COGNITIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY
Introduction
·
Cognitive therapy is the term applied to
psychological treatments intended to change maladaptive ways of thinking and thereby bring about
improvement in psychiatric disorders.
·
Developed by AT Beck
Principles
Therapist attempts to change one or more of distorted ways
of thinking that characterizes the disorder
Techniques
i.
Identify the irrational ideas:
although patients can describe some of the ideas like irrational fear of an
object, or the unreasonably pessimistic ideas of a depressed patient, they are usually
unaware to others
ii.
Elicit irrational ideas through interviews,
asking the patient to keep a daily record of thoughts experienced at times
iii.
To change the irrational ideas: two kinds of
techniques are used
·
Verbal
·
Behavioral
Verbal techniques
Verbal techniques are used in two ways:
·
With guidance from the therapist in therapy
sessions
·
By the patient during every day activities
Techniques used by
the therapist
·
By giving information
·
Questioning their logical basis
·
The therapist identifies the patients illogical
ways of thinking
·
The therapist identifies the patients irrational
beliefs
Verbal techniques used by the patient during every day
activities (two types)
1.
There are
techniques intended to interrupt cognitions
Either focusing attention on the immediate environment or on
a normal mental content
A sudden sensory stimulus can be arranged; Eg. By snapping a
rubber band on the wrist, a method sometimes called thought stopping.
2.
The second kind of technique is intended to neutralize
the emotional effect of irrational thoughts
The patient repeats to himself an appropriate rational
response to the irrational thought
Eg. My heart is beating fast because I am feeling anxious,
not because I have heart disease
It is useful for the patient to carry a prompt card on which
the thoughts are written
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