Cognitive Therapy was developed by Aaron Beck in the 1970s. It is one of the most influential and empirically validated approaches to psychotherapy. Cognitive therapy is an insight-focused therapy that emphasizes recognizing and changing maladaptive thoughts and beliefs. The basic rationale is that the way we feel and behave is determined by how we perceive and interpret events and situations.
It is a directive, time-limited, present-centered therapy. On an average the number of sessions that are required could range from 10-15 sessions.
The methods used include:
- examination and evaluation of cognitive distortions, systematic errors in thinking
- testing automatic thoughts against reality
- engaging in a Socratic dialogue
- carrying out home-work assignments
- keeping a record of activities
- reality testing of one's assumptions
In dealing with the client's problem, cognitive therapists share a collaborative relationship with the client. The therapists encourage clients to take an active role in the therapy process. There is an emphasis on doing home work exercises which will help the client to try out and test the efficacy of the techniques of cognitive therapy outside the counselling sessions in daily-life situations.
Cognitive therapists aim to teach their clients how to be their own therapists and thus finally to be self-reliant at the end of the counselling process.
Cognitive therapy has been found to be very effective for all ages and for a variety of problems. Typically, a person experiences fairly rapid relief and maintains enduring results.
Copyright © 2007 Dr Vinaya Prabha Baligar,. All Rights Reserved