Treatment Approaches II Lecture Notes PDF

TREATMENT APPROACHES II Lakshani Jayasinha  Cognitive response to events (not the events themselves) determines our emotions COGNITIVE Mental health problems are a consequence of faulty or APPROACH irrational thinking. Founders of Co...

TREATMENT APPROACHES II Lakshani Jayasinha  Cognitive response to events (not the events themselves) determines our emotions COGNITIVE Mental health problems are a consequence of faulty or APPROACH irrational thinking. Founders of Cognitive Therapy - Albert Ellis and Aron Beck  Cognitive therapy aims to identify incorrect or distorted beliefs that are contributing to disorder. COGNITIVE Therapist helps the patient to develop new, healthier ways of thinking about themselves and about the others THERAPY around them. Changing thoughts will change emotions, and the new emotions will then influence behavior. The goal of cognitive therapy is not necessarily to get people to think more positively but rather to think more accurately.  COGNITIVE THERAPY ▪Psychiatrist Aron Beck ▪Observed that people who were depressed generally had a large number of negative thoughts ▪Beck referred to the thoughts that drive negative emotions as automatic negative assumptions. ▪They come to mind automatically as the individual’s first response to a particular situation and without logic or grounding in reality. ▪They are unchallenged and taken as true. ▪His goal was to develop a short-term therapy for depression that would modify these unproductive thoughts. ▪Focused on guiding the client to test/challenge his or her beliefs against concrete evidence. ▪EG: If a client claims that “everybody at work is out to get me,” the therapist might ask the client to provide instances to support the claim. ▪At the same time the therapist might point out contrary evidence RATIONAL EMOTIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY Psychologist Albert Ellis ➔ Developed Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) or Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) Focus on pointing out the flaws in the patient’s thinking.  He noticed that people experiencing strong negative emotions tend to personalize and overgeneralize their beliefs, leading to an inability to see situations accurately Therapy should aim to Challenge these irrational thought patterns Help to replace the irrational thoughts with more rational ones Develop more appropriate emotional reactions and behaviors.  Emotional disorders result from misinterpretations of environmental events. Thoughts impact directly on our mood, our behavior and our physiological state. Ellis referred to this process as the A-B-C theory ▪A refers to an activating event: something that triggers off an emotional response. ▪C is the emotional or behavioral reaction to that event. ▪B refers to the intervening cognitive processing, the individual’s beliefs about the event that always occur between A and C. ECLECTIC APPROACH The most commonly practiced approach to therapy is an eclectic therapy An approach to treatment in which the therapist uses whichever techniques seem most useful and relevant for a given patient.  ▪Systematic procedures based on cognitive and behavioral principles. COGNITIVE ▪Based on the idea that there is a link among our thoughts, our feelings, and our behavior BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT) ▪EG: Negative thoughts (“I am doing poorly in my chemistry class”) lead to negative feelings (“I feel hopeless and sad”), which then contribute to negative behaviors (lethargy, lack of interest, lack of studying).  It is usually short term.  It maintains both cognitive and behavioral component.  Therapy focuses on the here-and-now, although exploration of cognitive schemata may require some investigation of past events.  It is directive: the therapist is active in identifying cognitive errors and helping the client change them. ▪Some CBT may be primarily behavioral in orientation ➔ Based on principles of learning ▪Others are more cognitive ➔ focused on changing negative thoughts related to the disorder. ▪Used with a variety of problems, including mood, anxiety, personality, eating, substance abuse, attention-deficit, and psychotic disorders. ▪Treats the symptoms of the disorder (the behaviours or the cognitions) ▪Does not attempt to address the underlying issues that cause the problem. ▪The negative behaviors may reinforce the negative thoughts and the cycle repeats ▪EG Panic disorder >>> patient may misinterpret his or her feelings of anxiety as a sign of an impending physical or mental catastrophe (such as a heart attack) ➔ Avoidance of a particular place or social situation. ▪Avoiding the situation (behavior) reinforces the negative thoughts. ▪The thoughts, feelings, and behavior amplify and distort each other.  GOAL ➔ to stop the cycle by intervening to change cognition or behavior. Client need to take responsibility for his or her own treatment. Usually lasts between 10 and 20 sessions. HUMANISTIC APPROACH CLIENT CENTERED THERAPY ▪Developedin reaction to the more "clinical," less individualized therapy that predominated the field in the 1940s and 1950s. ▪Developed by psychologist Carl Rogers ▪It is a non-directive talk therapy ▪ Therapist provides a supportive and non-judgmental environment where the client can explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences without fear of criticism or evaluation. THERE ARE THREE KEY QUALITIES IN PCT TO HELP CREATE A SAFE SPACE FOR THE CLIENT TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES FREELY Unconditional Positive Regard: The therapist needs to accept the client for who they are and provide support and care no matter what they are going through. Genuineness: Therapist's ability to be authentic, open, and transparent in their interactions with the client Empathetic Understanding: Therapist's ability to understand and share the client's feelings, thoughts, and experiences from their perspective ▪ The therapist does not provide advice or interpretations ▪Instead focuses on understanding the client's perspective and helping them gain insight into their own feelings and behaviors. ▪It is based on the belief that individuals have the capacity for self- actualization and personal growth when given the right conditions. ▪By fostering a therapeutic relationship built on trust and acceptance, clients can develop a greater sense of self-awareness, self-acceptance, and personal empowerment. ▪Overall, client-centered therapy places the client at the center of the therapeutic process, empowering them to explore their own thoughts and emotions, make their own decisions, and work towards personal growth and self-fulfillment.