Cognitive Therapy

Beck and his theories of cognitive therapy seem to provide a good balance between the amount of direction and authority the client and therapist each have. I like that Beck does provide direction and insight, but in a way that does not make him seem like he is just dictating a diagnosis. Beck discusses what he thinks is going on with the client and explains what he thinks and why. The idea of collaborative empiricism is one that empowers the client to go out into his or her world and test his or her biases, but this is also done with the help of the therapist who can guide the process.

I believe that cognitions are very important to examine in the therapy process and that they cannot be separated from emotions and actions. We feel a certain way based on what we are thinking, based on what we have done. Also we do certain things based on what we are feeling and thinking. We think certain things because of what we are feeling, and we feel a certain way because of what we are thinking. My point here is that everything ties together to form the overall experience of the client. I think that I would want to look at all three, but I also agree with Beck that it is important and necessary to change ones schema if it is systematically biased.

It is easy for a client who is having a problem to distort reality and I agree that this is what causes many problems in the way people feel and how they think about themselves. In terms of Beck and depression, I think that the BDI is a perfect way to measure depression and also to show a client what depression is. For example, I may sometimes say and also hear my friends say, "I'm depressed." We use the term so loosely just because we are down about one thing, and usually all that is affecting is our mood right then. Reading the BDI in class made me realize how serious and severe actual depression is. Once someone starts having depressed feelings, I can see how easy it might be to just distort everything to the point where one feels completely worthless and hopeless. Therefore I think that working the change someone's schema would be very helpful in a case of depression.