Cognitive Group Therapy

1294 Words3 Pages

Cognitive therapy is one of the few theories that have been extensively scientifically tested and found to be highly effective in over 300 clinical trials. It focuses on the immediate or automatic thoughts the client has and how these thoughts affect their feelings and behaviors. The goal of cognitive therapy is to identify these thoughts that are poorly affecting the client. Then teach the client how to identify these automatic thoughts and how they can effectively change them. Through the very structured sessions of cognitive therapy, a client should essentially learn the tools to be their own cognitive therapist for future problems they may encounter. The therapy session will not make them an expert but they will be better prepared to identify distorted automatic thoughts and make the changes in their thinking to cope with the situations they encounter.

Cognitive therapists believe that automatic thoughts influence how a client feels and behaves in different situations. These automatic thoughts are indicators of schemas or core beliefs the client has. Schemas are how clients think and view their world, people, events, and environment that surrounds them. Schemas are believed to develop in early childhood experiences. During this time, depending on the experience, a child will develop a basic belief, positive or negative, about themselves and/or their world. These basic beliefs are then later backed up by critical incidents or traumatic experiences. As the client gets older and enters adulthood these schemas generate automatic thoughts when they are faced with a situation. These automatic thoughts then contribute to how they feel, behave, and physiologically respond. Early maladaptive schemas are beliefs that clients assume t...

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... ahead of time to the group then it may also lessen the anxiety of participants because they will know what to expect. It also seems very effective for group therapy because it is focused on problem solving and educating the participants. It is focused on the present more than the past. The interviews and assessment tools can also be very useful in pre-screening for the group.

Works Cited

Garamoni, G. (2009). Frequently asked questions about cognitive therapy. Retrieved from

http://www.drgaramoni.com/faqs_cognitive_therapy.html

Miranda, J, & Munoz, R. (2000). Group therapy manual for cognitive-behavioral treatment of

depression. Retrieved from http://epsy.tamu.edu/..%20Group%20Counseling

/CBGT%20Depression.pdf

Sharf, R. S. (2008) Theories of Psychotherapy and Counseling: Concepts and Cases.

Psychoanalysis (pp. 25-74). Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning

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