling approach in helping the client improving his mental health or overcoming personal problems. There are an extensive number of psychotherapies developed by past researchers, with each therapeutic concept offering unique contributions in understanding human behaviour and useful implications for counselling practice (Bedi et al., 2011).

Beck’s Cognitive Therapy requires people have an active and collaborative role and to complete certain task throughout the treatment (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2010). This treatment is a brief and has a stresses the present. Improvement on the ability to think and cope with the challenges of life is the main goal for Cognitive Therapy. A person who wants a long term treatment that focuses on development of the insight and exploration of their background is not suited for this therapy. For those who will not work on their own treatment that is in between the sessions and unmotivated to make changes are not suited for this therapy as well. This therapy has a strict limitation but only will work for those who are will to cooperate and focus on

The field of psychotherapy has undergone sensational change. Analysis &humanistic, counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy & existential psychology, as well as mindfulness and other approaches, has been subject to discussion and debate, “it is purposed that confusion and anxiety could inccur the need to choose from such a broad array of services on offer, by any potential client” (Carbonell, 2017)

Modern day CBT has been impacted by two noteworthy restorative methodologies: firstly, 'Behavior Therapy ' as created by Wolpe and others in 1950s and 1960s; and furthermore, 'Cognitive Therapy ' which was produced by A.T. Beck in the 1960s.