Cognitive Behaviour Therapies (CBT)

• Cognitive Behaviour Therapies (CBT) focus on the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Core Principles I

• CBT assumes internal cognitive processes mediate behavior change.
• A person's behavior is shaped by their interpretation of a situation, not just the event itself.
• Cognitions, behaviors, and emotions are interrelated, forming a complete and interconnected cycle.

Core Principles II

• CBT derives from basic behavioral and cognitive principles.
• Behaviorism is shaped by learning theory, including classical conditioning (Pavlov), operant conditioning (B.F. Skinner), and social learning/modeling (Bandura).

Core Principles III

• Dissatisfaction with rigid behaviorism in the 1960s led to new developments in CBT.
• Development of information processing models of cognition, research showing that anxiety is mediated by thoughts.
• Aaron Beck emphasized the importance of early thought patterns, schemata, and logical errors in thinking while problems arise when thinking style is too rigid.
• Contradictions between critical incidents and beliefs can cause problems, for example, worth, success or redundancy.
• The thought-behavior-feeling cycle involves a trigger, thought, and subsequent behavior. For example, seeing an Alsatian triggers the thought "It will bite", resulting in a specific behavior.
• Anxiety can be triggered by situations such as crossing the road resulting in phobic feelings.
• Feelings such as dry mouth, heart palpitations, and sweating are tied to the cycle.

Therapeutic Goals of CBT

• Collaborative modification of negative and or irrational thoughts to develop more adaptive thinking.
• This process shapes behaviors positively, with a focus on the "here-and-now" rather than developmental history.

Cognitive Techniques

• Education involves detailed explanation and discussion of the cognitive model.
• Monitoring of thoughts, behaviors, and feelings in context helps develop awareness of their interrelationship.
• Examining and challenging negative thoughts is achieved through questioning and rationalization.
• Re-appraisal of situations is cognitive restricting.
• Cognitive rehearsal involves the use of coping strategies for difficult situations.

Behavioral Techniques

• Graded exposure to feared situations is achieved through systematic desensitization.
• Target setting and activity scheduling aids progress.
• Reinforcement and reward help with motivation.
• Behavioral experiments test beliefs and outcomes.
• Role play/modeling can teach alternative behaviours and reactions.

CBT Applications

• CBT is applied in: depression, anxiety states (phobias/OCD/GAD), eating disorders, hypochondriasis, psychotic symptoms, and sexual dysfunction

Evidence of Efficacy

• CBT is well-documented and effective for depression particularly non-psychotic, and as effective as medication, with a lower relapse rate after 4 years.
• CBT is superior to supportive therapy and drugs for panic disorder, relaxation, and agoraphobia for anxiety disorders.
• CBT demonstrates some effectiveness for eating disorders, though anorexia can be more resistant to CBT approaches, with clearer benefits for bulimia.

Explore the core principles of Cognitive Behaviour Therapies (CBT), focusing on the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. CBT assumes internal cognitive processes mediate behavior change, where a person's behavior is shaped by their interpretation of a situation. Cognitions, behaviors, and emotions are interrelated, forming a complete and interconnected cycle.