1. Understanding Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Psychotherapy
Understanding Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

2. Cognitive Therapy
An insight therapy, emphasizing and changing negative and maladaptive beliefs/thoughts
Quick Therapy (4-20 sessions)
Two “Versions”

3. Cognitive Therapy operates under these assumptions:
Hypothesis w/RET is that emotions stem mainly from beliefs, evaluations, interpretations, and reactions to life situations.
Therapy is to identify and change irrational beliefs
Main Idea:
Interpretations are the problem, not the event

4. Psychotherapy COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR Beck’s Experiential Approach Ellis’
Rational Emotive
Therapy

5. Cognitive Therapy: Experiential Approach
Where the therapist acts as an advisor, helping the client to discover their own faulty beliefs
Aaron Beck

6. Cognitive Therapy: Experiential Approach
Identifies faulty beliefs
Treated as a hypothesis put to a test via recognizing where thoughts are awry
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7. Cognitive Therapy: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (RET)
The goal is to provide clients with the tools to restructure their philosophic and behavioral styles
Albert Ellis

8. Cognitive Therapy: Rational Emotive Therapy
Activating Event
Belief
Consequence
(Emotional & Behavioral)
Dispute
Effective Philosophy
New Feeling

9. RET Steps Identify irrational thoughts
Therapist disputes irrational thoughts
Actively teach client rational thoughts
Changes in behavior come through behavioral techniques

10. Psychotherapy COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR Exposure/ Flooding Aversion Therapy
Systematic
Desensitization

11. Systematic Desensitization
Build Anxiety Hierarchy
Deep Relaxation
Work Through Hierarchy
“counter-conditioning”

12. Exposure/Flooding
Anxiety reduction technique that keeps people in a feared and harmless situation without escaping

13. Aversion Therapy
An aversive stimulus is paired with a punishing response