CBT outline and evaluate

The aim of CBT is to replace  irrational thought processes with rational ones, thus helping patients’ process information on a more logic level.   

There are main features of CBT, introduced by Beck and Weishaar:

Cognitive therapy consists of highly specific learning experiences designed to teach patients:

1) To monitor their negative automatic thoughts

2) To recognise the connections between cognitions, effect and behaviour

3) To examine the evidence for and against distorted automatic thoughts.

4) To substitute more reality- orientated interpretations for these biased conditions.

5) To learn to identify and alter beliefs that predispose them to distort their experiences. 

The CBT approach believes that thoughts, behaviours and feelings are all related so should all be treated. 

Thought catching

As homework, they might be asked to keep a thought diary to record any emotion-arousing events and the negative thoughts. 

general rationale of therapy – to challenge negative thought/negative triad • identification of negative thoughts – ‘thought catching’
• hypothesis testing; patient as ‘scientist’
• data gathering through ‘homework’, eg diary keeping

• reinforcement of positive thoughts; cognitive restructuring • rational confrontation as in Ellis’s REBT. 

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The goal of CBT

The goal of CBT involves cognitive and behavioural aims and is to replace irrational thought processes with rational ones, thus helping patients’ process information on a more logic level.   

1. Included on the cognitive side, is to identify the faulty schemas. Individuals do this by talking to the therapist and showing that they are willing to express themselves. As well as this, they need to do homework, such as keeping a diary of negative thoughts and to record any emotion-arousing events. This also involves thought catching, where when the individual starts to think negative thoughts, they are to psychically yell STOP.

2. After identifying the faulty schemas, the individual needs to correct these faulty schemas, by discussing options with the therapist. By testing their 'homework' they need to think of better options and challenge these negative thoughts. Testing can include, counting how many times someone smiled at them during the day, compared to how many times someone frowned. The aim is to disassociate the faulty schemas and put them into reality.  

3.…