Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Theory

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Address the key assumptions and definitions of the theory. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is a type of psychotherapy founded by Aaron T. Beck. It is a type of talk-therapy that is done with a therapist and a client, or in group therapy. A key assumption of CBT is this cause and effect relationship between thoughts and behavior. It focuses on the interrelated relationships between thoughts, feelings and behavior. While looking at the idea that these are interrelated a key assumption is that changes in thought patterns will affect thoughts and moods. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is used to treat children, adolescents and the elderly. It is most effective in helping conditions like depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders. The goal of this therapy is to control and change distorted perceptions and create accurate perceptions of self, others and events for a client. In CBT a patient gains skills to cope with their thoughts so that they can change their behavior in a positive way. CBT therapy usually lasts 14-16 weeks, but it depends on the patient and their needs and availability. The goal of this type of therapy is realism where a patient needs to be able to …show more content…

One aspect that I think are less effective about this theory is that it seems like it will take a long time for it to be effective. Changing thought patterns and behavior takes a lot of effort and it may be hard to work with people with depression and other mental illnesses who are not motivated or unwilling to try or reach out for help. I think especially with people dealing with substance abuse there is a lot of denial before getting help so this therapy doesn’t take into account how long the denial phase will last. CBT can also assist people with confronting their fears which can be really difficult and be hard for people but although it’s hard for a while it will pay off in the long

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