Summary: <p>Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Skills<br> Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes PhD, LPC-MHSP, LMHC<br> Executive Director, AllCEUs</p> <p>Continuing Education (CE) credits can be earned for this presentation at <a href="https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/520/c/">https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/520/c/</a></p> <p>Objectives<br> ~Define Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and its basic principles<br> ~Identify factors impacting people’s choice of behaviors<br> ~Explore causes and impact of thinking errors<br> ~Identify common thinking errors and their relationship to cognitive distortions</p> <p>Why I Care/How It Impacts Recovery<br> ~The way people perceive the world and interpret events leads to behavioral reactions<br> ~A person who perceives the world as hostile, unsafe and unpredictable will tend to be more hypervigilant (until they exhaust the stress response system)<br> ~A person who perceives the world as generally good and believes they have the ability to deal with challenges as they arise will be able to “allow” their stress response system to function normally.</p> <p>Factors Affecting Rational Behavior<br> ~Stress<br> ~Negative emotions<br> ~Physical<br> ~Pain<br> ~Illness<br> ~Sleep deprivation<br> ~Poor Nutrition<br> ~Intoxication (Alcohol, Barbiturates, Street Drugs)<br> ~Environmental<br> ~The introduction of a new or unique situation<br> ~Exposure to un-preferable situations<br> Factors Affecting Rational Behavior<br> ~Stress<br> ~Social<br> ~Peers or family who convey irrational thoughts as necessary standards for social acceptance.<br> ~“Nobody wants to associate with “those” people”<br> ~Lack of supportive peers to buffer stress</p> <p>A Note About Irrationality<br> ~The origins of most beliefs were rational and helpful given:<br> ~The information the person had at the time<br> ~The cognitive development (ability to process that information)<br> ~“Irrationality” or unhelpfulness of thoughts comes when those beliefs are:<br> ~Perpetuated without examination<br> ~Continue to be held despite causing harm to the person</p> <p>Sometimes it is more productive for clients to think of these thoughts as “unhelpful” instead of “irrational.”<br> Basic Principles<br> ~In cognitive therapy, clients learn to:<br> ~Distinguish between thoughts and feelings.<br> ~Become aware of the ways in which thoughts can influence feelings in ways that sometimes are not helpful.<br> ~Learn about thoughts that seem to occur automatically, without even realizing how they may affect emotions.<br> ~Constructively evaluate whether these “automatic” thoughts and assumptions are accurate, or perhaps biased.<br> ~Evaluate whether the current reactions are helpful and a good use of energy, or unhelpful and a waste of energy that could be used to move toward those people and things impotent to the person.<br> ~Develop the skills to notice, interrupt, and correct these biased thoughts independently.</p> <p>Causes of Thinking Errors<br> ~Information-processing shortcuts<br> ~Using outdated, dichotomous schemas<br> ~Mental noise<br> ~The brain's limited information processing capacity<br> ~Age<br> ~Crisis<br> Causes of Thinking Errors<br> ~Emotional motivations<br> ~I feel bad, therefore it must be bad<br> ~Moral Motivations<br> ~It was the right thing to do<br> ~Social influence<br> ~Everyone is doing it<br> Impact of Thinking Errors (Fight or Flee)<br> ~Emotional upset<br> ~Depression<br> ~Anxiety<br> ~Behavioral<br> ~Withdrawal<br> ~Addictions<br> ~Sleep problems/changes<br> ~Eating changes</p> <p>~Physical<br> ~Stress-related illnesses<br> ~Headaches<br> ~GI Distress<br> ~Social<br> ~Irritability/impatience<br> ~Withdrawal</p> <p>Thinking Errors<br> ~Emotional Reasoning –Feelings are not facts<br> ~Learn to effectively identify feelings and separate facts<br> ~I am terrified</p>
