CBT Treatment: Applied Techniques of Counselling Report Analysis

This report provides an overview of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as an effective treatment for anxiety and depression, emphasizing its core principle of linking mood to thought patterns. It highlights the collaborative approach between the patient and therapist, focusing on recalibrating negative thought patterns. The report details the application of CBT in Greg's case, illustrating how it can help manage anxiety, improve self-confidence, and enhance overall quality of life. It outlines various CBT techniques such as cognitive restructuring and exposure therapy, while also acknowledging potential challenges like hidden information and mechanistic limitations. The report also discusses the importance of open communication and addressing underlying issues, such as those potentially related to Greg's sexuality. References from various sources are also included.

Running head: APPLIED TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELLING
Applied techniques of Counseling
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note

1APPLIED TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELLING
Cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective form of treatment for depression and anxiety.
It is assumed in CBT that the mood of a person is directly related to his thought patterns.
Negative and dysfunctional thoughts have an effect on the person’s mind, his sense of self,
behavior and even on his physical state. This therapy has been found to be beneficial with regard
to the treatment for depression. In this treatment, the patient and the psychologist have an
understanding among themselves to work together and agree on the behavioral patterns that need
to be changed (Chivers et al., 2017). The main aim in this kind of therapy is to recalibrate a part
of the human brain that is putting a grasp on the happy thoughts. It is required for the patient to
pay visit to his CBT therapist between five and twenty weekly or fortnightly sessions which can
last longer to make sure that the patient is totally cured from his anxiety during the session. It is
the most popular therapy used for anxiety disorders or issues related to nervousness. Studies
have shown that it is really beneficial for the panic disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder and
general anxiety disorder and all other conditions. These wide ranges of mental health problems
can be treated with CBT with the aim of helping people to be aware of when they make negative
interpretations and behavioral patterns which results in deformed thinking (Cuijpers et al., 2014).
CBT is considered as the most effective for psychological treatment in moderate and severe
depression. It can be compared to the antidepressants for many kinds of depression.
The CBT approach will be used in Greg’s case because it will help him to become more
rational. He will start believing in rational things instead of letting his feelings to control the
brain. He will also learn how to have a control on his thinking power which will help him in
being less nervous, anxious and stressed at critical situations. He will start believing himself in a
different way, his self confidence will be redeemed. He will be able to calm down and relax
which will lead to better outcomes (Frühauf et al., 2013). He will become successful in cracking

2APPLIED TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELLING
the interviews and see himself in a better position in his career. CBT will be essential for Greg
because it is the best effective treatments for conditions where anxiety and depression is the main
issue.
Greg as a client of CBT treatment will show more favorable outcomes in this approach.
The treatment rationale is comparatively more complex and subtle process which was assumed
earlier. The process involves expectation, control negotiation and assigning blame, the function
might also vary depending on the stage of the treatment (Lader & Malcolm, 2015). The CBT
therapist will work with him to help him recover from his anxiety and nervous disorder and
change his behavioral and thinking pattern. This will provide Greg with valuable perspective
which will aid in improving his quality of life and he will be able to manage stress at the critical
situations. It is Greg’s own reactions to the different phenomenon that is within his control and
that sums up by affecting the quality of life.
The techniques used in this therapy is not meant for long term goals but focuses on
helping the clients to meet their near future needs. One of the techniques used in this therapy is
known as cognitive distortions. It is a defective way of thinking that is convinced to be real but
does not exist in actual. Other techniques that are used in this therapy are- journaling, unraveling
cognitive distortions, cognitive restructuring, exposure and response prevention, introceptive
exposure, nightmare exposure and rescripting, playing the script till the end, progressive muscle
relaxation or PMR and relaxed breathing (McHugh et al., 2013).
The challenge that can be posed while working on this case is that he is hiding some
information which will be required for his treatment. The psychologist can become more friendly
in his next sessions so that he will disclose and personal issues that have occurred to him in his

3APPLIED TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELLING
childhood. Other challenges of using this therapy includes that it is mechanistic and do not
address all the concerns of the patient. It is said that the cognitive elements of CBT has failed to
outperform a specific version of the treatment which contains more behavioral strategies. The
knowledge is gained from a special research type that is known as the component analysis in
which the elements are manipulated for experimenting. It is also a barrier as CBT lacks in
creating a connection to cognitive psychology and neuroscience (Thompson-Hollands et al.,
2014). The promoters of CBT have been reluctant in experimenting the investigation of putative
mechanisms of CBT actions which failed to confirm the relationship between dysfunctional
attitudes and the treatment outcomes. All these mentioned challenges in the path of treatment
will not permit the psychologist to have a proper cure for Greg’s case. Moreover, Greg has also
hidden some personal issues which might have occurred due to his gay character (Yehuda et al.,
2015).
The psychologist can try to become friendly with Greg or ask him directly about the
reason for hiding his personal issues. Greg is a gentleman of 32 years who has willingly come to
the psychologist because he wants to improve himself. So it is better if he can be convinced to
share his persona; matter by himself instead of going for any other techniques. Greg has only
mentioned about his father Terry (Weobong et al., 2017). The psychologist can ask him about his
mother and other siblings and their behavior towards him. The behavior of the parents in the
childhood of Greg can also make an impact in his adulthood. It can be assumed that he was
neglected or looked down upon for being a gay. He might have been mocked for his sexuality by
his siblings who might have forced him to leave the house. These possible questions can be
answered only in the form of open communication from both the ends.

4APPLIED TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELLING
Reference
Chivers, M. L., Basson, R., Brotto, L. A., Graham, C. A., & Stephenson, K. R. (2017). Statistical
and epistemological issues in the evaluation of treatment efficacy of pharmaceutical,
psychological, and combination treatments for women's sexual desire difficulties. Journal
of sex & marital therapy, 43(3), 210-217.
Cuijpers, P., Sijbrandij, M., Koole, S., Huibers, M., Berking, M., & Andersson, G. (2014).
Psychological treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a meta-analysis. Clinical
Psychology Review, 34(2), 130-140.
Frühauf, S., Gerger, H., Schmidt, H. M., Munder, T., & Barth, J. (2013). Efficacy of
psychological interventions for sexual dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-
analysis. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 42(6), 915-933.
Lader, Malcolm. "Generalized anxiety disorder." In Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology, pp.
699-702. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2015.
McHugh, R. K., Whitton, S. W., Peckham, A. D., Welge, J. A., & Otto, M. W. (2013). Patient
preference for psychological vs. pharmacological treatment of psychiatric disorders: a
meta-analytic review. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 74(6), 595.
Thompson-Hollands, J., Edson, A., Tompson, M. C., & Comer, J. S. (2014). Family involvement
in the psychological treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder: A meta-analysis.
Weobong, B., Weiss, H. A., McDaid, D., Singla, D. R., Hollon, S. D., Nadkarni, A., ... &
Dimidjian, S. (2017). Sustained effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Healthy
Activity Programme, a brief psychological treatment for depression delivered by lay

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counsellors in primary care: 12-month follow-up of a randomised controlled trial. PLoS
medicine, 14(9), e1002385.
Yehuda, R., Bierer, L. M., Pratchett, L. C., Lehrner, A., Koch, E. C., Van Manen, J. A., ... &
Hildebrandt, T. (2015). Cortisol augmentation of a psychological treatment for
warfighters with posttraumatic stress disorder: Randomized trial showing improved
treatment retention and outcome. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 51, 589-597.