Belief systems and their social functions

Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive therapy psychology is a proven, effective theoretical psychological approach. Its focus on guided self-improvement and underlying assumption that individuals are capable of change fits well with my personal belief system. Identifying and changing negative thoughts and perceptions, and changing underlying behaviors can all be useful techniques in treating a depressive patient using cognitive therapy.

Cognitive theory is based on the idea that previous experiences and perceptions can affect and color current attitudes, emotions and self-perceptions. As such, cognitive therapy helps the client to first identify, and later change negative and unhelpful self-perceptions and thoughts. The therapist works with the client to help change these thoughts, thus later changing habitual responses to stimuli and behavior.

In many ways, cognitive therapy fits neatly with my personal belief system. I believe strongly that humans are fully capable of influencing their own lives and perceptions, and that this ability is absolutely necessary to living a fulfilling and interesting life. However, the ability to influence our own thoughts and beliefs is not always an intuitive process. As such, I feel that cognitive psychology is simply an approach that assists individuals in self-improvement, and gives them tools that make them more powerful and effective in creating their own realities.

Likely the most important assumption underlying cognitive therapy is that "thoughts mediate between stimuli, such as external events, and emotions" (CouncellingResource). In addition, cognitive therapy also makes two important secondary assumptions. First, cognitive therapists assume that their clients are capable of becoming aware of their thoughts and thus changing their inner world. Second, cognitive therapists believe that certain stimuli sometimes elicit thoughts that distort reality or fail to accurately represent reality (CouncellingResource).

There are a number of useful techniques used within cognitive therapy that could be used when working with my clients. Cognitive therapy can be used effectively to treat clients with depression. During depression, clients often have negative thoughts that arise as a result in response to stimuli that should normally be considered as positive. For example, a depressed client who receives positive feedback about a school assignment may attribute their success to luck.

The first important step in treating such a disorder is getting the client to become aware of the thoughts and behaviors that are at the root of their depression. This can be accomplished by asking clients to record their perceptions about specific events, in order to allow the client to see that their perceptions can change with situation and time (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy).

Second, an important technique that I can use to help clients deal with depression may be helping clients to challenge specific behaviors. For example, a client may feel that when they are at parties no one is interested in talking to them, and as a result the person avoids parties and other social gathering. In order to overcome distorted thought that they are uninteresting by helping the client to change their specific avoidance of social events. Simply put, by getting the client to go to a party where they will be greeted by close friends and family (changing behavior), the therapist helps the client to challenge the underlying thought that they are uninteresting (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy).