COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy



Cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy (cognitive-behavioural therapy or, CBT) are a group of treatment of mental disorders (phobias , addiction , psychosis , depression , anxiety ...) who share an approach in which the therapy must be based on knowledge, derived of scientific psychology and obey protocols relatively standardized whose validity is said to be based on evidence . Standardizing the practice of CBT has contributed to the recognition of their effectiveness by their reproducibility is a requirement of the scientific process.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on thoughts and behaviours that affect our well-being and have an impact on our management of stress and difficult situations. The goal of cognitive behavioural therapy is to develop ways of thinking and behaving in a way that promotes a better mood and self-esteem and an enhanced quality of life (Robertson, 2010).

Cognitive behavioural therapy is:

Based on research. The techniques are tested empirically and proven effectiveness. We know, for example, from research that the interceptive sensations are effective in treating panic disorder.

Oriented goals. There is a sense of direction and accomplishment. In some cases, the goal may be a reduction in symptoms (intensity and / or frequency). In other cases, the goal may be to have the confidence necessary to face the fears, or develop better skills and habits.

Focusing on the present. Emphasis is placed on factors that maintain problematic. The principle is that if these factors are identified and changed, the problem can be solved. The history is relevant if it helps to understand the current problem, but is not the focus of therapy (e.g. social anxiety involves thoughts to be changed regardless of their origin) (McCullough, 2003).

Collaborative. The client and the psychologist working in teams to solve specific problems or themes.

Increasingly widely recognized and practiced, the cognitive and behavioural therapies provide health professionals with effective and validated tools in the treatment of many ailments. Based on a scientific experiment, they attach themselves to a rigorous evaluation of their methods and their results. Their information is very broad and covers almost the entire field of mental pathology. They are adapted on adult, child, adolescent and elders. More than the techniques they employ, they share a common theoretical support i.e. theories of learning and model of information processing (Beck, 2009).

Cognitive and behavioural therapies are distinguished by psychotherapy and other selected characteristics:

the therapeutic relationship is a particular style with a behavioural therapist: interactive and friendly dialogue;

the emphasis is on the current causes of behaviour-problem rather than on the unconscious causes;

change in the short term and sustainable behaviour is considered a major criterion for the success of therapy;

processing procedures are described objectively and are replicable by other therapists for patients with similar problems;

The behavioural therapist adopts a new style that is especially appreciated by patients.

This style is very different from the old image of "psychiatrist", i.e. classic, cold, distant, often silent or otherwise engaged in an esoteric language.

The therapist adopts a behavioural style:

Interactive: during a meeting, he explains, asks ...