Chapter 1. Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies

Short Description

Therapies such as psychoanalysis and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are useful in helping people to combat destructive thought patterns and behaviors.

Long Description

Several approaches to these forms of therapy exist, each with the goal of modifying the way clients think and helping them acquire healthier patterns of behavior. In this program, students learn how cognitive and behavioral therapies work and which disorders they treat most effectively.

In cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), says Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, therapists collaborate with their clients, helping them chart their goals and explore what limitations exist. Therapists do not merely teach their clients what to do, but also how to do it. This focused approach allows CBT to be more short-term than traditional forms of psychotherapy.

CBT has been shown to be effective in treating a wide range of problems, including mood, anxiety, personality, and eating disorders, as well as substance abuse and phobias. The narrator points out that CBT can, similarly, treat chronic depression and is beneficial in preventing depression and positively altering brain chemistry. CBT is not recommended for clients with schizophrenia, suicidal depression, or mania.

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