Cognitive Behavioral Approach In Counseling

In counselling, there are several theories that serve as a frame work in assessing clients’ behaviors, their internal struggles, as well as appropriate treatment necessary to facilitate change. Just like in medicine, accurate diagnosis is very important as this will in turn lead to an effective treatment approach, the same applies in mental health. It is necessary to have the right clinical orientation in other to effective facilitate the accurate change necessary to each individual client. Of the different approaches in counseling we have studied in this class, I find myself leaning more towards the cognitive-behavioral approach, for the fact that it promotes making changes inwardly (cognitively) to affect change outwardly (behaviorally. It is important to note that not all problems can be resolved through cognitive-behavioral approach. Our textbook mentions two specific problems that a combination of specific cognitive-behavioral intervention can treat,
Anxiety is a psychological disorder characterized by fear and avoidance in situation that do not necessary present actual danger or risk. What distinguishes anxiety as a disorder is its persistence and excessive worrying that affects dealing and coping with everyday events. Anxiety is a very common psychological disorder, and has an estimated prevalence of 29% (Kessler et al., 2005). Anxiety can be classified into five types; social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Specifically, I would like to focus on social anxiety disorder as this is a disorder I can personally relate with. I struggled with anxiety for many years. Initially it presented itself as me just being shy and wanting to avoid social interaction in school at church, even the first and only birthday party I ever had. I remember throughout my primary and secondary school years, it was a struggle and it progressively