Cognitive Behavorial Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 

Key People

Albert Ellis 

"Grandfather" of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

 Aaron Beck

"Father" of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Judith Beck

Donald Meichenbaum

Key Concepts

Although psychological problems may be rooted in childhood, they are reinforced by present ways of thinking. A person's belief system is the primary cause of disorders. Internal dialogue plays a central role in one's behavior. Clients focus on examining faulty assumptions and misconceptions and on replacing these with effective beliefs.  (Gerald Corey)

Cognitive therapy is a short term therapy. Some of the approaches to cognitive therapy are:

• Rational emotive behavior therapy
• Was the first cognitive therapy (created by Ellis above). Its belief is that people contribute to their own mental well being or lack thereof by their rigid or extreme beliefs that they have been taught. It focuses on thinking, judgment, deciding, and analyzing. The client and therapist have a warm relationship and it encourages a unconditionally acceptance of all clients, but Ellis thought too much warmth might have a negative effect on the therapy progress.
• A-B-C Model (The video talks some about this. There is a clip of Ellis actually talking)

1.  
• Some techniques include: (NOT ALL ARE LISTED)
• rational emotive imagery
• homework
• bibliotherapy
• changing one's language

• Cognitive Therapy
• Similar to REBT and Behavioral therapy. It also stands behind the therapist having a warm relationship, even thought that this is needed it HAS to be paired with the techniques of therapy.  Beck (also seen above) was developer of this particular part of CBT, he was concentrating on depressed clients. It is focused on the way we think automatically which brings depression, CT helps the client change that.
• CT looks at several reasons why (way of thinking incorrectly) a person might need therapy:
• Arbitrary inference
• Selective abstraction
• Overgeneralizing
• Magnification and minimization
• Personalization
• Labeling and mislabeling
• Dichotomous
• CT has alot of the same therapies at REBT

•  Cognitive BehaviorModification
• Was developed by Donald Meichenbaum (Listed above). CBM takes some of behavioral therapy and CT elements. Meichenbaum believed that if a person can change the way they think and say about themselves. 
• There are phases to CBM
• Phase 1: Self Observation
• Phase 2: Starting a new internal dialog
• Phase 3: Learning new skills 

 
Helpful Links:
http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/cognitive-therapy
http://panicdisorder.about.com/od/treatments/a/cbm.htm