JACQUIE HETHERTON

CBT is a very active and structured form of therapy that focuses on negative thoughts (cognitions) and behaviours as a means of bringing about change. The premise behind CBT is that it is not events themselves that make people feel the way they do but rather people's interpretations of those events. Research has shown however that psychological distress is often caused by interpretations that are distorted and unrealistic. CBT aims to help clients identify distorted thinking where it occurs and replace it with helpful realistic thinking. Negative thoughts also lead to dysfunctional behaviours. CBT targets these as well... CBT is active in that clients work collaboratively with the therapist to resolve their problems. Communication is open and honest and the therapy process is completely transparent. Clients are expected to complete ‘homework' between sessions and therapeutic gains are very much dependent on this homework being completed. The homework component in CBT is vital because..