Counseling: Cognitive-behavioral Therapists Essay

Despite the general acknowledgement that it is important for counseling and psychotherapy practice to be informed by look into, it is clear that in juvenile years a widening gap has emerged between seek and practice. This piece of music briefly reviews some of the factors responsible for the current crisis in therapy research and offers a number of reasons why a healthy relationship between research and practice is necessary.It is suggested that, at present, there exists within psychology and brotherly learning a level of acceptance of pluralistic and innovative draw closees to research, which may make haste the emergence of a new genre of practitioner-oriented inquiry in the line of business of counseling and psychotherapy. Some of the ways in which Counseling and Psychotherapy interrogation intends to contri thate to this movement atomic number 18 described, for example the promotion of new forms of writing, usage of information technology, and the creation of knowledge communities.While it might seem to be the case, express- footingd psychotherapy is non new. The term evidence- tie-upd can be defined 2 ways an approach to therapy emphasizes the pursuit of evidence on which to base its speculation and techniques, as puff up as encourages its long-suffering roles or clients to consider evidence in the beginning taking action or an approach to therapy is supported by research findings, and those findings provide evidence that it is effective. Each approach to psychotherapy is based on the self-reliance that it is constitute in terms of its explanation of human behavior.Therefore, practitioners of individually approach believe that they have evidence that their approach is correct, or they would not waste their time practicing that approach. However, cognitive-behavioural therapists seek to acquire evidence to determine the verity of their theories and effectuality of their techniques. For example, cognitive-behavioral therapists believe th at their explanation of human behavior (that learned behaviors and emotions atomic number 18 dod by ones thoughts) is correct.Rather than assuming that their theory is correct, they base this assumption on psychosomatic research that in fact proves that the assumption is indeed correct. Cognitive-behavioral therapists take into the therapy session this interest in gathering evidence and assessing it. Cognitive-behavioral therapists ask questions to obtain a clear, accurate picture of the clients experience. Cognitive-behavioral therapists also look for evidence in relation to their clients thoughts, and encourage clients to base thinking on the FACTS (the evidence).Therefore, cognitive-behavioral therapy has always been evidence-based and will continue to be so whether or not there is an emphasis by managed-care or governmental agencies to be so. Many approaches to psychotherapy do not lend themselves well to being researched and proven effective because they either utilize techn iques that are isolated and difficult to repeat with consistency, or the approach attracts practitioners that are not precise interest in testing the effectiveness of it.Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most researched psychotherapeutic approach because each cognitive-behavioral approach has specific techniques that can be tested for effectiveness Cognitive-behavioral therapy encourages the development of specific goals that are measurable, and, therefore, can be researched cognitive-behavioral therapists (to varying degrees) are interested in the research and research process cognitive-behavioral therapists are not interested in techniques that feel right or seem correct, but techniques that are effective (Pucci, 2005). Cognitive-Behavioral TherapyCognitive-behavioral therapy is an action-oriented form of psychosocial therapy that assumes that maladaptive, or faulty, thinking blueprints cause maladaptive behavior and negative emotions. (Maladaptive behavior is behavior that is counter-productive or interferes with quotidian living. ) The interference focuses on changing an individuals thoughts (cognitive patterns) in coordinate to transform his or her behavior and emotional state. Theoretically, cognitive-behavioral therapy can be employed in any situation in which there is a pattern of unwanted behavior accompanied by distress and impairment.It is a recommended treatment option for a number of mental disorders, including affective (mood) disorders, personality disorders, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, substance abuse, anxiety or threat disorder, agoraphobia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is also frequently used as a tool to deal with chronic pain for unhurrieds with illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, back problems, and cancer. Patients with sleep disorders may also find cognitive-behavioral therapy a useful treatment for insomnia.Cognitiv e-behavioral therapy combines the individual goals of cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy. Pioneered by psychologists Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis in the 1960s, cognitive therapy assumes that maladaptive behaviors and disturbed mood or emotions are the topic of inappropriate or irrational thinking patterns, called automatic thoughts. Instead of reacting to the universe of a situation, an individual reacts to his or her own distorted viewpoint of the situation. For example, a person may conclude that he is worthless simply because he failed an exam or did not get a date.Cognitive therapists set about to make their patients aware of these distorted thinking patterns, or cognitive distortions, and change them (a process termed cognitive restructuring). Behavioral therapy, or behavior modification, trains individuals to replace unenviable behaviors with healthier behavioral patterns. Unlike psychodynamic therapies, it does not focus on breakthrough or understanding the unconsci ous motivations that may be behind the maladaptive behavior. In other words, strictly behavioral therapists do not reach to find out why their patients behave the way they do, they just school them to change the behavior.Cognitive-behavioral therapy integrates the cognitive restructuring approach of cognitive therapy with the behavioral modification techniques of behavioral therapy. The therapist works with the patient to identify both the thoughts and the behaviors that are do distress, and to change those thoughts in order to readjust the behavior. In some cases, the patient may have certain fundamental core beliefs, called schemas, which are blemish and require modification. For example, a patient suffering from depression may be avoiding social contact with others, and suffering considerable emotional distress because of his isolation.When questioned why, the patient reveals to his therapist that he is afraid of rejection, of what others may do or express to him. Upon furth er exploration with his therapist, they discover that his real fear is not rejection, but the belief that he is hopelessly un provoke and unlovable. His therapist then tests the earthly concern of that assertion by having the patient name friends and family who love him and enjoy his company. By showing the patient that others value him, the therapist both exposes the irrationality of the patients belief and provides him with a new model of thought to change his old behavior pattern.In this case, the person learns to think, I am an interesting and lovable person therefore I should not have clog making new friends in social situations. If enough irrational cognitions are changed, this patient may experience considerable relief from his depression (Ellis, 2008) A Cautionary Statement About Psychotherapy Outcome Research approximately psychotherapy outcome research is focused on short-term decrease of symptoms, and this is the reason why many studies find that cognitive-behavioral therapy is as effective as antidepressants in the treatment of depression.This has been a pretty consistent finding. However, cognitive-behavioral therapy is focused on getting give away rather than feeling better. So spot we are encouraged that clients improve their symptoms with cognitive-behavioral therapy, we are more interested in helping them with the underlying thoughts and core beliefs that caused their emotional distress, helping them rid themselves of problematic, inaccurate thoughts, and replacing them with thoughts that are healthy and accurate. This emphasis on getting better helps clients to do well long-term.Today, many treatment centers and facilities are very interested in having their staff trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy (Pucci, 2005). Christian Faith in Clinical Practice Use of Religious and Spiritual Resources in Therapy (e. g. , prayer, sexual healing prayer, use of Scripture in therapy, referral to religious groups, etc. ) dealing with Spiritual I ssues in Therapy Fostering Intrapersonal Integration and the Development of Spirituality in the Therapist and Client (Use of Spiritual Disciplines and Role of Authentic Disciplines or particular Spiritual Disciplines) Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) that combines mindfulness training with CBT for the treatment of depression and its retort Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with four study components regulating affect, tolerating distress, improving social relationships, and training in mindfulness Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with six major components acceptance, cognitive diffusion, being present, self as context with a transcendent sense of self, values, and committed action Ethical Guidelines.