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Understanding Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy

The Cognitive-Behavioural Approach to Counselling (CBT) is an evidence-based therapeutic model that combines behaviour therapy and cognitive psychology to address psychological distress through maladaptive thinking patterns. It focuses on current issues, employs collaborative techniques, and includes homework and psychoeducation to enhance learning. CBT is widely applicable across various settings and continues to evolve with new technologies.

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7 views1 page

Understanding Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy

The Cognitive-Behavioural Approach to Counselling (CBT) is an evidence-based therapeutic model that combines behaviour therapy and cognitive psychology to address psychological distress through maladaptive thinking patterns. It focuses on current issues, employs collaborative techniques, and includes homework and psychoeducation to enhance learning. CBT is widely applicable across various settings and continues to evolve with new technologies.

Uploaded by

chibichancc2
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Introduction

The Cognitive-Behavioural Approach to Counselling (CBT) is a widely recognised, evidence-


based therapeutic model that integrates principles from both behaviour therapy and
cognitive psychology. Emerging from the behavioural tradition of the early 20th century
and the cognitive revolution of the 1960s, CBT proposes that psychological distress is
largely maintained by maladaptive patterns of thinking, which in turn influence emotions,
physiological reactions, and behaviours. This approach is inherently action-oriented,
structured, and time-limited, aiming to help individuals identify distorted cognitions,
evaluate their accuracy, and replace them with more adaptive alternatives.

A central feature of CBT is its emphasis on the here-and-now, focusing on current


difficulties rather than tracing problems solely to past experiences. The approach is
collaborative, where the counsellor and client work together to observe and test thoughts
through guided discovery and Socratic questioning. CBT also makes use of homework
assignments, psychoeducation, and behavioural experiments, which strengthen learning
outside the counselling session. Additionally, the therapeutic process encourages clients to
monitor automatic thoughts, identify cognitive distortions, and gradually modify underlying
schemas that shape their interpretation of events.

Because of its structured format, clear goals, and emphasis on skill-building, CBT has
become one of the most adaptable and research-supported methods in contemporary
counselling. It is applied across diverse settings—including clinical, educational,
community, and health-related contexts—and continues to evolve through innovations such
as computer-assisted and online CBT programmes.

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