Page 3 - LN 3_Therapuetic Approaches

7. Modelling is the procedure wherein the client learns to behave in a
certain way by observing the behaviour of a role model or the therapist
who initially acts as the role model.
8. Vicarious learning, i.e. learning by observing others, is used and
through a process of rewarding small changes in the behaviour, the
client gradually learns to acquire the behaviour of the model.

Cognitive Therapy

▪ Cognitive therapies locate the cause of psychological distress in irrational thoughts
and beliefs.
1. Albert Ellis formulated the Rational Emotive Therapy (RET).
▪ The central thesis of this therapy is that irrational beliefs mediate between the
antecedent events and their consequences.
▪ The first step in RET is the antecedent belief-consequence (ABC) analysis.
➢ Antecedent events, which caused the psychological distress, are noted.
➢ The irrational beliefs are found, which are distorting the present reality.
These beliefs are characterised by thoughts with ‘musts’ and ‘shoulds’, i.e.
things ‘must’ and ‘should’ be in a particular manner.
➢ This distorted perception of the antecedent event due to the irrational belief
leads to the consequence, i.e. negative emotions and behaviours.
▪ In the process of RET, the irrational beliefs are refuted by the therapist through a
process of non-directive questioning.
▪ The nature of questioning is gentle, without probing or being directive.
▪ The rational belief system replaces the irrational belief system and there is a
reduction in psychological distress.

2. Another cognitive therapy is that of Aaron Beck.
▪ His theory of psychological distress characterised by anxiety or depression, states
that childhood experiences provided by the family and society develop core
schemas or systems, which include beliefs and action patterns in the individual.
▪ These core schemas develop during the course of life as a critical incident occurs
in her/his life.
▪ The critical incidents results in negative thoughts.
▪ Negative thoughts are persistent irrational thoughts such as “nobody loves me”.

▪ Such negative automatic thoughts are characterised by cognitive distortions.
▪ Cognitive distortions are ways of thinking which are general in nature but which
distort the reality in a negative manner.
▪ These patterns of thought are called dysfunctional cognitive structures.
▪ They lead to errors of cognition about the social reality.
▪ Repeated occurrence of these thoughts leads to the development of feelings of
anxiety and depression.
▪ The therapist uses questioning, which is gentle, nonthreatening disputation of the
client’s beliefs and thoughts.