Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) Becks Cognitive Therapy (CT) Meichenbaums Cognitive Behavior Modification (CBM)

From Behavior Theory Comes

Albert Ellis REBT Aaron T. Becks CT Donald Meichenbaums CBT These are the more prominent
cognitive behavioral approaches, however, there are over 20 therapies that are considered cognitive or cognitive behavioral

History of REBT
Developed by Albert Ellis (1955) Incorporated cognition, emotion, and
behavior into techniques Maintains that cognition governs emotions, feelings (i.e., We feel what we think) Considered active-directive therapeutic process that focuses on client empowerment and education Goal is to get clients to feel and think more positively, thus attaining their personal goals

History of CT
Developed by Aaron Beck Clients misinterpret certain life

situations, which leads to cognitive distortions or logical errors Logical errors lead to emotional difficulties by distorting reality to validate previously held negative beliefs

History of CBM
Developed by Donald Meichenbaum Focus on changing clients self-

verbalizations In order to change, clients must listen to their self-speak and notice how they think, feel, and behave

Basic Principles
REBT
A-B-C-D-E-F model

CT
Logical errors lead to emotional difficulties

CBM
Clients must become aware of how they think, feel, and behave and how this impacts others around them

Irrational beliefs

Faulty thinking, incorrect negative scripts impact inferences, fantasy vs. reality behavior

Thoughts are characterized byArbitrary inferences, selective Musts, Shoulds, and Oughts abstraction, overgeneralization, magnification/minimalization, perosnalization, (mis)labeling, polarized thinking

Role of Therapist
REBT CT CBM

Therapist as teacher is Therapist collaborates Therapist as teacher directive, with client to help them confrontational, discover validity of persuasive. cognitions (collaborative empiricism). Therapeutic relationship Emphasis is on a Working relationship is not as necessary (too therapeutic relationship much babying leads to dependence on therapist)

Therapeutic Process
REBT CT CBM
Self-instructional training that focuses on helping clients become aware of self-talk Help clients identify irrational Clients take an active role in oughts, shoulds, musts therapy

Help client understand their Client and therapist role in maintaining irrational collaborate to form testable beliefs and help clients modifyhypotheses and design thinking experiments to test hypotheses

Clients are taught to make positive self-statements and modify self-instruction in order to cope with stress

Challenge clients to develop rational thinking

Client is encouraged to selfdiscover faulty thinking and behavior

Cognitive restructuring 1. Self-observation 2. New internal dialogue 3. New skills

Significant Contributions
REBT
Value in confronting self-destructive ideas and beliefs

CT

CBM

Highly successful with Focus on stress depressed and patients inoculation training and self-instruction training with anxiety disorder
successful with variety of populations w/ specific problems

Putting insight into action through homework

Teaches client to be their own therapist

Provides a structured, active, and focused approach to explore clients inner world Techniques from various theories can be integrated

Demystifies therapeutic process by teaching client through a working relationship w/ client

Limitations of CognitiveBehavioral Therapy

Cultural considerations
Theory is Eurocentric in that it relies heavily on logic as defined by Western principles If a client comes from a culture that does not encourage direct confrontation If a clients culture focuses on being rather than thinking ???