Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Psychology

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Psychology

Abstract

All behavioral therapies attempt to improve the mental health of patients. Various theories have served as the underpinning for these therapeutic treatments for mental health disorders. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the efficacious treatments for some of the psychological problems affecting humans. This paper discusses the history of the cognitive-behavior theory, which is applied in the CBT model. The major propositions of this theory are identified and the manner in which it works documented. The effectiveness of this theory in treating anxiety disorder, eating disorders, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder are then discussed. The various strengths of the theory are highlighted, and its weaknesses revealed. The paper concludes by noting that CBT is an important model for treating a number of mental disorders and restoring the mental health of individuals.

History of the Theory

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can trace its beginning to the work of the US psychiatrist, Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s. This psychiatrist was engaged in studies on the treatment of depression at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Beck discovered that depressed patients were experiencing negative thoughts that had a direct impact on their mental state (Dobson, 2009). These thoughts occurred automatically, and they influenced how the patients viewed themselves and the world. Based on this discovery, Dr. Beck was able to develop a new approach to treating depression, which he called cognitive therapy. The CB theory has three propositions at its core. The first proposition is that cognitive activities affect behavior, which means that a person’s appraisal of events can affect how he responds to the events. The second proposition is that the tasks a person engages in can be carefully examined and changes to the activities made. Finally, CB theory proposes that by cognitive change, it is possible to produce desired behavior in the individual.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is a generic term for a number of therapies that include both behavioral and cognitive interventions. These therapies rely on the two forms of interventions with the aim of creating broad changes in the patient’s emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal spheres of functioning. In the behavioral interventions, attempts are made to change functioning by intervening at the level of behavior. In the cognitive interventions, attempts are made to effect changes by altering the perceptions and thinking patterns of the patient (Schibbye et al., 2014). The key principle of the cognitive-behavioral theory is that our emotional states are caused by our beliefs related to certain events rather than the events themselves. CBT interventions try to change unhealthy behavior in an individual by cognitive restructuring. Through this therapy, modification of troublesome thoughts and maladaptive behavior is undertaken with the aim of reducing the symptoms.

In the early years of the development of CBT, supporters of the theory had to engage in numerous researches to demonstrate the empirical legitimacy of this theory. Through the 1960s and 1970s, researches and clinicians engaged in the intensive development of the cognitive-behavioral models of psychopathology and psychotherapy. The models were subjected to empirical scrutiny leading to increased understanding of this approach. Due to these efforts, there is significant empirical evidence in support of the premise made by the cognitive-behavioral theory that a person’s view of events can affect the response to those events. Cristea, Montgomery, Szamoskozi, and David (2013) assert that CBT is one of the fastest developing fields in psychotherapy, and many therapists are utilizing this technique to treat a wide array of psychological disorders. The efficacy of CBT is well established, and the current debate is on the degree and exact nature of the appraisals an individual makes in different circumstances.

Types of Problems the Theory is most useful for

CBT is one of the most important methods for treating phobias. By definition, phobias are exaggerated or irrational fears of some objects or situations. The most common social phobia is an anxiety disorder, and it affects about 3.2% of the population (Moldovan & David, 2014). If left unmanaged, the social phobia has a negative impact on the work performance, social life, and personal relationship of the individual suffering from it. CBT intervention helps participants to learn to identify the irrational beliefs that lead to anxiety and to dispute these irrational beliefs and develop rational ones. This treatment protocol is based on the understanding that Phobias are largely caused by classical conditioning, and fear is maintained by the av