Cognitive and Behaviour Therapies
Cognitive and Behaviour Therapies are the most studied and
widely evaluated of the different psychotherapeutic approaches. As well as being
recognise by the medical profession as useful for treating many emotional and
lifestyle problems, they are also widely available in private, voluntary and government
funded counselling agencies. They are the basis behind such services as marriage
guidance, bereavement, post-traumatic stress and substance abuse counselling
Cognitive Therapies
An experienced psychotherapies will probably draw on several different types
of CT - the underlying precept behind them all is that it is our perception of
ourselves and others, and of the events that gave rise to them that cause emotional
and behavioural problems, and not the events themselves. The aim of the therapy
is to alter a clients belief system in order that problems can be eliminated.
Brief Solution-Focused Therapy - this is generally the therapy used when a
specific problem i.e. phobia, is present. It generally takes up to 3 sessions.
Cognitive-Analytical Therapy - This approach draws on psychoanalytic as well
as cognitive techniques. A structured and focused framework is used to encourage
patients to understand the origins of their attitudes and beliefs, and the effect
they have on present feelings and behaviour in order that change may occur. Treatment
may take several months or even longer.
Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy - psychologists rather than psychotherapists
developed this method of treatment. Clients are required to question and remodel
their basic outlook on life. Treatment may last from about three months.
Rational-Emotive Behaviour Therapy - Similar to CBT, practitioners of REBT
believe that most emotional distress is the result of irrational or harmful beliefs.
A technique called "disputing" is used to help patients to question
their current attitudes and expectations, and to replace negative ones with new,
more positive and productive ones.
Reality Therapy - Reality Therapists believe that human behaviour is designed
to satisfy five basic needs, survival, the need to belong, the desire for power,
the urge for freedom and the need for pleasure and entertainment. RT is designed
to make people aware of their responsibility for their own actions and to recognise
the failings of their current behaviour patterns and beliefs to satisfy their
five basic needs, the client is then guided into exploring other ways of behaving
and feeling. Treatment generally lasts for several months.
Personal Construct Therapy - PCT is based on the theory that we perceive the
world not as it is, but as we construct it from personal experience. Treatment
involves helping clients to restructure their view of the world, and is likely
to last several months.
Behavioural Therapy
Behaviourism was an attempt to explain human psychology through studies of
the behaviour of animals - Ivan Pavlov being the instigator. In the years after
Pavlov's theory became common knowledge, a number of researchers began to apple
the findings to the study of human behaviour.
Behavioural therapists believe that poorly adapted behaviour and negative attitudes
feed back into the environment, making it worse and reinforcing the stimuli that
caused the problems in the first place. The aim of the therapy is therefore to
correct the undesirable behaviour patterns and perceptions, and to encourage the
formation of behaviours and attitudes that are well adapted and productive.
Useful Organisations:
Send an email to info@chisuk.org.uk
if you would like to have your school or association listed on this page.
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