Assignment: Cognitive Behavioral Theories

Assignment: Discuss Cognitive Behavioral Theories

Introduction

Has another driver ever cut you off in traffic? Have you watched as someone stepped in front of you in a line at a grocery store? When situations like these arise, you likely experience emotions of irritation and even anger, if only for an instant. If you consider your thoughts immediately after such an event, they might be similar to the following: “How dare that person do that to me! They don’t care about anyone else but themselves. They want to get ahead at the expense of everyone else.”

However, how would your feelings change if you knew this person had just been notified of a family emergency? Furthermore, what if you accepted the fact that you cannot control the person’s actions, only your response? How might your thoughts change—and how might these changed thoughts affect your emotions?

Cognitive and behavioral counselors focus on the role that cognition plays in changing or adapting behaviors. Similar to the above, counselors employing this approach prompt clients to examine their thought processes in efforts to change unwanted behaviors or reactions. Behavioral and cognitive theorists believe that behavior modification can be reached if first a client can identify how his or her cognition and logic influences everyday situations.

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This week, you explore the key components of cognitive and behavioral theories (CBT). In addition, you propose CBT interventions that would help Deidre, your case study client.

Students will:

·         Contextualize theoretical approaches

·         Analyze theoretical approaches to help clients meet goals

·         Apply concepts related to cognitive and behavioral theories

Cognitive-Behavioral Theories
Chapter Summary

Cognitive-behavioral theories are best conceptualized as a general category of theories, or a set of related theories, which have evolved from the theoretical writings, clinical experiences, and empirical studies of behavioral and cognitively oriented psychologists. There is no single definition of cognitive-behavioral theory. The individual theories are tied together by common assumptions, techniques and research strategies, but maintain a diversity of views about the role cognitions play in behavior change. The hyphenated term “cognitive-behavioral” reflects the importance of both behavioral and cognitive approaches to understanding and helping human beings. The hyphen brings together behavioral and cognitive theoretical views, each with its own theoretical assumptions and intervention strategies.

Cognitive-behavioral interventions target both cognitive and behavioral problems using a full integration of cognitive and behavioral strategies. Cognitive-behavioral research is based on observed changes in behavior and cognition with methodological rigor. Cognitive-behavioral theories provide great flexibility in treatment targets and interventions, sharing a fundamental emphasis on the importance of cognitive workings and private events as mediators of behavior change. Behavioral assessment, operating in the “triple response mode”, provides a conceptual model of the functional relationships between thoughts, behaviors, and feelings and provides the necessary background for clinicians and researchers to implement and evaluate intervention strategies. Cognitive-behavioral theories and counseling interventions are currently highly influential. There are many different cognitive-behavioral intervention techniques and the number is likely to grow as the theories continue to be developed and tested for effectiveness with a variety of psychological problems.