Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Explanations of Abnormal Behaviour

Cognitive psychology argues that psychological illness, such as depression, is the result of dysfunctional thought processess

Cognitive Triad

• Beliefs about self
• Beliefs about the world around us
• Beliefs about the future

Irrational (and therefore illogical) Thought Processes

• Where you automatically believe something, normally negative e.g. someone shoves you on the shoulder and you think it is on purpose
• Hostile attribution bias - assumption that everything happens for a negative reason

CBT

The aim of CBT is to change the negative thought processes

• Cognitive element

Identifying the negative thoughts responsible

• Behaviourist element

These negative thoughts can be unlearned 

3 parts of 'CBT'

Dysfunctional Thought Diary

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