1. Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy Chapter 10
by Gerald Corey
Brooks/Cole,
A division of
Cengage Learning

2. Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT)
Stresses thinking, judging, deciding, analyzing, and doing
Assumes that cognitions, emotions, and behaviors interact and have a reciprocal cause-and-effect relationship
Is highly didactic, very directive, and concerned as much with thinking as with feeling
Teaches that our emotions stem mainly from our beliefs, evaluations, interpretations, and reactions to life situations
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3. The Therapeutic Process
Therapy is seen as an educational process
Clients learn
To identify the interplay of their thoughts, feelings and behaviors
To identify and dispute irrational beliefs that are maintained by self-indoctrination
To replace ineffective ways of thinking with effective and rational cognitions
To stop absolutistic thinking, blaming, and repeating false beliefs
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4. View of Human Nature
We are born with a potential for both rational and irrational thinking
We have the biological and cultural tendency to think crookedly and to needlessly disturb ourselves
We learn and invent disturbing beliefs and keep ourselves disturbed through our self-talk
We have the capacity to change our cognitive, emotive, and behavioral processes
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5. The A-B-C Theory of Personality
activating
event B
belief C
consequence D
disputing intervention E
effective philosophy F
New feeling
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6. Irrational Ideas Irrational ideas lead to self-defeating behavior
Some examples:
“I must have love or approval from all the significant people in my life.”
“I must perform important tasks competently and perfectly.”
“If I don’t get what I want, it’s terrible, and I can’t stand it.”
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7. Application of CBT to Group Counseling
Tailored for specific diagnoses such as anxiety, panic, eating disorders and phobias
Treatments are standardized and based on empirical evidence
Use of homework allows lessons learned in group to generalize to the client’s daily environment
Help members gain awareness of how their self-defeating thoughts influence what they feel and how they behave
Heavy emphasis on psychoeducation and prevention of symptoms
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8. Aaron Beck’s Cognitive Therapy (CT)
Insight-focused therapy
Emphasizes changing negative thoughts and maladaptive beliefs
Theoretical Assumptions
People’s internal communication is accessible to introspection
Clients’ beliefs have highly personal meanings
These meanings can be discovered by the client rather than being taught or interpreted by the therapist
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9. Theory, Goals & Principles of CT
Basic theory:
To understand the nature of an emotional episode or disturbance it is essential to focus on the cognitive content of an individual’s reaction to the upsetting event or stream of thoughts
Goals:
To change the way clients think by using their automatic thoughts to reach the core schemata and begin to introduce the idea of schema restructuring
Principles:
Automatic thoughts: personalized notions that are triggered by particular stimuli that lead to emotional responses
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10. CT’s Cognitive Distortions
Arbitrary inferences
Selective abstraction
Overgeneralization
Magnification and minimization
Personalization
Labeling and mislabeling
Polarized thinking
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11. Beck’s Cognitive Triad
Pattern that triggers depression
Clients hold negative views of themselves
“I am a lousy person”
Selective Abstraction
Client interprets life events through a negative filter
“The world is a negative place where bad things are bound to happen to me”
Client holds a gloomy vision of the future
“The world is bleak and it isn’t going to improve”
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12. Donald Meichenbaum’s Cognitive Behavior Modification (CBM)
Focus:
Client’s self-verbalizations or self-statements
Premise:
As a prerequisite to behavior change, clients must notice how they think, feel, and behave, and what impact they have on others
Basic assumption:
Distressing emotions are typically the result of maladaptive thoughts
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13. Meichenbaum’s CBM Self-instructional therapy focus:
Trains clients to modify the instructions they give to themselves so that they can cope
Emphasis is on acquiring practical coping skills
Cognitive structure:
The organizing aspect of thinking, which seems to monitor and direct the choice of thoughts
The “executive processor,” which “holds the blueprints of thinking” that determine when to continue, interrupt, or change thinking
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14. Behavior Change & Coping (CBM)
3 Phases of Behavior Change
1. Self-observation
2. Starting a new internal dialogue
3. Learning new skills
Coping skills programs– Stress inoculation training (3 phase model)
1. The conceptual phase
2. Skills acquisition and rehearsal phase
3. Application and follow-through phase
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15. Limitations of Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Extensive training is required to practice CBT
Therapist may misuse power by imposing their ideas of what constitutes “rational” thinking on a client
Therapists must take special care to encourage clients to act rationally within the framework their own value system and cultural context
The strong confrontational style of Ellis’ REBT may overwhelm some clients
Some clinicians think CBT interventions overlook the value of exploring a client’s past experiences
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