Cognitive Therapy
June 12th 2007 02:36
It used to be that seeing a psychotherapist involved delving deep into the past: Our narcissistic mothers and controlling fathers came under microscopic scrutiny as we grappled with gaining insight into our tarnished lives. Under the therapist's prolonged probing we chewed over our "stuff" and "baggage" and family "dysfunction" and relationship "co-dependency." And the next week we came back for more.
But that scenario has gradually shifted. Many psychotherapists no longer encourage patients to languish in the past. Instead they propel them into the here and now.
Cognitive therapies rely on other, largely verbal, learning principles —namely, those that involve cognition (perception, thinking, reasoning, attention and judgment). The basic strategy is to change the thoughts, beliefs, assumptions and attitudes that are contributing to the client’s emotional or behavioral problems.
This approach assumes that people who are suffering — for example, from depression — view themselves and the world around them negatively because of distortions in thinking. Some of these distortions include all-or-none thinking (a tendency to see events or situations as either entirely good or entirely bad), overgeneralization (allowing one unfortunate event to support a negative interpretation of all events), and selective perception (focusing only on discouraging events). The therapist helps the client to first recognize and then change these maladaptive cognitive behaviors.
Cognitive therapy aims to help the client to become aware of thought distortions which are causing psychological distress, and of behavioral patterns which are reinforcing it, and to correct them. The objective is not to correct every distortion in a client's entire outlook -- and after all, virtually everyone distorts reality in many ways -- just those which may be at the root of distress. The therapist will make every effort to understand experiences from the client's point of view.
For more information contact the Beck Institute Link
Picture: MSNBC
But that scenario has gradually shifted. Many psychotherapists no longer encourage patients to languish in the past. Instead they propel them into the here and now.
Cognitive therapies rely on other, largely verbal, learning principles —namely, those that involve cognition (perception, thinking, reasoning, attention and judgment). The basic strategy is to change the thoughts, beliefs, assumptions and attitudes that are contributing to the client’s emotional or behavioral problems.
This approach assumes that people who are suffering — for example, from depression — view themselves and the world around them negatively because of distortions in thinking. Some of these distortions include all-or-none thinking (a tendency to see events or situations as either entirely good or entirely bad), overgeneralization (allowing one unfortunate event to support a negative interpretation of all events), and selective perception (focusing only on discouraging events). The therapist helps the client to first recognize and then change these maladaptive cognitive behaviors.
Cognitive therapy aims to help the client to become aware of thought distortions which are causing psychological distress, and of behavioral patterns which are reinforcing it, and to correct them. The objective is not to correct every distortion in a client's entire outlook -- and after all, virtually everyone distorts reality in many ways -- just those which may be at the root of distress. The therapist will make every effort to understand experiences from the client's point of view.
For more information contact the Beck Institute Link
Picture: MSNBC
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Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
I don't know how to answer this without a realllly loong speil.. honestly..
...needles to say; 12 years ago, following a butchering at the hands of an incompetent doctor, a near death expereince...followed by 10 weeks of unmittigated physical mutilation and torture, which resulted in him hiding me from his peers... being discovered ... a seven year law suit and finally, the loss of his practice...*phew, sigh*
I was a suicidal wreck. *lol*
Anyeeway,,, what I wanted to say, is that I did this stuff and if anyone is depressed about life, or after being attacked by possessed doctors, this is the way to go!
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy helped me climb out of a great pit, at the time... and whilst it didn't 'take me all the way home' it did give me a good lift.
That's it.. wow : *chuckle* you know yo're progressing when you can put it in a nutshell like that..*lol*
Oops, maybe I said too much, already?
Now why shoudl I think that?
What basis do I have for thinking that?
What am I basing that stupid thought on?
You know the rest..
Lilla ...
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me.
That's it.. wow : *chuckle* you know yo're progressing when you can put it in a nutshell like that..*lol*
You are exactly right about that ! [soft smile]
Now why shoudl I think that?
What basis do I have for thinking that?
What am I basing that stupid thought on
HAHAHA I love your wit!
Mis
Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories
I love your psychology posts! The human mind is a bottomless pit fo' sure!
Just wondering - but if a patient has suffered from various trauma`s in their life surely these would be deeply rooted in the subconscious and therefore not easily forgotten - or do you learn to move on from these by correcting your actions of the future? I would think that it would be difficult to make those steps forward by not learning how to overcome your fears developed from the past.
ash
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
I love your psychology posts!
Thanks so much!
Just wondering - but if a patient has suffered from various trauma`s in their life surely these would be deeply rooted in the subconscious and therefore not easily forgotten - or do you learn to move on from these by correcting your actions of the future?
Generally the tramautized person must learn new ways to cope. There is forgiving just no forgetting.
I would think that it would be difficult to make those steps forward by not learning how to overcome your fears developed from the past.
Time...is on your side...yes it is
Mis