Aaron Becks Cognitive Therapy

1. Aaron Beck’s
Cognitive Therapy
Submitted to:
Prof. Agnes Montalbo
Rizal Technological University
Submitted by :
Karen Lei Cruz

2. • Aaron T. Beck- developed an approach
known as cognitive therapy.
• Cognitive Therapy- is an insight focused
therapy that emphasizes recognizing and
changing negative thoughts and maladaptive
beliefs.

3. Theoretical Assumptions of cognitive
Therapy
1. People’s internal communications is
accessible to introspection.
2. Client’s beliefs have highly personal
meanings.
3. These meanings can be discovered by the
client rather than being taught or interpreted
by the therapist.

4. Basic Principles of
Cognitive Therapy

5. 1. Arbitrary inferences- refer to making
conclusions without supporting and
relevant evidence. This includes
“catastrophizing”, or thinking of the
absolute worst scenario and outcomes
for most situations.
2. Selective Abstractions- consists of
forming conclusions based on an isolated
detail of an event.

6. 3. Overgeneralization- is a process of holding
extreme beliefs on the basis of a single
incident and applying them inappropriately to
dissimilar events or settings.
4.Magnification and minimization- consist of
perceiving a case or situation in a greater or
lesser light than it truly deserves.
5. Personalization- is a tendency for individuals
to relate external events to themselves, even
when there is no basis for making this
connection.

7. 6. Labeling and Mislabeling- involve portraying
one’s identity on the basis of imperfections
and mistakes made in the past and allowing
them to define one’s true identity.
7. Dichotomous thinking- involves categorizing
experiences in either or extreme

8. Some differences between CT and
REBT
• REBT is often highly directive persuasive and
confrontational. In contrast, CT uses a Socratic
dialogue by posing open ended questions, CT
places more emphasis on helping clients
discover and identify their misconceptions.

9. Client-Therapist
Relationship

10. • Beck’s believes that effective therapists are
able to combine empathy and sensitivity,
along with technical competence.
• To establish a therapeutic alliance with clients,
therapists must also have cognitive
conceptualization of cases, be creative and
active, be able to engage clients through a
process of Socratic questioning.

11. • Be knowledgeable and skilled in the use of
cognitive and behavioral strategies aimed at
guiding clients in significant self discoveries
that will lead to change.
• Macy (2007) states that effective cognitive
therapists strive to create “warm, empathic
relationships with clients while at the same
time effectively using cognitive therapy
techniques that will enable clients to create
change in their thinking, feeling and
behaving’.

12. • Therapists engage client’s active participation
and collaboration throughout all phases of
therapy.
• Cognitive therapists aim to teach clients how
to be their own therapist.
• Bibliotherapy- clients complete readings
dealing with the philosophy of cognitive
therapy.
• Homework- is often used as a part of
cognitive therapy

13. Applications of
Cognitive Therapy

14. 1. Applying cognitive techniques
2. Treatment of depression
3. Application to family therapy