Core beliefs in CBT We all have central beliefs are about ourselves and our relations to others; they are like short cuts to which we revert, time after time. The problem arises when they become maladaptive, and in which case they often highlight an underlying belief about us being one of three things: unlovable, helpless […]
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CBT – Intermediate Beliefs
Intermediate Beliefs are different from core beliefs and encorporate rules, attitudes and assumptions. We formulate these gradually through treatment, not right from the start. It can help to explain that different people have different beliefs because of different personalities and experiences, and that they may make things hard for us but that we can unlearn […]
CBT – Negative Automatic Thoughts and Thought Challenging
We all have negative thoughts from time to time; they are often what make us feel low or anxious. The thoughts themselves can be distorted or the conclusion from the thoughts may also be distorted i.e. I didn’t remember calling my friend back therefore I am a nasty person. Or our thoughts may simply be […]
Reflections on a case study treating an older adult with anxiety
Here I put forward a case report describing the assessment and treatment of April (pseudonym). April is an 80-year old, retired female, living alone with multiple physical health co-morbidities, referred by her doctor for symptoms of anxiety. DSM-V (2013) suggests a provisional diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is appropriate if the client has experienced […]