Reflection And Application

Reflection and Application Paper 1
In numerous textbooks and journal articles it is asserted that building a strong therapeutic alliance is the cornerstone of counseling. Answering questions about the therapeutic process, setting expectations, and defining the theoretical approach to be utilized are three methods used to build the aforementioned therapeutic alliance which is exactly what Beck and Beck do in chapter one. The authors begin by informing the reader what cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is, its underlying theory and basic principles, and data that substantiates CBT as a formidable modality for numerous psychopathologies. Because one facet of therapy is teaching the client to eventually become their own therapist a discernible correlation exists with the manner in which the authors present the introduction to CBT and its readers becoming a cognitive behavior therapist.

Beck’s original hypothesis about depression and inward turned hostility turned out to be invalid. This type of information, that is, negative but honest, fosters credibility for CBT in that it shows thorough testing of its theoretical concept and perseverance to find an effective use for it clinically. Later in chapter one Beck and Beck address the most likely question on every new counselors-in-training mind: What is a therapy session like? A brief description is provided for the beginning, middle, and ending parts of a session so that the reader may have an idea of what to expect. Next, the authors provide an overview of how to develop expertise as a cognitive behavior therapist which can be best defined as “keeping your goals small, well-defined, and realistic” (Beck & Beck, 2011, p.