OH Southwest takes on cognitive behavioural therapy techniques

Published: 18 September 2009

Okay ... so you can't change things that are out of your control, but you can change the way you react to them. ANNE MEALING explores some great techniques for recognising and dealing with the here and now.

RCN-OH-South West logo

We had another great study day with Martin Davis giving us an insight into cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in his own humorous and informative style. There were more than 60 delegates there and all provided very positive feedback about the presentation, saying it was extremely useful both on a personal level and for use with clients.

So, he asked, what do we need for good mental health?

Martin likened it to a shopping trolley which we fill with daily events and problems: we need to unload it at the end of the day, but we must bear in mind that other members of the family will want to unload theirs too!

He spoke of the ABC effect to illustrate how stress interrupts our cognitive processes. A is a trigger event, B the cognitive process and C is how you respond to A. We develop a predictable script from how we react to an event. That script can usually be helpful, but some reactions aren't (negative thinking) and we need to learn how to stop them.

South West study day

It's about realistic thinking, not positive thinking

We need to have insight into what we are saying to ourselves and the consequences this can have on oneself, others and our life. The key philosophy is that you can't always influence what others say or do to you, but you can influence how you react to it!

Many of us are familiar with the cognitive model (based on Beck's), but it was useful to revisit. The section on problem solving was particularly interesting and will prove invaluable for use with clients.

Personality disorders were covered, the three main types being inadequate, aggressive and creative. This session was made all the more memorable by Martin's examples and imaginative illustrations.

So what are the steps to CBT?

CBT, he concluded, is about the here and now.