Cbt Approach In Counselling
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the effective, and empirical proven therapies in counselling, mentoring, and coaching (Connor, & Pokora, 2017, p.111-112; Dobson, & Dozois, 2001, p.10-11). CBT approach states that individual’s attitudes, feelings, and thoughts are connected and influence each other. Individuals’ defeating, self-limited thoughts, and interpretations of specific event or the world around them, produce grief and have a negative influence on their doings (McLeod, 2013, p.141). In CBT approaches, counsellor/coach/mentor try to make the client aware of their tendencies for thinking this way. They help with finding alternative thoughts, and teach the client some techniques on how to cope with their automatic, distorted
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thoughts e.g. relaxation, self-control (Dobson, & Dozois, 2001, p.12-15). After learning the coping techniques, the next step is to utilize them in real-life situations, while monitoring everything and making relations to the therapist/coach/mentor. Thus, cognitive-behavioral psychologists believe that client can solve their issue from the given therapy and gain something from it, so if the issue comes back, they have some skills and knowledge to handle with it by themselves (Dobson, & Dozois, 2001, p.27). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy highlights the realistic thinking by acknowledgment, that the world is full of prospects and possibilities, and that sometimes things do not work out (Neenan, 2008). CBT strongly rely on scientific elements like experimenting as well. For example, if the client has problem with talking in front of people, the therapist gives them ‘homework’, such as small talks in front of 2-3 people. However, sometimes, during the monitoring process, client’s reports were incorrect and became modulate to hide unwanted truth or to avoid client’s potential feelings of embarrassment due to unproductive results (McLeod, 2013, p.157; Dobson, & Dozois, 2001, p.4, 23). CBT is mainly about self-work and the use of coping strategies in real life situations. There is a probability that the client will not complete the given ‘homework’ and counsellor/coach/mentor should be aware of this possibility, hence not become discouraged and frustrated by it (McLeod, 2013, p.159). Also, CBT tends to focus mainly on the client’s act to change their behavior, rather than getting too deep into the patient’s insight (McLeod, 2013, p.150). CBT approaches adhere to the principle that the client is the controller of their life, thus they are the cause of their misery and vice versa, they can change and control their calamities (Dobson, & Dozois, 2001, p.26). Therefore, they need just some directions and therapeutic strategies to cope with the problem. Cognitive-behavioral approaches are used for concrete problem, and at first it could be a limitation for many, but by using set of checked data about this particular issue, the client can be provided with strategies, which are mainly chosen for this disorder or problem and examine by that their effectiveness. At the end, it helps with arranging top effective healing treatment for the client. Additionally, it expanses the data of these techniques, and increase knowledge about them, and their accurateness for better use in the future (Dobson, & Dozois, 2001, p.26).
CBT in coaching pays attention mostly on changing the negative interpretations to achieve the client’s full potential in particular performance, therefore the specific issue is related with that specific performance, whereas counselling focuses more on the general distressing thoughts e.g. in depression. In mentoring, coping strategies are mainly provided by mentors who could have faced the same problem, and from their own experiences, recommend the most effective technique (McLeod, 2013, p.133-167; Connor, & Pokora, 2017, p.111-112; Neenan, 2008).
Another therapy used in counselling, coaching, and mentoring is Narrative Approach, which has some similarities to CBT.
In both cases, counselor/coach/mentor first listen to the client’s story of problematic event(s), their interpretation(s) of these stories and tries to find information about the problem and re-interpreted it. Also, through personal stories, the client can understand their feelings, beliefs, and attitudes better, and engage in that problem through cooperative relationship with counsellor/coach/mentor. In both approaches the client is perceived as an ‘expert’ of their life and the one who can ‘re-write’ it (McLeod, 2013, p.253-266; Cox, Bachkirova, & Clutterbuck, 2014, p.117-130). However, in Narrative Approaches the focus is on externalising the problem by making the client aware that there is nothing problematic about them and the problem does not represent who they are, ‘the issue is the issue’, not the person themselves (Carey, & Russell, 2002, Retrieved from https://dulwichcentre.com.au/articles-about-narrative-therapy/externalising/). This can be done by externalising the problem, by the questions which change the client perception of ‘I am really an anxious person’ to ‘How long has that anxiety impact my life?’ or by personifying the issue: ‘In which situation does Mr. Angier appear the most?’ Questions like that help to put some distance between the individual and the issue, and therefore, let the person to re-think about a relationship with the issue and their sense of self (Cox, Bachkirova, & Clutterbuck, 2014, p.120-122; Carey, & Russell, 2002, Retrieved from https://dulwichcentre.com.au/articles-about-narrative-therapy/externalising/). Additionally, if the problem definition is closer to the client’s own experiences it is easier for them to come with any ideas of solving it. It is more likely to come with some coping strategies and methods for dealing with ‘the negative thoughts’ rather than finding some for depression per se, as it
could be overwhelming, too professional term to believe in possibility to cope with it or beat it (Carey, & Russell, 2002, Retrieved from https://dulwichcentre.com.au/articles-about-narrative-therapy/externalising/). Afterwards, the therapist/coach/mentor and client try to re-author the alternative story, find the alternative meaning of the story (kind of like CBT when there is a desire to find alternative thoughts) but also find the parts of the story which could help to overcome the problem e.g. ‘my courage aided me during that period’ (McLeod, 2013, p.253-266). Narrative Therapy often uses different tools like writing the letters between counsellor/coach/mentor and client. It helps patient to see someone else’s perspective, who knows about the problem. Also, it puts the client in narrative role of their own story, when he can look at it from aside, re-read it and re-think about it. Nonetheless, there are also a few difficulties within the Narrative Approach, because of the belief that people problems are influenced and related to community, environment, culture, and social aspect, sometimes it is challenging to make therapy effective when the family does not want to cooperate or have an abusive character. It may slow the process of recovery and change the nature of counsellor/coach/mentor and client relationship to more directive rather than cooperative. It is also difficult to learn the strategies and language of Narrative Approach, especially after having therapeutic schooling in advance. It could produce with some misunderstanding or difficulty of finding changeable interpretations in the client’s story (McLeod, 2013, p.259).
Narrative Approach in counselling focuses mostly on the past and desire for change in the future while coaching and mentoring direct their attention to present and future. Also, in counselling the therapist looks for the ‘dominant narratives’ in the story (beliefs about himself and label given by client) while in coaching and mentoring the focus is put on the ‘desired narratives’ (to change wanted trait for achieving fully potential in chosen performance/area) (Drake, 2015).
thoughts e.g. relaxation, self-control (Dobson, & Dozois, 2001, p.12-15). After learning the coping techniques, the next step is to utilize them in real-life situations, while monitoring everything and making relations to the therapist/coach/mentor. Thus, cognitive-behavioral psychologists believe that client can solve their issue from the given therapy and gain something from it, so if the issue comes back, they have some skills and knowledge to handle with it by themselves (Dobson, & Dozois, 2001, p.27). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy highlights the realistic thinking by acknowledgment, that the world is full of prospects and possibilities, and that sometimes things do not work out (Neenan, 2008). CBT strongly rely on scientific elements like experimenting as well. For example, if the client has problem with talking in front of people, the therapist gives them ‘homework’, such as small talks in front of 2-3 people. However, sometimes, during the monitoring process, client’s reports were incorrect and became modulate to hide unwanted truth or to avoid client’s potential feelings of embarrassment due to unproductive results (McLeod, 2013, p.157; Dobson, & Dozois, 2001, p.4, 23). CBT is mainly about self-work and the use of coping strategies in real life situations. There is a probability that the client will not complete the given ‘homework’ and counsellor/coach/mentor should be aware of this possibility, hence not become discouraged and frustrated by it (McLeod, 2013, p.159). Also, CBT tends to focus mainly on the client’s act to change their behavior, rather than getting too deep into the patient’s insight (McLeod, 2013, p.150). CBT approaches adhere to the principle that the client is the controller of their life, thus they are the cause of their misery and vice versa, they can change and control their calamities (Dobson, & Dozois, 2001, p.26). Therefore, they need just some directions and therapeutic strategies to cope with the problem. Cognitive-behavioral approaches are used for concrete problem, and at first it could be a limitation for many, but by using set of checked data about this particular issue, the client can be provided with strategies, which are mainly chosen for this disorder or problem and examine by that their effectiveness. At the end, it helps with arranging top effective healing treatment for the client. Additionally, it expanses the data of these techniques, and increase knowledge about them, and their accurateness for better use in the future (Dobson, & Dozois, 2001, p.26).
CBT in coaching pays attention mostly on changing the negative interpretations to achieve the client’s full potential in particular performance, therefore the specific issue is related with that specific performance, whereas counselling focuses more on the general distressing thoughts e.g. in depression. In mentoring, coping strategies are mainly provided by mentors who could have faced the same problem, and from their own experiences, recommend the most effective technique (McLeod, 2013, p.133-167; Connor, & Pokora, 2017, p.111-112; Neenan, 2008).
Another therapy used in counselling, coaching, and mentoring is Narrative Approach, which has some similarities to CBT.
In both cases, counselor/coach/mentor first listen to the client’s story of problematic event(s), their interpretation(s) of these stories and tries to find information about the problem and re-interpreted it. Also, through personal stories, the client can understand their feelings, beliefs, and attitudes better, and engage in that problem through cooperative relationship with counsellor/coach/mentor. In both approaches the client is perceived as an ‘expert’ of their life and the one who can ‘re-write’ it (McLeod, 2013, p.253-266; Cox, Bachkirova, & Clutterbuck, 2014, p.117-130). However, in Narrative Approaches the focus is on externalising the problem by making the client aware that there is nothing problematic about them and the problem does not represent who they are, ‘the issue is the issue’, not the person themselves (Carey, & Russell, 2002, Retrieved from https://dulwichcentre.com.au/articles-about-narrative-therapy/externalising/). This can be done by externalising the problem, by the questions which change the client perception of ‘I am really an anxious person’ to ‘How long has that anxiety impact my life?’ or by personifying the issue: ‘In which situation does Mr. Angier appear the most?’ Questions like that help to put some distance between the individual and the issue, and therefore, let the person to re-think about a relationship with the issue and their sense of self (Cox, Bachkirova, & Clutterbuck, 2014, p.120-122; Carey, & Russell, 2002, Retrieved from https://dulwichcentre.com.au/articles-about-narrative-therapy/externalising/). Additionally, if the problem definition is closer to the client’s own experiences it is easier for them to come with any ideas of solving it. It is more likely to come with some coping strategies and methods for dealing with ‘the negative thoughts’ rather than finding some for depression per se, as it
could be overwhelming, too professional term to believe in possibility to cope with it or beat it (Carey, & Russell, 2002, Retrieved from https://dulwichcentre.com.au/articles-about-narrative-therapy/externalising/). Afterwards, the therapist/coach/mentor and client try to re-author the alternative story, find the alternative meaning of the story (kind of like CBT when there is a desire to find alternative thoughts) but also find the parts of the story which could help to overcome the problem e.g. ‘my courage aided me during that period’ (McLeod, 2013, p.253-266). Narrative Therapy often uses different tools like writing the letters between counsellor/coach/mentor and client. It helps patient to see someone else’s perspective, who knows about the problem. Also, it puts the client in narrative role of their own story, when he can look at it from aside, re-read it and re-think about it. Nonetheless, there are also a few difficulties within the Narrative Approach, because of the belief that people problems are influenced and related to community, environment, culture, and social aspect, sometimes it is challenging to make therapy effective when the family does not want to cooperate or have an abusive character. It may slow the process of recovery and change the nature of counsellor/coach/mentor and client relationship to more directive rather than cooperative. It is also difficult to learn the strategies and language of Narrative Approach, especially after having therapeutic schooling in advance. It could produce with some misunderstanding or difficulty of finding changeable interpretations in the client’s story (McLeod, 2013, p.259).
Narrative Approach in counselling focuses mostly on the past and desire for change in the future while coaching and mentoring direct their attention to present and future. Also, in counselling the therapist looks for the ‘dominant narratives’ in the story (beliefs about himself and label given by client) while in coaching and mentoring the focus is put on the ‘desired narratives’ (to change wanted trait for achieving fully potential in chosen performance/area) (Drake, 2015).