Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Group Settings Versus Family Settings
THE JOB IS TO REPLY WITH A COMMENT TO EACH POST, POST 1 AND POST 2. WITH 2 COMPLETED REFERENCE includidig retrival or doi, IN APA WITH CITATION ABOVE 2013 PER COMMENT.
POST 1
Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most common go-to treatment approaches. This approach is known for focusing on changing unhealthy thoughts and behaviors to improve emotional wellbeing by learning coping strategies and putting them in use. Its use ranges from depression to addiction. With addiction, for example, it is estimated that about 50% of individuals who suffer from addiction, have cognitive deficits as well, according to Aharonovich et al. (2018, p. 800).
This approach can be used in individual psychotherapy or group/family psychotherapy. In group CBT, the purpose is to make progress toward goal while reviewing treatment skills and learn how to apply those skills into practice. Group sessions are usually a couple of times a week and treatment goes on for about 3-4 months. Its effectiveness is proved in DeViva et al.’s study that proves the most effective CBT treatment option for insomnia is group psychotherapy (2018, p. 294). In family therapy, communication skills can be strengthened. It involves exploring roles, rules, and behaviors and how those can affect everyone in the family. It is usually one session a week for about 1 hour. An example of successful CBT family therapy is Selles’ et al. (2018) study which proves improvement in treating OCD in children (p. 116).
Two challenges encountered by therapist during group treatment are boundaries and fear. Some participating members might not understand or might choose not to follow boundary rules. Other members might not fully participate or engage in treatment due to fear of being exposed or judged. An example of this during my clinical rotation was a family member who did not engage in the sessions because he felt he did not need to “expose my problems with a stranger”. Whatever the case might be, I truly believe CBT is one of the most effective approaches in the field.
References
Aharonovich, E., Hasin, D.S., Nunes, E. V., Stohl, M., Cannizzaro, D., Sarvet, A., … Genece, K.
G. (2018). Modified Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (M-CBT) for Cocaine Dependence:
Development of Treatment for Cognitively Impaired Users and Results from a Stage 1
Trial. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 32(7).
DeViva, J. C., McCarthy, E., Bieu, R. K., Santoro, G. M., Rinaldi, A., Gehrman, P., & Kulas, J.
(2018). Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Delivered to Veterans with
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Receiving Residential Treatment is Associated with
Improvements in Sleep Independent of Changes in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Traumatology, 24(4).
Selles, R. R., Belschner, L., Negreiros, J., Lin, S., Schuberth, D., McKenney, K., … Stewart, S.
E. (2018). Group Family-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Pediatric Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder: Global Outcomes and Predictors of Improvement. Psychiatry Research, 260, 116-122.
