Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Social Work Essay

It is important to comprehend that cognitive behavioral therapy with children focuses on behavioral therapy strategies while working to transform a child's feelings as well as thoughts. In the video "Cognitive-Behavioral Child Therapy" by Bruce Masek, a therapy model is adapted to a mother-child dyad. In particular, the model plays a critical role in helping mothers learn various strategies for managing their children's backtalk as well as tantrums. Masek takes part in conducting a focused behavioral assessment to determine the issues that have sparked the children's negative acting out.

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Masek works towards influencing mothers or family to comprehend the mother-child dyad problem. In particular, the therapist argues that mothers, as well as families, have control over researching where their problems originated and the way their relationship is affected. What is more, the therapist then helps expand upon how the problem mentioned above affects the relationship between children and their mothers as well as other family members (Masek, 2017). Therefore, Masek maintains that families should concentrate on working together to establish the way they want to live together.

It is important to comprehend that Cognitive-behavioral therapy begins with a standard intake concentrated on the main complaint as well as present concern rather than on a detailed developmental history. During the assessment phase, the therapist surveys what the customer has tried and what homework they have already done. Clients often leave the first session with an ongoing assessment, like a diary. What is more, the customer, as well as therapist, agree on specific goals to work on in the therapy, using a future-oriented, positive perspective.

It is noteworthy that Psychotherapy portrayed in the video is less off-the-cuff as compared to the therapy in practice. In fact, the therapist or clients in a video may be nervous, putting their best foot forward, or trying to show mistakes as well as the way to handle them. It is important to comprehend that the therapist may move more quickly as compared to everyday practice to demonstrate a technique (Masek, 2017). The personal style of a therapist is often as important as their techniques as well as theories. Therefore, while people can certainly pick up concepts from master therapists, participants must make the best use of relevant theory, technique, and research that fits their own personal style as well as the needs of their clients.

With that said, it is important to comprehend that cognitive therapy concentrates on the thoughts as well as emotions that contribute to certain behaviors. Therefore, cognitive behavior therapy plays a critical role in helping a child's moods, anxiety, and behavior by examining confused or distorted patterns of thinking. What is more, CBT therapists take part in teaching children that thoughts cause feelings and moods, which can influence behavior. Specifically, during a cognitive behavior therapy, a child is in a position to learn to determine harmful thought patterns (Martin, 2018). In this case, a therapist assists the child to replace this thinking with thoughts that result in more appropriate feelings and behaviors. It is noteworthy that in treating children, there exist some stressors that are not present for adults generally related to education. Specifically, a child might possess unrealistic goals that are reinforced by adults in his or her life: perfection as the only acceptable outcome is a primary one.

Masek asserts that when a couple or family is presented with a child with health problems such as kidney disease or cystic fibrosis, they need to use their knowledge as well as parenting skills to handle the situation at hand. At this point, they must understand the fundamental needs of such children or ask for assistance to raise them up. With that said, it is evident that CBT is a critical short-term goal-oriented psychotherapy treatment that takes a practical strategy for problem-solving. Specifically, the underlying goal of this approach is to change patterns of thinking or behavior that are behind people's difficulties, and so change the way they feel. It is prudent to note that cognitive behavioral therapy tends to be short.

Apart from cognitive behavioral therapy, the short-term treatment goal that would be set for the family would be for them to participate in a team building activity. Specifically, the activity forces them to think as a group in order to achieve one common goal. The activity would be used to help influence cohesion and encouragement when working together. On the other hand, the long-term goal would be for the family at hand to encourage as well as motivate each other without being reminded. It is evident that when a family is faced with the aforementioned challenge, they may be under stress and this might lead to confusions and conflicts.

The two interventions that would be utilized for the family at hand would be journaling for all members of the family as well as having them say one positive thing a day about another family member. In particular, the main reason is to use this intervention is to enable the family members to articulate their feelings and thoughts on paper. It will also allow them the opportunity to go back and read how someone made them feel. The aforementioned intervention is recognized as a practice that helps in maintaining a diary to keep an account of the various situations experienced by patients in their daily life. Moreover, various thoughts connected to the situation at hand as well as behavior depicted in response are indicted in the diary. In particular, the therapist as well as patient review what all is written in the diary and try to identify the patient's maladaptive thought patterns. Consequently, the discussion between the therapist and the patient is critical in determining the different ways where the behavior of the patient is affected.

Conclusion

In addition, pleasant activity scheduling can be used in this family to help it overcome the stress of the situation facing it. Therefore, for every day, schedule one pleasant activity that you would not normally do. It could be as simple as reading a chapter of a novel or eating your lunch away from your desk without rushing. On the same note, an alternative version of this technique is to schedule an activity a day that gives you a sense of mastery, competence, or accomplishment (Boyes, 2012). Moreover, choose something small that you would not usually do. The family should target for something that takes them less than 10 minutes. Overall, the cognitive behavioral therapy for children needs the therapist to take an active role in the treatment process. The reason is that children are unable to label or even describe their feelings as well as thoughts. Therefore, it is the work of the therapist to perform the critical task of extracting important information concerning the child's behavior patterns and thoughts.

References

Boyes, A. (2012). Cognitive behavioral therapy techniques that work. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-practice/201212/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-techniques-work

Martin, B. (2018). In-depth: Cognitive behavioral therapy. Psych Central. Retrieved from https://psychcentral.com/lib/in-depth-cognitive-behavioral-therapy/

Masek, B. (2017). Cognitive behavioral child therapy. My Video Library. Retrieved from http://www.psychotherapy.net.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/stream/waldenu/video?vid=051